Each district office keeps in close touch with personnel needs in the district and through a study of local conditions and requirements enables the commission to have an intimate knowledge of and to give sympathetic consideration to the special problems which affect the recruitment of labor in different communities for the various branches of the service. The district offices announce examinations, receive, review, and rate applications for certain positions, and maintain registers of eligibles, with the result that positions under the district system are filled with a minimum of delay. Functioning under the immediate supervision of the district secretaries, and organized and instructed by them or their representatives, are 4,901 local boards of examiners, from which the humblest citizen in the land may obtain without delay and without charge the latest information available regarding the opportunities afforded him to compete on an equal basis with his fellows for employment in the Federal civil service. One hundred and ninety-two of these boards are attached to various field establishments, such as those for the navy yards, the Engineer Service, and the Reclamation Serv ice. Establishment boards of this kind function very much like the commission's district offices in that they announce examinations, receive, review, and rate applications for minor positions at the projects to which they are attached, maintain registers for such positions, and certify eligibles as vacancies occur. The members of local boards are detailed from various Government departments to serve such time as may be necessary, but receive no additional compensation for this work. The value and effectiveness of the district system are shown by the constantly increasing number of positions which are being handled in that way with the approval of the heads of departments and field offices concerned. Of 44,817 probational appointments made in the executive civil service during the last fiscal year, 42,431 were made to fill vacancies in various field branches. Most of these vacancies were filled from registers maintained in the district offices or by local boards of examiners. WOMEN IN THE SERVICE Within the last decade a large number of women have entered the Government service through examinations requiring a college education, or special training in some branch of art or science, but in that time an even larger number, already in the service, have secured positions with these requirements, through promotion. During the fiscal year 1928-29, women employees in the various departments, qualified through noncompetitive examinations for such positions as assistant architect; assistant chemist; assistant entomologist; business specialist; assistant business specialist; claims examiner; junior and assistant home economics specialist; assistant editor; junior, assistant, and associate attorney; and junior librarian. Some started their careers in the lower grades of the same work but many of them have advanced from clerks and stenographers. One of the greatest needs of the service, and one for which women should be equally as well qualified as men, is for trained library workers of the higher grades. The examination requirements of the positions for which the commission has the greatest difficulty in securing eligibles, are: For hospital librarian-three years of library experience, or the equivalent in combined training and experience, and the ability to deal successfully with the sick; for junior librarian-a college education, and, either two years experience in a technical nonclerical library position, or 30 semester hours of library training. GROWTH OF THE EXECUTIVE CIVIL SERVICE There were 587,665 employees in the entire executive civil service on June 30, 1929, as against 568,715 at the end of the last fiscal year, which shows a net increase of 18,950 employees. There are now 445,957 positions subject to competitive examination under the civil service act, a gain of 14,194 during the year. The Postal Service, with 314,795 employees, represents 53.57 per cent, and the remaining services, with 272,870 employees, 46.43 per cent of the entire personnel. The Postal Service had a net increase of 3,860 employees, while the other services had a net increase of 15,090 during the past year. Since June 30, 1916, the Postal Service gained 63,910 and the remaining services 85,698 employees. On June 30, 1928, there were 61,388 in and 507,327 employees outside the District of Columbia, while on June 30, 1929, the number employed in the District of Columbia had increased to 63,904 and outside to 523,761. Of the net increase of 18,950 in the entire service during the year 2,516 were employed in and 16,434 outside the District of Columbia. Of the net increase of 18,950 employees in the entire service during the fiscal year, the greatest gains are shown to have been made in the following establishments: The Navy Department, 6,407; the Postal Service, 3,860; the War Department, 1,859; Department of Agriculture, 1,753; the Panama Canal, 1,636; and the Treasury Department, 1,587. The remaining gain of 1,848 employees was distributed among the other services. A few of the establishments show a slight decrease. 76059-29- -2 The tables following show these changes for each department and office and the extent of the service on June 30, 1929: TABLE I.—Increase or decrease of employment in the Federal executive civil service during the last fiscal year and during the past 13 years 1 Included in miscellaneous figures for 1916. This is exclusive of details from other Government establishments. 15, 090 85, 698 3, 860 63, 910 18, 950 149, 608 This represents the consolidation of a large number of custodial employees and the administration of the following new activities: Arlington Memorial Bridge Commission, National Capital Park and Plan. ning Commission, Public Buildings Commission, and Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Commission. TABLE II.-Number of employees in each branch of the Federal executive civil service on June 30, 19291 1 Does not include legislative or judicial services, nor the commissioned, warranted, or enlisted personnel of the military, naval, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard services, nor the Government of the District of Columbia. Approximated. 3 Includes 13,200 clerks at third-class offices, 203 screen-wagon contractors, 239 carriers for offices having special supply, 5,824 clerks in charge of contract stations, 11,695 star-route contractors, and 280 steamboat contractors. Does not include 33,855 clerks at fourth-class offices who are employed and paid by the postmaster, and 22,338 mail messengers not included in previous computations. Includes administrative offices of Emergency Fleet Corporation, but not workmen at shipyards or in warehouses or employees on vessels. Positions not subject to the civil-service act. TABLE III.-War expansion and reduction since armistice The competitive classified service has materially increased since January 15, 1884, when there were but 13,780 positions in the entire service subject to competitive examination. During the intervening 45 years this number has gradually increased until it reached a total of 445,957 positions on June 30, 1929. An abnormal increase in personnel is noted for the years 1918 to 1921, inclusive, necessitated by the work incident to the war activities, the peak being reached on June 30, 1918, when the competitive classified service reached a total of 642,432 positions. The Post Office Service has shown the greatest increase of all services, having increased from 5,690 competitive positions on January 15, 1884, to 241,394 on June 30, 1929. This figure 5,690, represents the total number of competitive classified positions, in the 23 classified post offices, on January 15, 1884, and appears to be a very meager showing when we consider that New York had 17,601, Chicago 12,162, and Philadelphia 4,727 competitive positions on June 30, 1929. The Railway Mail Service increased from 5,448 competitive positions on June 30, 1889, to 21,379 on June 30, 1929. All other services combined increased from 8,090 on January 15, 1884, to 183,184 on June 30, 1929. INCLUSIONS WITHIN THE CLASSIFIED SERVICE Positions and employees brought into the classified service during the fiscal year 1928-29, with citation of authority: Executive order of Mar. 1, 1904 (classification of positions in the civil service of the War Department in the Philippines). 1 Executive order of Aug. 22, 1925 (classifying war emergency employees: War Department, 1; Government Printing Office, 2)‒‒‒‒‒‒‒ Executive order of Aug. 14, 1928, amended by the Executive order of Oct. 22, 1928 (classification of Indians). 3 326 Executive order of Dec. 8, 1928 (revoking Executive order of May 21, 1921) (War Department). 1 Executive order of Dec. 18, 1928 (individual case, Department of Commerce)--- 1 Executive order of Feb. 15, 1929 (classifying incumbents in the positions of press helper, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Treasury Department) 23 Rule II, section 6, positions and occupants included under Post Office 121 178 Rule X, section 13, classified for long and meritorious service overseas 9 Total 663 |