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[Period covered is the fiscal year ended June 30, 1914, unless otherwise stated.]

TABLE 1. The number of examinations of each kind, the number of persons

examined, and the number appointed....

TABLE 2. Showing the apportionment of appointments in the departmental

service at Washington, D. C., from July 16, 1883, to June 30, 1914..

TABLE 3. Showing changes in the executive civil service..

TABLE 4. Showing changes in the substitute force of the Railway Mail Service..

TABLE 5. Showing changes in the post offices of cities having a population of

75,000 or over; also total number of changes in all other classified post offices..

TABLE 6. Showing the number of clerks and substitute clerks, carriers, and

substitute carriers, and the number of excepted and unclassified positions

in each of ten of the largest post offices having receipts of $3,000,000 at the

close of the fiscal year, June 30, 1914..

TABLE 7. Showing changes, by district, in the Customs Service...

TABLE 8. Showing changes, by district, in the Internal-Revenue Service...

TABLE 9. Showing separations from classified competitive positions, by branches

of the service and by fiscal years, from 1907 to 1914, inclusive...

TABLE 10. Showing number of positions, by status, on July 1, 1913, additions

by appointments, etc., and subtractions by separations, etc., during the

fiscal year, and number of positions, on June 30, 1914..

TABLE 11. Showing, for all branches of the classified service, the number

examined, the number that passed, the per cent that passed, the number

appointed, the per cent appointed of those that passed, and the approxi-

mate number of competitive classified positions in the service during the

several periods covered by the reports of the commission..

THIRTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.

WASHINGTON, D. C., November 14, 1914.

SIR: During the year ended June 30, 1914, the commission has been gratified by the spirit of friendly cooperation on the part of appointing officers in carrying out not merely the letter but the intent of the civil-service act. The scope of the classified service has been diminished by legislation somewhat less than 1 per cent, but the activities of the commission on the whole have been considerably increased. The competitive system has been maintained, wasteful expenditure has been eliminated, useless offices have been abolished, the efficiency of the classified service noticeably improved, and a larger number of positions requiring technical and executive qualifications of a high order have been filled by the promotion of the most capable or by competitive tests.

It is only through the competitive system that an efficient administration of the public service is possible. As a result of the enforcement of the civil-service act a far superior class of employees has been secured, a higher standard of morals and habits within the classified service has been attained, public esteem of official life has been raised, and far more work is being done with fewer employees. There is an increasing application of the competitive system to higher positions and an increasing number of candidates possessing the high degree of ability, education, and training needed in such positions. Competitive tests have been successfully applied to many positions of great importance, with entire satisfaction to the departments concerned. The assurance of a career in the service and of stability of tenure induces persons of ability to seek appointment.

It is a function of the commission to be an employment expert, and in that capacity to study the needs of the various branches of the service, and to submit suggestions for their better administration, not in a spirit of external authority, but in the way of aid and cooperation, relying upon the justice and reason in the conclusions and suggestions submitted. Large corporations are studying their personnel and developing its aptitudes with a view of obtaining the

best services of which its individual members are capable. These corporations employ experts for the purpose of obtaining the highest efficiency, and the public service has even greater need of a central body like the commission which shall be expert in the science of employment and administration.

EXTENT OF THE EXECUTIVE CIVIL SERVICE.

On June 30, 1914, there were 482,7211 officers and employees in the executive civil service. Of these, 292,460 held positions subject to competitive examination under the civil-service rules, an increase of 9,863 during the year. Of the 190,261 persons whose positions are not subject to competitive examination under the civil-service rules, 10,652 are presidential appointees, 8,650 being postmasters of the first, second, and third classes; 5,042 are clerks in charge of contract postal stations; 73,000 are clerks in third and fourth class post offices; 7,910 are mail messengers; 12,532 are star route, steamboat, and screen wagon contractors; 4,641 are pension examining surgeons; 28,605 are engaged on the Isthmian Canal work, chiefly as laborers and minor employees; 729 are employees of the Department of Commerce, mostly of the Census Bureau; and 26,339 are unclassified laborers not elsewhere herein enumerated, of whom 6,500 are subject to tests of physical fitness under labor regulations. The remaining 20,811 are excepted from examination under Schedule A, or are subject to noncompetitive examination under Schedule B of the civil-service rules, of whom 1,069 are employed in Washington and the others in branches of the field service. Few important positions are excepted from competitive examination under Schedules A and B. Their great variety will be seen by reference to those schedules.

GROWTH OF THE CLASSIFIED SERVICE.

There has been an increase of 9,863 in the number of competitive positions, of which 184 were in post offices advanced to the second class and 5 in post offices consolidated with other offices, effective July 1, 1913, the incumbents of which were classified under section 7 of Rule II.

By action of Congress, the President, or the commission 1,410 positions have been withdrawn from classification, excepted from examination, or authorized to be filled without examination or upon noncompetitive examination, as indicated in the following statement:

1 These figures are based upon reports furnished by the several departments to the commission, as required by the civil-service rules. Owing to inaccuracies inherent in the gathering of data for a work of this magnitude and to inadvertent omissions by the departments, the figures must be accepted as only approximate.

BY ACT OF CONGRESS.

Under urgent deficiency act, Oct. 22, 1913, authorizing appointments and removals without reference to the civil-service act:

Deputy collectors of internal revenue_

Deputy United States marshals

Under appropriation act for the Military Academy, Mar. 4, 1913, authorizing appointment by the superintendent:

Clerk-librarian_.

1, 145

176

1

BY EXECUTIVE ORDER.

Under Schedule A, excepting positions from competitive examination :
Private secretary to the Public Printer (July 23, 1913) ----
Special employees employed temporarily for detective work in the In-
ternal-Revenue Service (Aug. 2, 1913).

1

36

Experts, Interstate Commerce Commission, to be members of an ad-
visory board under the act of Mar. 1, 1913 (Oct. 29, 1913).
Director, Interstate Commerce Commission, under act of Mar. 1, 1913
(Oct. 29, 1913) --.

2

1

1

Supervisor of land appraisals, Interstate Commerce Commission, under act of Mar. 1, 1913 (Oct. 29, 1913).

1

Chief accountant, Interstate Commerce Commission, under act of
Mar. 1, 1913 (Oct. 29, 1913)____

1

Under Schedule B, permitting appointment on noncompetitive examination:

Clerk qualified in English and Japanese, Honolulu post office (Subdivision I, sec. 5).

1

Junior clerk, office of Indian Affairs, when filled by Indians (Oct. 14, 1913).

Inspectors to act as the immediate and confidential representatives of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs (May 13, 1914).

6

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Under the order of December 1, 1910, and under paragraph 15, Subdivision I, of Schedule A, which have been superseded by section 10 of Rule II, appointments to positions of unusual character as to duties or compensation for which qualified persons are so rare that in the judgment of the commission competitive examination would not be possible, are permissible without examination. Full information concerning such appointments appears in the appendix to this report.

INDIVIDUAL EXCEPTIONS FROM EXAMINATION.

During the year various provisions of the civil-service rules were waived by executive order in behalf of 64 persons. These orders

are set forth in full in the appendix, together with the reasons for making them and a statement whether or not the commission concurred in recommending them. Of the persons affected by these orders more than 50 per cent were either in the service or had previously been in the service and had demonstrated their fitness. Twenty-five had previously been employed in the competitive classified service, but were ineligible for reinstatement under the rules, having been out of the service beyond the time limit for reinstatement. In five cases the requirement of examination was waived to permit the promotion of employees, and in three cases the requirement of six months' service following reinstatement and preceding transfer was waived. In addition to the foregoing, two appointments were authorized in unclassified positions of mere laborers without regard to the labor regulations. These waivers constitute a very small percentage of the total number of appointments.

EXAMINATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS.

The fiscal year ended June 30, 1914, has been marked by a great increase in the number of competitors in the examinations. The number examined for entrance to the classified service was 196,612. For the year 1913 the number examined was 140,025, while for 1912 the number was 104,346. The increase over 1913 was 40.4 per cent, while over 1912 it was 88.4 per cent.

The increase in number of original appointments to the classified service has been no less marked. During the past fiscal year 41,206 appointments were made, as compared with 34,515 for 1913 and 20,433 for 1912. This shows an increase in appointments of 19.4 per cent over 1913 and of more than 100 per cent over 1912.

The foregoing figures do not take into account 26,298 persons examined for and 11,635 appointments made to positions of fourthclass postmaster at offices where the incumbent had not been appointed through examination. For this work a separate appropriation was made and the statistics are reported separately and not used in comparative statements. Including appointments to the Philippine service and to positions of mere unskilled laborer, and excluding temporary appointments, 45,005 appointments were made as the result of competitive examination. The number examined and number appointed during the years ended June 30, 1913, and June 30, 1914, were as follows:

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