Evening star., 1939-02-06
Civil Service Plans
Wider Character
Examinations
Outside Specialists
Will Be Used for
Some Tests

The Civil Service Commission Is
preparing to extend the scope of
character Investigations, and to ef-
feet improvement in examining pro-
cedure that will entail the en-
ployment of specialists from out
side the Federal service for some
tests, it was disclosed today as the
independent Offices bill was reported
to the House, carrying $500, 900
over the present appropriation for
salaries and expenses for the COM
mission.
The commission at present inves-
tigates the character of applicants
for laW-enforcement positions and
also for postmasters, and 1t was
brought out in the hearings on the
bill that it is proved to extend these
"to practically all examinations in
the administrative, technical and
professional fields"
A statement from the commission
said that in improving examining
procedures, the employment of the
specialist examiners in the major
Sclentl1lC nelQS is eSSenUldl.
Would Improve Results.
'The broad purposes of these po-
sitions will be to improve practices,
standards and results in recruiting
personnel in the various fields in
which it is proposed to assign these
examiners" it was explained. "They
will have contacts with administra-
tive officials, personnel administra-
tors and specialists in the various
Government establishments; with
heads of universities throughout the
country and with associations of
professional workers; for the pur-
pose of establishing plans and pro-
cedures for continuous co-opera-
ton. Their duties will also include
giving information and advice to
universities, ETC., professional as
sociations and other interested
agencies as to opportunities, re-
quirements, etc, for Government
employment"
The Appropriations Committee al
lowed $2,500 for this function, and
gave the commission total of $4,-
250,000 for administrative expenses,
of which $550,000 will be available
at once.
The committee allowed the bud
get figure which was based on the
new needs that will be created by
the general improvement program
for the civil service contemplated
by President Roosevelt'S June orders,
which just went into effect, and
also by the continued increase
shown in the commissions work.
Applications Soar.
It was brought out at the hearings
that the applications for positions
went from 260,966 in 1887 to BOT ,531
in 1898, and in the first half of the
fiscal year 1899 the number had
skyrocketed to 487,50O, almost half
of which were for an investigator
examination that is pending
In this connection. President
Mitchell told the committee that
plans are being studied for cutting
down on the number of applica-
tionS, which, it has been said before,
in some instances are far out of
proportion to the number of posi-
tions available He renewed a sug-
gestion Of a couple of years ago
that consideration be given to the
possibility of charging a small fee
for examination, adding that while
1t might not cut down the number
of applicants materially, 1T would at
least pay some of the running eX-
penses of the commission"
Another important increase in
the commission appropriation was
for the retirement fund. the COM
mittee allowing $50 1929 900, as COM
pared to s74244,0OO this year. The
number of annuitants is increas-
ing, and the Government now is
making up deficit created in the
fund in the early years of the Re-
tirement Act when no contribution
was made toward it.