the more convenient and effective discharge of its duty to see that the examinations are accurate, uniform, and just. The notice must state under which clause or clauses of Rule 7 the applicants are to be examined, and must, when practicable, be given at least twenty days before the time appointed therein for the examinations.

EXAMINATIONS.

16. Notices in writing should be mailed to applicants for examination in the postal and customs service at least eight days before the examination, except in cases of non-competitive and special examinations, and they shall clearly specify the place and the time, including the hour, of holding the same.

17. All competitive examinations for admission to the civil service shall be in writing, except that tests of physical qualities or expertness may be added as the Commission shall approve.

18. The examination sheets will be given out in the order of their numbers; each, after the first, being given only when the applicant shall return to the examiners the last sheet taken by him.

19. Not more than ten questions shall be given in any subject of the examination; and, to facilitate the marking, the questions in the same subject shall, as far as practicable, be equal in difficulty. Care shall also be taken that the time allotted for the examination shall be reasonably sufficient for answering the questions.

20. In general no competitive examination should occupy more than five hours, and every Examiner will exercise all due diligence to secure fairness, and to prevent all collusion or fraud in the examinations.

21. The examination papers of each applicant shall be marked only with a number, and his name with his number shall be placed in a sealed envelope which shall not be opened till after his papers are marked. 22. The examination papers shall, so far as practicable, be reviewed by each Examiner separately, and in any case of disagreement the average of the markings, to be made on the papers by all, shall be the final marking on each question, subject to the regulation as to revision.

23. The views of the heads of post-offices and customs offices, as to whether applicants for the several parts of the service under them shall be examined in the five subjects under clause 1 of Rule 7, or only in a less number of subjects under clause 4 of that rule, will be accepted by the Commission so far as its duty to require uniformity, and adequate tests of capacity for doing the public work, will permit.

MARKING AND GRADING.

24. To whichever of the five subjects, or parts thereof, mentioned in Rule 7 a competitive examination may extend, the marking and grading of the applicant upon each is to be conducted in the same way.

25. To determine the Standing of the applicant in any subject, mark and credit each answer in proportion to its completeness and accuracy according to regulations prescribed for each subject; the perfect answer being credited 100. Divide the sum of the credits by the number of questions upon the subject: the quotient will be the applicant's Standing in that subject.

26. To determine whether any applicant has reached an Average Standing of 65 per centum in the first two or the first three subjects, add the figures marking the applicant's Standing in each; divide their

sum by the number of the subjects and the quotient will be the Average Standing therein.

27. No applicant is entitled to go upon the Register of those eligible for appointment, whose Average Standing upon the first three subjects, or such parts thereof, as are covered by the examination is below 65 per centum; therefore, when the marking and grading have been carried so far as to show such Average Standing to be below 65 per centum, they need not be carried farther; and if the examination includes no part of the 4th or 5th subject, such Average Standing will be the General Average to be entered on the Register.

28. To whatever number of subjects the examination may extend, the General Average will be ascertained by dividing the sum of the marking showing the Standings in each of the subjects by the number of subjects.

29. Every example, though it be a case of dictation or copying, is regarded as a question under these regulations, and, although only a portion of the topics included in a subject under Rule 7, is embraced in the examination, it will, for the purpose of the marking, be treated as a subject.

The following example illustrates these directions:

[Sum of credits in each subject divided by number of questions gives credit in that subject.]

The grade at which the applicant will go upon the Register, is, therefore

62.265+78+ 67 + 76.66 = 348.86.

348.86
5

= 69.77.

NON-COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS UNDER RULE 20.

In case the necessity shall exist at any office or Department for holding a non-competitive examination under Rule 20, the following conditions shall be observed:

30. The Commission shall be immediately notified of such necessity and of the grounds thereof, showing that it is impracticable to supply in due season for any appointment the names of persons who have passed a competitive examination by reason of the failure of competent persons to attend and be examined, or the prevalence of contagious disease, or other sufficient cause.

31. If the Commission shall not disapprove the holding of a non-competitive examination, the Secretary of the Commission at Washington, or of the Examining Board for any post-office or customs district, shall notify

Fifth subject.

Credit to each

question.

for such examinations any persons whose names may be on the record, as applicants for places analogous to those to be filled, and whom the exigency of time may allow to be notified, not less in number than the vacancies and places to be provided for, nor more than four for each of them.

32. If the number of applicants on the record be insufficient to furnish such supply, then the Examining Board, or in its absence the Secretary, may notify other suitable persons, nominated by said Board or Secretary, upon consultation with the head of the office, who, taken together with said regular applicants notified, shall, if practicable, be not less in number than four to each place to be filled. The persons selected for appointment or employment shall be required to make oath to the proper application paper, before entering upon their official duties.

33. The non-competitive examination shall conform as nearly as practicable, in subjects, questions, and marking, to the competitive examinations of the same grade; but no person shall be appointed under such non-competitive examination whose average standing upon the first three subjects, clause 1, Rule 7, or such parts thereof as may be used, is less than 65 per centum; Provided, There are those who pass at or above that grade from whom the places can be filled.

34. The names of all the persons passing the examination shall be certified to the proper officer, and the existing vacancies shall be filled therefrom; but no person by reason of such non-competitive examination shall be appointed at any other time than during such exigency or to any other vacancy or place.

35. A record shall be kept by the local Examining Board, and by the Secretary of the Commission at Washington, of the persons thus notified, examined and appointed, or employed, and copies of notices and the examination papers shall be preserved; and said Board shall after each such examination and appointment make full report to the Civil Service Commission of all the facts.

36. In case a majority of the Commission may not be present, when an examination hereunder may need to be held at Washington, the same may be conducted under the charge of the chief examiner and any two members of the Board of Examiners.

SPECIAL EXAMINATIONS.

37. Special Boards of Examiners will, when deemed necessary, be designated by the Commission for the examinations in special and technical subjects under clause 5, Rule 7, and one or more members of each such Board will be selected from the office or bureau for which the Board is to serve. These special Boards shall be subject to the regulations prescribed by the Commission for the general Examining Boards as far as they are applicable, except as herein otherwise provided.

38. Applications for any special examination must be made in the form prescribed by the Commission, and must be accompanied by certificates as required in the case of ordinary applications. The minimum limitations of age shall be the same as those prescribed by Rule 12 for the several branches of the service, but no maximum limitations shall be required except such as the Commission may from time to time prescribe.

39. Whenever a special examination is to be held, notice in writing, specifying the time and place of the examination, shall be sent to a suitable number of the applicants, in the order of their application for the same, in time to allow their attendance.

40. Each special examination shall embrace the subjects approved by the Commission therefor, after consultation with the head of the office concerned or the Special Examining Board for such office; and shall, as far as appropriate, be conducted under the same general regulations, as to the marking of the examination papers and the grading of the persons examined, as those for ordinary examinations.

41. A special record of applicants and a special register of eligibles shall be kept for each part of the service or office requiring special examinations; and when the Commission, or the proper Examining Board, shall be notified by the appointing officer of a vacancy in such part of the service, certification shall be made to him of the names of the four persons graded highest on the special list of eligibles for the same, or of a less number, if four names do not remain thereon.

42. In case that competent special applicants do not apply, or do not appear for a competitive examination after suitable notice, a non-competitive examination may be held in as near conformity as may be to the regulations provided for non-competitive examinations for admission to the service. For such examination, applicants on the general Record, and persons on the general Register of Eligibles whose application papers claim the special knowledge required, may be notified, and if they appear shall be examined, as if special applicants; but no person so examined shall forfeit his right to the general examinations, or lose his place on any register of eligibles by reason of his special examination.

Adopted, December 10, 1883.

APPENDIX No. 4.

COMMISSIONERS, OFFICERS AND EXAMINERS.

Commissioners.

DORMAN B. EATON.

JOHN M. GREGORY.
LEROY D. THOMAN..

Chief Examiner.
CHARLES LYMAN.

Secretary.

WILLIAM S. ROULHAC.

Stenographer.

JOHN T. DOYLE.

Messenger.

MATHEW F. HOLLORAN.

Departmental Examiners, Washington, D. C.

WILLIAM H. WEBSTER, of Interior Department, Chairman.
A. M. JUDSON, of Treasury Department, Secretary.
SEVELLON A. BROWN, of State Department.

E. W. CLARK, of Treasury Department.
OLIVER W. LONGAN, of War Department.
T. K. SAILER, of Navy Department.
N. A. C. SMITH, of Post-Office Department.
M. L. HARRISON, of Post-Office Department.
F. L. CAMPBELL,* of Interior Department.
JAMES R. YOUNG, of Department of Justice.

Special Examiners, State Department.
SEVELLON A. BROWN.

THEO. F. DWIGHT.

FRANCIS J. KIECKHOEFER.

Special Examiners, Patent Office, Washington.

ROBERT G. DYRENFORTH.

CHARLES J. KINTNER.

SOLON W. STOCKING.

ROBERT MASON.

FRANKLIN A. SEELY.

Special Examiners, Pension Office.

OTIS G. P. CLARKE.
CALVIN B. WALKER.

ABIEL W. FISHER.

*Weston Flint, appointed January 21, 1884, to succeed F. L. Campbell, resigned.