ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXAMINER OCTOBER 5, 1928. The COMMISSION: The following table contains the number of persons examined and appointed during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1928: 1 Report showing the results of the examinations of all persons for designation as cadet or midshipman made to the Member of Congress for whom such examinations are held. The work of the commission in connection with examinations for entrance to the Naval Academy is confined to the conduct of examinations, the papers for the examinations being furnished by the Navy Department and returned to that department as soon as received by the commission from the various examination places. 3 Appointments in unclassified services are only partially reported to the commission. The number of different occupations or kinds of positions for which examinations were held is 974, in addition to those held for mechanical trades and similar occupations. This number is 25 more than for the fiscal year 1927. There was a decrease of 14,682 in the total number of persons examined. For classified positions in the several branches of the Postal Service the following table gives the number examined during the fiscal years 1927 and 1928: The number of information circulars, application forms, and information cards distributed during the year was 4,023,805, as compared with 4,017,891 for the preceding year. The number of visitors at the information office in Washington was 97,397, as compared with 86,503 for 1927. The number of letters and other communications received in the application division, aside from formal applications, was 354,600, as compared with 376,950 for 1927. The number of formal applications received in the division was 142,427, as compared with 150,199 for the preceding year. Preference claims of 68,671 exservice men were investigated, 26,414 being considered in the commission's Washington office and 42,257 in its district offices. The number of persons debarred from future examinations was 1,200, of which number 904 were barred for false statements in applications, 243 because of unsuitability, 24 for copying or collusion in examinations, 5 for submitting fraudulent theses or vouchers, etc. APPEALS AND INVESTIGATIONS The division of investigation and review considered 5,614 appeals from ratings made by examiners in the examining division. Changes in ratings on appeals numbered 212. This division supervised 69 personal investigations in the field and made investigations in 38 cases in which an Executive order was proposed waiving some provision of the civil-service rules. Decisions were rendered in 5,849 cases as to whether further examination was required in connection with proposed changes in status of employees in the service. Personal investigations as to the suitability and fitness of 37 applicants for policeman and fireman in the District of Columbia were made, while oral examinations were given to 1,029 persons who competed for the positions of detective, special agent, or investigator. The examination of 994 applicants for operative, Secret Service, was supervised by this division. EXAMINATIONS FOR PROHIBITION SERVICE The last annual report of the commission contained a chapter on the initial steps taken under the act of March 3, 1927, which, with the single exception of the position of Commissioner of Prohibition, brought within the competitive classified service all those positions connected with prohibition enforcement which were formerly excepted from the jurisdiction of the civil service law. The report of the commission's director of research for the same year included the results of a study of certain phases of prohibition work. The director of research in his report herewith submitted extends his studies in this field during the past fiscal year. Because of lack of appropriation until the end of last December interruptions and delays have so greatly hampered the commission's conduct of examinations that it was not possible to establish employment lists for the agent, inspector, and investigator positions until shortly after the beginning of the current fiscal year. The Treasury Department therefore is now in process of making selections for probational or permanent appointment. The chief examiner believes that there should be prepared a history in some detail of the measures taken by the commission to carry out the direction of Congress that all subordinate positions in the Treasury Department connected with prohibition enforcement should be subject to the provisions of the civil service act and rules. As the final stages of the work are only now being brought to conclusion it is believed that the preparation of this history should be postponed for inclusion in the next report of the chief examiner. Respectfully submitted. H. A. EDSON, Chief Examiner. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH OCTOBER 1, 1928. The Commission (through Chief Examiner): This report deals with the development of technique in connection with character investigations, oral examinations, training of oral examiners, written examinations, and application blanks. It also presents a cooperative program designed to bring together the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, engineering universities, industries employing engineers, this commission, and other Government agencies, in order to encourage the better-qualified engineers to enter Government service, and to establish a more practical basis of setting standards for entrance requirements and of evaluating examination procedure. CHARACTER INVESTIGATIONS (WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO APPLICANTS FOR THE POSTAL SERVICE) Through the cooperation of the postal authorities, a study was made in Chicago some time ago, having for its objective the development of tentative procedure for the investigation of applicants for the Postal Service. A similar study, based upon the results of this preliminary program, has now been organized for the perfecting of this investigative procedure. PRELIMINARY PROGRAM Objectives of preliminary program 1. To determine the advisability of extending the fingerprinting of applicants. 2. To devise a form for the twofold purpose of directing and of reporting interviews, a form which would (a) Direct the thoughts of the investigator, saving the time of the person interviewed as well as that of the investigator, and assuring the covering of essential points in the interview. (b) Organize the results of each interview. (c) Bring together the results of three interviews, eliminating the need of the clerical work which would be required for combining separate reports. (d) Enable the commission to see a complete picture of the applicant's characteristics without reading pages of irrelevant comment. 3. To develop tentative procedure for systematic interviews. 4. To determine types of false statements made in applications. 5. To determine the value of letters of recommendation received from persons listed as references. 6. To develop and determine the value of a system of confidential inquiry blanks. 7. To determine the value of including in the confidential inquiry blank an offer to send a personal interviewer when the informant so prefers. 8. To lay the basis for a more extensive investigation program. Steps toward attaining these objectives 1. The fingerprinting of every applicant for a position in the Postal Service was included in the preliminary study conducted in Chicago, such fingerprints being made at the time that the physical examination was given. The fingerprints were checked in the files of the Chicago police department and in the files of the National Fingerprint Bureau in Washington in order to discover whether any applicants had criminal records not noted on their application blanks. 2. A form for use in conducting and reporting interviews was developed, sections of which are presented on pages 31 and 32, in order to show the technique established. |