REPORT OF THE APPOINTMENT CLERK. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Office of the Appointment Clerk, 



Washington, D. C, Septemher 11, 1911. 

 Sir: I have the honor to submit my annual report, respecting the 

 personnel of the United States Department of Agriculture, con- 

 sisting of statistical data, etc., as shown by the records of this office 

 as they appeared on July 1, 1911. 



Very respectfully, R. W. Roberts, 



Appointment Cleric. 

 Hon. James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



INTRODUCTION. 



During the past year several changes have been made with refer- 

 ence to the administration of the civil-service law, probably the most 

 important of which was the establishment of what is known as the 

 "district system," by dividing the States and Territories into 12 

 administrative districts and placing a secretary in charge of each. 

 The object of this system is to facilitate the conduct of the business 

 of the Civil Service Commission which pertains to the various Gov- 

 ernment departments outside of Washington. The different clerical 

 and subclerical positions have already been placed under the clistrict 

 system. Should, for instance, the services of a clerk be required in 

 any bureau of this department at San Francisco, Cal., a request for 

 a certification of eligd^les would be made directly to the district 

 secretary by the local official in charge, who is authorized by the 

 cliief of the bureau to select from the certification issued to him by 

 the district secretary, and to forward to the chief of the bureau the 

 nomination of the person he has selected for appointment. This, of 

 course, will obviously save a considerable amount of time in the 

 selection of an appointee, as under the old sj^stem certification would 

 be issued by the Commission at Washington, and selection and 

 appointment made after correspondence with the eligibles residing 

 in the vicinity in which the vacancy occurs, the correspondence 

 often consuming considcralde time. The district system does not 

 include, however, the certification of scientific or other positions 

 above the grade of clerk, certifications of eligibles for filling such 

 positions being issued at the headquarters of the Civil Service Com- 

 mission at Washington. It is believed that the new system, with 



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