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Form 302

Jan., 1917

UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

MANUAL OF EXAMINA'

FOR THE

SPRING OF 1917

[THE REPORTS OF THE COMMISSION, SHOWING ITS WORK AND CO
THE CIVIL-SERVICE ACT, RULES, AND REGULATIONS,
CONSULTED AT THE PRINCIPAL PUBLIC LIBRARIE

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COMMISSIONERS:

DHN A. MCILHENNY,

PRESIDENT.

HARLES M. GALLOWAY.

HERMON W. CRAVEN.

UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION,

WASHINGTON, D. C.

INTRODUCTORY.

The Manual of Examinations is issued semiannually in January and July. It contains the schedule of dates and places of the spring or the fall series of examinations; descriptions of the scheduled examinations and of others which are held with more or less frequency; instructions relative to applications; information concerning the rating of examination papers, the methods of certification of the names of eligibles hen vacancies occur, and the conditions of employment; with other information relating to the Federal civil service which is considered of value to applicants for examination and to the public generally. The January edition contains the schedule of spring examinations and the July edition the schedule of fall examinations. Requests for the next July edition should not be made before July 15, 1917. The commission does not keep a mailing list of the names of persons desiring copies of the successive issues of the Manual; it is necessary to make a separate request for each issue.

The commision has aimed to include in the Manual all needed instructions concerning the e ninations described therein and the filing of applications. Before writing to +1 mmission for information it should be determined that the inquiry is

ot fully answered in the Manual. The index should be consulted. Persons making requests for information in regard to examinations and for appliation blanks who do not specify the name of the examination desired will be furished with this Manual, unless they have already been supplied. Upon receipt of he Manual they should notify the commission of the name of the examination desired, ing the form on page 6; the proper blank will then be sent if the examination pending. When the application has been executed and is ready for mailing, the pplicant should be careful to attach sufficient postage. Usually at least 4 cents is required. It is not necessary to inclose stamps for reply when writing to the commission or when forwarding an application.

SCOPE OF THE CIVIL-SERVICE LAW.

January 16, 1883, Congress passed what is known as the "civil-service law." This act established the United States Civil Service Commission, to be composed of three roombers, not more than two of whom shall be adherents of the same political party. The act itself is a mere outline of its purposes, but for its amplification it provides for rules to be promulgated by the President, such rules to be equally binding with the statute upon the heads of departments and offices, as well as upon the commission. The fundamental purpose of the law and rules is to establish, in the parts of the service within their provisions, a merit system whereby selection for appointment all be made upon the basis of demonstrated relative fitness, without regard to polital or religious considerations. To carry out this purpose a plan of competitive xaminations is prescribed.

he term "classified service" indicates the parts of the service within the proT ons of the civil-service law and rules requiring appointments therein to be made apon examination and certification by the commission, unless especially excepted from competition; the term "unclassified service" indicates the parts of the service ..ich are not within those provisions, and therefore in which appointments may be made without examination and certification by the commission.

The civil-service law and rules do not give to the commission any power of appoir! ment and removal; that power is left where it was prior to such law, namely, in i. President and the heads of departments. Upon the requisition of an appointing cha the commission provides eligibles secured as the result of competitive examination. from the eligibles thus provided the appointing officer makes selection and ar,utment. When the commission certifies three eligibles for any particular position, the appointing officer has absolute discretion in making selection and appointment fror such eligibles, except that the rules require that selection shall be made without regard to political or religious considerations. When certification is made the commission's duty ends so far as an appointment is concerned, except, of course, that i is charged with investigating and reporting any irregularity of appointment o. removal.

A vacancy in the classified service may be filled either by original appointmer upon examination and certification by the commission, as explained, or by transfer o promotion from certain other positions in the classified service, or by reinstatement.

EXTENT OF THE CLASSIFIED CIVIL SERVICE.

"The classified service shall include all officers and employees in the executive civil service of the United States, heretofore or hereafter appointed or employed, in positions now existing or hereafter to be created, of whatever function or designation, whether compensated by a fixed salary or otherwise, except persons employed merely as laborers and persons whose appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate." * * * (Civil-service Rule II, clause 1.)

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'Congress may, of course, at any time it deems proper, exempt any position or class of positions from the operation of the (civil-service) act, but to do this it must use language indicating clearly and affirmatively its intention that the civil service rules should not be applied." (Opinion Atty. Gen., Feb. 12, 1908, 26 Op., 507.) Included in the classified service are positions in or under the departments and offices at Washington, D. C., the Custodian Service, the Customs Service, the Engineer Department at large, the Freedmen's Hospital, the Forest Service, the Government Printing Office, the Immigration Service, the Indian Irrigation and Allotment Service, the Indian Service, the Internal-Revenue Service, the Land Office Service, the Lighthouse Service, the Mint and Assay Service, the National Military Park Service, the Navy Yard Service, the Ordnance Department at large, the Panama Canal Service, the Post Office Service, the Public Health Service, the Quartermaster Corps, the Reclamation Service, the Rural Delivery Service, the Railway Mail Service, St. Elizabeths Hospital, the Steamboat-Inspection Service, the Subtreasury Service, the United States Penitentiary Service; and the position of fourth-class postmaster, except in Alaska, Canal Zone, Guam, Hawaii, Philippine Islands, Porto Rico, and Samoa.

Under civil-service Rule II, clause 3, certain positions in the classified service are excepted from examination. A list of these positions will be found in section 324. All positions in the classified service except those mentioned in the section referred to in the preceding paragraph, if not filled by reinstatement, transfer, or promo on, must be filled as the result of open competitive examination held under the provisions of the civil-service law.

The individual positions which are filled through competitive examinations now number about 300,000.

Provisions of law expressly exempt from the operation of the civil-service act certain positions in the executive branch of the Government, such as: Technical positions in connection with the plans, specifications, and construction of the central heating and power plant at Washington, D. C.; all positions of the United States under the International Joint Commission (United States and Great Britain); all positions of United States deputy marshal; certain positions of deputy collector of internal revenue (see sec. 178); all positions under the Federal Reserve Board; positions of com

mercial attaché under the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce; certain positions under the Federal Trade Commission (see sec. 155); all positions under the Federal Farm Loan Board; certain positions under the United States Shipping Board (see sec. 299); and certain positions under the Tariff Commission (see sec. 282). Under the terms of the civil-service law positions outside the executive branch of the Government, positions to which appointment is made by the President subject to confirmation by the Senate, and positions of mere unskilled manual labor, are not required to be classified.

Positions in the Consular and Diplomatic Services, in the Congressional Library, under the Pan American Union, under the governments of Territories or the District of Columbia, or under State or municipal control, are not filled through examinations held by this commission.

DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE AND FIELD SERVICE.

The term "Departmental Service," as used in this Manual, refers to positions in the departments and independent offices at Washington, D. C. The term "Field Service" refers to positions in branches outside of Washington, D. C., and to local branches in Washington, D. C. Local branches are such as the city post office, the customhouse, the navy yard, the Engineer Department at large, etc. Such branches in the District of Columbia, as elsewhere, are in the Field Service, while their respective departmental headquarters are in the Departmental Service.

Positions under the government of the District of Columbia are not a part of the Federal service.

EXAMINATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS.

Under "Descriptions of examinations" in this Manual the titles are arranged alphabetically. Many examinations not described are announced from time to time as eligibles are needed. Information concerning such examinations is contained in section 47.

Examinations for the Departmental Service are held in every State and Territory. For the Field Service examinations usually are held at or near the places of employment. Examinations as a rule are not held for a particular department or office, but for the purpose of establishing registers from which appointments may be made to any department or office. From most examinations appointments may be made not only to a particular class of positions but to any position requiring the qualifications tested.

Appointments are made through examination and certification by the commission to competitive classified positions in the Federal service, both at Washington, D. C., and in the country at large.

Appointments to Federal positions in Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Canal Zone are made on the same basis as those in the States. So far as is practicable the same system is applied to Federal positions in Alaska.

With the exception of a very few Federal positions in the Philippines, appointments to Government positions in those islands are made in accordance with the Philippine civil-service act; but this commission holds such examinations as the Philippine civil-service board may request. Civil positions in the military division of the Philippines, and similar positions under the United States naval authorities in the Philippines, are not in the Philippine civil service, but are in the civil service of the United States. The positions referred to include those under the staff officers of the Philippines Division of the Army, and under the commandants of the United States naval stations at Cavite and Olongapo. The bureau of civil service at Manila is authorized to receive applications for admission to the Federal civil service in the Philippine Islands, to hold examinations, and to certify eligibles for appointment to Federal positions.

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