Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-15
NEWIDEAL SOUGHT
|. IN: DRY UNIT TESTS
Prohibition and Civil Service
Officials in Virtual
Deadlock.

Whether the IS per cent OF the pro-
hibitiOn enforcement field personnel
who failed to pass the necessary civil
service tests will be given another
chance doomed important on the prohi-
bition horizon last night. as the Civil
Service Commission and the prohibI-
ton appeared to be in a virtual
deadlock on the situation.
The commission some time ago an
nounced new examinations would be
held in "a States to MI the eligible
list for administrative positions, and
let 1t be known that prohibition sd-
ministrators and others who had
failed TO make the grade in the FIRST
examination would he allowed 20 take
the second test. II was emphasized
at that time. however. that the sec
ond test was being given merely be-
cause the list OF eligibles was too
small.
Tests Are Criticized.
Now the prohibition bureau has
come cut in open criticism Of the ex.
admissions for non -administraty
posts such "a general agents and In
chance will be given these men Who
failed.
The Civil Service Commission late
yesterday had not a. yet decided
whether il would be necessary TO offer
a second examination. but " lillian q.
Deming, Of the commission, said the
only basis on which a second eXamlna-
ton could be given would be shortage
of eligibIes TO nil the positions.
The commission. Furthermore. in
support Of its position. yesterday made
public the complete list OF original
questions which had been gwen the
general agents and others for field
service. The commission characterized
these examinations as practical men,
tai tests" A grade Of 50 per cent
was necessary 10 pass.
Prohibition Commissioner James VI.
Doran is far from being satisfied with
the situation "a it now stands. he
stands TO lose about three-fouEths Of
, his service. which he said had been
carefully gone over before the tests
began. and the weaker and inefficient
men weeded out. The service. as he
expressed IL last night. had been care
fully "culled" before the tests began.
Now as results of the nationwide
examinations come in DR.. Doran fnds
that three-fourths Of his men have
failed to make the grade and face Dis
missal from the service.
Many Good Men Fail.
II Is all too much. according 20 DR..
Doran. The examinations could not
have been sufficiently practical. he
pointed out. adding. '-three-fourths
should not fail"
The whole layout OF examinations
/ is discredited a. impractical BY rea-
son OF its results" said DR. Dorar.
IL would be far more practical. he
declared. IL the commission would not
grade the men in detail on the writ
ten tests until after the oral exarnina-
tons and investigations OF their char
acter. An Of these Inquiries into Q
mans fitness to serve his Government
especially in the difficult post OF en-
forcing prohibition. Dr. Doran believes.
should BE taken into consideration
before 3 final decision Is reached as
io whether a man - acceptable.
Many very valuable. practical men Of
fine standing. he explained. had al
ready been eliminated merely by fail
inS TO make L grade cf 80 on The
written tests alone.
One prohibition agent. who had had
three years experience and Is known
10 headquarters here as 4 highly e.
ficient man. said yesterday he had
taken the examination. and considered
them more perfect in theory than n
actual practice. In other words.
some o; the questions he thought had
been framed for what appeared 70 be
plausible and simple answer. But
/ any agent with experience IN Ihe fed
+! knew that the answer MAS noc hAS
| as simple as the Civil! Service Cosl-
! mission Theoretically appeared 70
| think IL was.