Evening star., 1937-02-01
SOCIAL SECURITY.
MEETING REBUFFS.
IN OFFERS OF Jobs
Civil Service Officials Testify
but One in Six Accepts
Appointment.
BLAME LAID PARTLY
ON SALARY SCHEDULE
Refusals Reported Highest for
Clerical and Stenographic Places.
Examination Change Urged.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


Clerical positions in the Social Sc
curity Board from Civil Service reg
isters are going begging-the declina-
tions are five to one appointment, ac-
cording to testimony given by Civil
Service officials before the House SUBJ
committee that drafted the inde-
pendent Offices appropriation bill.
The reason given is that the SAL
aries are s1,260 and 81 .440 and "peo-
pie who are in positions in private
business hesitate to accept positions
with the Social Security Board at this
time. Whether there is any doubt
about the permanency of the organiza-
ton we do not know" said K. c.
Vipond, assistant chief examiner and
budget officer of the Civil Service
Commission. 1t was also explained
that there were many who objected to
taking positions in Baltimore, when
they wanted employment in Washing
ton. The declinations are principally
in clerical and stenographic positions,
but 1t is especially high when we
try to use the allied register" Law
son p. Meyer, the chief examiner,
pointed out.
President Mitchell Of the commits
sion said that quite a number Of ex-
aminations for Social Security Board
positions have been held, land there
will be others, but they have been
rather slow themselves in finding out
just what they wanted"
Denies top List" Sighted.
President Mitchell and j. G. Yaden
chief of the examining division. de-
MED the charges made to Representa-
tive James NJ Fitzpatrick Of New
York that appointments are being
made other than from the tpo Of the
Civil Service register.
1t was explained that the commits
sion has held 1874 different types OF
examinations for 780.855 applicants
Chairman Woodrum of the subcom-
mittee conducting the hearing advo-
Gated the advisability Of holding
standardized examinations to avoid
duplication. There ought to be some
way found whereby a person who
wants to enter the Government serv-
ice and has the necessary qualifications
as a stenographer. typist or auditor
or a comptometer operator, and per-
haps the qualifications of one or two
other kindred positions" argued
Woodrum. could submit all of his
or her qualifications at one time, and
have one more or less standardized ex-
animation that would take in num-
Der of related positions and avoid SO
much of the duplication that exists at
present"
Outlines Difficulty.
Chairman Mitchell explained that
"the only practical way Of limiting
that is to make some sort of a charge
for entrance into the examinations.
We run up against departments which
want examinations along little diff
ferent line, particularly in the higher
positions. 1t has been suggested that
we hold a general clerical examina-
tion and then admit people from that
into other examinations. We feel that
would greatly increase the burden on
the Government, because practically
everybody would feel that they wanted
to get in on the ground floor"
During 1886 there were three times
as many persons who took the Civil
Service examinations than in 1882 and
twice as many appointments were
made from the registers. There were
three times as many unclassified en-
ployes. There were almost six times
as many applications for positions
during 1886 as in 1882. During the
peak year of the warm 19l8-there
were 617,894 persons examined, and
in 1896 there were 780,8S5. In 1918
there were CSC examinations and in
1886 there were 1,544. In list sub
mitted by the commission it was shown
that in two different cases where there
was only one Observation-Disclosures
and associate pSychotherapist fe-
male)-entirely distinct examinations
were held. The average cost of ex-
aminations was $291 per person for
professional and scientific, $l.40 for
clerical and 81 .26 for craftsmen, teach
ers and skilled trades.