WEATHER BUREAU. 297 



The total number of commissioned employees at the end of the year, 

 808, was 32 more than at the close of the preceding year. The central 

 office force was increased by 11, much needed additional assistance 

 having been provided for by an increase in the number of statutory 

 positions in the appropriation bill for 1911-12. The field force was 

 increased by 21 because of extensions of the service, mainly in the 

 West and Southwest. The transfer of new assistant observers from 

 the central office to Mount Weather, Va., for instruction nominally 

 increased the force at the latter station. It was found possible to 

 reduce the working force of five stations by one employee each, allow- 

 ing a corresponding strengthening of the personnel at five other sta- 

 tions where the demands on the service had greatly increased. 



The number of permanent appointments in the classified service, 

 including transfers and reinstatements, was 122, or 46 more than 

 during the preceding year. The temporary appointments numbered 

 58, or 31 more than in the previous year. 



Mention was made in the last annual report of the difficulty ex- 

 perienced in retaining new assistant observers because of the low 

 entrance salary ($720 per annum) and the temptation presented to 

 young men possessing the requisite education and qualifications to 

 engage in other employment giving more lucrative immediate returns. 

 New assistant observers are now given promotion to $840 per annum 

 after six months' satisfactory service. This has had the effect of 

 materially reducing the number of resignations of that class of em- 

 ployees, and should enable the bureau to secure a better grade of men. 



There were 276 promotions in the classified service during the year. 

 All but one, which was a restoration to a position formerly held, were 

 to the next higher grade or by civil service certification for advance- 

 ment from subclerical positions. The considerable increase of the 

 number of promotions as compared with the previous year was due 

 partly to enlarged appropriations, which made pOvSsible the advance- 

 ment of deserving employees, and partly to the transfer of many 

 positions from the miscellaneous to the statutory roll on July 1, 1911, 

 which required the immediate advancement of other employees fol- 

 lowing a vacancy in a higher grade. 



In the classified service there were 59 voluntary resignations, 11 

 less than during the previous year. There were 5 forced resignations 

 and 4 removals from the classified service, compared with 9 and 12, 

 respectively, during the previous year. 



Of the 114 probationary appointees, only 1 failed to complete 

 successfully the six months' probationary period. 



There were 9 reductioiLS in the classified service : 7 for causes in no 

 way reflecting upon the character or ability of the employees, and 2 

 because of physical disability. 



In the unclassified service there were 2 permanent and 4 temporary 

 appointments, 5 promotions, 1 reduction, and 1 resignation. 



The absence record for the year shows that station employees took 

 a little more sick leave than during the preceding year, while central 

 oifice employees took a little less. With respect to annual leave, the 

 amount taken by station employees was practically the same as last 

 year; at the central office, the male employees had an average of 3.9 

 days more and the female employees an average of 0.7 of a day less. 

 For the entire service, the amount of sick leave was the same as dur- 



