Evening star., 1936-08-22

count for the period between applica-
tion and taking of examinations, TO
appointment TO job.
CUPERANNUATED employees clut-
tered up the civil service until
after the World War, Weiss says, be-
cause no retirement plan had been
arranged. Persons in their Dos and
90s, too frail to attend to their duties,
arrived at Washington Offices daily.
sometimes in wheel chairs. Many had
to be helped downtown by relatives.
Kind-hearted executives could not
bring themselves to dismiss these
oldsters, since most of them had saved
nothing, and so the present system Of
civil service retirement was allowed
by Congress in 1920. Today worker,
who makes about $1,000 annually, and
stays with the Government, may ex-
pect a yearly income Of about 81 200
for his old age, percentage Of his
salary having been removed every
pay day from his check, and invested.
Once a man receives a civil service
grade and is willing to give competent
service to his country, he probably is
as close to security, if not the most
luxurious brand of that commodity,
as any one in the world, it is agreed.
One may be fined or committed to
jail for telling lies to the civil serv-
ice, too. Applicants take an oath that
all facts they offer about age, previous
experience and education are correct
and may be fined up to $4,000 or i'm
prisoned not more than five years
if they attempt to obtain jobs and
put themselves in line for retirement
pay by misrepresenting themselves.
Applicants claiming college degrees
or credits are asked to present cor
roboration from the registrar Of their
school.
Years ago Weiss says. offenses con-
corning tampering with examination
questions and sending some one smart
to take your examination for you was
punished several times. Today it is
generally known that it is very diff
cult to defraud the civil service and
it is seldom tried.
Questions are sent In sealed pack
ages to the 5000 examining boards
throughout the United States near
the time of the examination previous
ly announced on local post Office bull
letin boards. Some member OF the
civil service living in that community
and a member of the local board takes
| the questions in charge and locks
| them in a safe until the day of the
test. Civil service workers any place
are available for examining work
without extra pay.
REFORE the assembled class Of COM
petitors the examiner opens the
sealed packages. That is the first the
examiners know about the questions.
Every applicant is assigned a num-
Der for his examination papers. his
name and number being entered on a
! separate sheet and sealed by the ex-
aminer before any one lifts pen.
| When all papers are turned in, the
| board at once seals the package, the
board secretary inviting competitors
to remain and watch the operation.
Back to Washington the envelope
comes in the mail, examinations seal
ed in one envelope and names and
numbers in another The experts in
the Capital City who read the results
have no idea whether the applicant
is male or female, young or old, COL
ored or white, handsome or plain.
Their papers are judged, therefore.
solely on merit.
~ Sor,e Neu Daa1
agencies have been made members CT
the civil service with blanket Of
der, notably Social Security, Secu-i-
ties and Exchange Commission, Fed
eral Communications and the Bureau
of Motor Carriers OF the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Other al
phabet" employees are eager to qualify,
so that in case their alphabet turns
out to be temporary they will be eligi-
be for other jobs.
The examining division of Uncle
Sans employment agency is in charge
Of L. A. Meyer, chief examiner, who
came to the department as a clerk
in 1915. In charge CT the section pre-
pairing examination questions is j. G.
Yaden, chief, ard Frederick w.
Brown, assistant chief, 10th with dis
tinguished records as scholars and eX-
ecutives. Miss Laura Tracy, who COM
mands one Of the best salaries in the
commission. has been with the board
80 years and is head of the clerical
work section, while Miss Vivian Carl
son, assistant chief of the service rec
ord and retirement division, has been
with the department % years.