Evening star., 1928-12-09
JOB
BASIS URGED HERE
Civil Service Commission
Recommends System Used
in Other Cities.

Legislation to extend the competitive
system of appointment to ALI Depart
ments Of the government Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, "as Is done In other
large cities Of the country" is recon-
mended by the Civil Service Commits
sion in its annual report given out to-
day. At the same time the commission
renewed suggestions made in previous
reports that the positions Of deputy
collector Of internal revenue and dep
uty marshal be restored to the classi-
fed service. At present only the police
and fire departments are under civil
service.
Much Of the work Of the commission
for the fiscal year ended June 80 last,
and since that time has been given to
the task of examining applicants for
the enlarged prohibition enforcement
service. In this work the commission
set up new methods of examination,
adding character investigation, inoui-
ries as to fitness for the Job, and other
Investigations to the usual written and
oral tests. So rigid were the REQUIRE
ments that of 21,129 applicants only
$3.50 were declared eligible for the
2,46e vacancies. This number Of eliei-
bles, however, is insufficient to fill the
vacancies, because the eligibles are not
located correctly, In geographic sense.
The commission has previously made
no extensive use of tests involving per-
sonal investigation of character and
suitability except in the examination
OF candidates for the position of presi-
Dental postmasters," the report said.
The personnel situation In the pro-
nioltlon service suggested the necessity
OF suoJecting those candidates who met
tne prescribed entrance requirements
10 thorough Investigation of their ex-
perlence, character and general fitness.
IN order that the commission r1irhf
thus assure itself that all persons Ger
titled as suitable for responsible en-
ploymsnt IN the Bureau Of Prohibition
nad demonstrated the required meas
ure OF ability and conformity to ac-
ceptaole standards Of honesty and mo-
rality. '''
Merit Of Inquiry shown.
The commissions s experience in thl,
pnase OF personal selection has unr1is-
takaply demonstrated the pronounced
merit OF the character Investigation.
Notwitnstanding its added cost and rel
atlve dihiculty Of administration. the
instances brought to light of utter nm
ntneSS Tor Government service. which
IN the absence OF careful Investigation
would have gone undisclosed, point 10
tne desirability Of an extension of this
test procedure to appropriate positions
IN other branches Of Federal employ
ment. A study Of the results of this
recent experience warrants the commits
sion in urgently recommending that
there be extended to other law eiiforce-
n1ent agencies the system of inyestira-
lions OF character and fitness now fol-
Prohibition
In addition to the character tests.
the commission set about to make sure
that the applicants did not have prisor,
records or convictions for q felony, To
this end, ell applicants who passed the
preliminary inquiry for the prohibition
service ana the personal investigation
were fingerprinted.
4Ne llE1l6eu use OF this n.
been successful In detecting lae
with criminal records which NJ
concealed In their application *
animation, and the commits .las
been granted small approps.c for
the coming fiscal year with vii..h to
establish Q central fingerprins sac6!ea
In the Washington of1ce where The
fingerprintS Of all persons appointed &
the service In certain of the larger cit
viii be filed after search has been ffis
locally and through the Department
Justice Fingerprint Bureau"
Change Recommended.
Recommending change in tn
tirement law, the commission e
"An amendment providing for L,
tionai retirement after 60 or 65 years
OF age and 80 years of service would
increase the efflciency Of the service
in two ways-by relieving it Of employees
whose efficiency is impaired, though not
to the extent of total disability, and
BY allowing the prescribed retirement
age to be sufficiently high to permit the
retention of the more vigorous MEM
bers Of group beyond the age when
the weaker members should leave tn
service. AS employees differ 50 great,
In physical and mental vigor at
given age, any retirement age pre-
scrihed for a group will be held too
high or too low for most Of its indi.
vidual members. Retention Of the most
vigorous Is provided for by the con.
tinuance provision of the act: but fall
ing employees, unless totally disabled,
must await the prescribed age, to the
detriment Of the service.
1.-THE difference between salary and
annuity would afford ample protection
against the excessive use Of an optional
retirement provision. Under the
present law the average annuity is
$72l.39, or SO per cent Of the annual
salary for the last 10 years. No an
nuity can exceed two-thirds Of the
salary, or $1,000. Few employees who
feel able to continue at work would be
permitted by their financial obligations
to accept optional retirement ct such
q reduction Of income"
On June 80, 1928, the number Of
employees Of the Government in the
District Of Columbia had increased to
81 1888 from the $1,000 total OF the
end Of the previous fiscal year. In the
entire Federal service on June 30, 1928,
there were 56s,715 employees, as against
559,i3S at the close of the previous
fiscal year. The War Department with
gain Of 3,116 and the Post once De-
partment with an incresae of 2,le5
showed the largest gains.
WOMAN HURT IN PURSUIT
- A,tAN ~,...