March 27, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



487 



whose practical experience has been 

 limited. Those who have had practical ex- 

 perience of course receive a higher rating 

 in education and experience, but a passing 

 mark in education and experience is given 

 for a degree of Bachelor of Science or its 

 equivalent from a creditable institution 

 giving a course in chemistry of approxi- 

 mately three years with nine recitation 

 hours a week— three laboratory hours be- 

 ing equivalent to one recitation hour. A 

 higher rating is given those who have had 

 postgraduate experience. In this class of 

 examinations an eligible rating in educa- 

 tion and experience is not required, but a 

 low rating in that subject may be com- 

 pensated by a high mark in practical ques- 

 tions. The practical questions asked in 

 these examinations are of a different char- 

 acter from those of the second class, and it 

 is believed that they are better adapted to 

 the class of chemists for whom they are 

 intended. It is from the eligible list estab- 

 lished by this examination that the great 

 mass of appointments to subordinate posi- 

 tions in the varioiis laboratories is made. 

 The salaries paid usually range from $840 

 to $1,200 per annum. 



4. Examinations for analysts qualified 

 in a special {sometimes narrow) field of 

 worh. Examinations of this class are 

 relatively infrequent and are held for the 

 purpose of supplying needs that sometimes 

 arise in some of the laboratories of the 

 government service for men competent to 

 perform analytical work in some narrow 

 field, but whose services in other branches 

 of chemistry will not be required. The 

 eligible lists so created are not commonly 

 used for appointments in other branches of 

 the service. 



It must not be understood that there is 

 a definite system of examinations and that 

 each examination is made to fit into one 

 of the types given above. An examination 

 is usually called to fill a particular va- 



cancy, although it is understood that after 

 that vacancy is filled the list may be used 

 to make other appointments for which the 

 same or lower qualifications are required 

 in the same or other departments. It 

 would not be within the civil service rules, 

 however, to appoint an assistant to the 

 laboratory of the supervising architect's 

 office who has passed an examination call- 

 ing for widely different qualifications; for 

 instance, an examination in dairy chem- 

 istry. 



Transfer from one laboratory to another 

 within the same department is possible at 

 any time when the good of the service does 

 not suffer thereby. Such transfers are 

 sometimes made but are rather unusual. 

 Transfers from one department to another 

 are unusual and can not be made within 

 three years of the date of appointment. 



Examinations for chemical positions are 

 not given regularly as is true of examina- 

 tion for clerks. They are given at irregu- 

 lar intervals as need arises, sometimes as 

 many as six or eight chemical examina- 

 tions of various character occurring in a 

 single year. The civil service commission 

 publishes an announcement of each exami- 

 nation and sends it to all applicants. 

 These announcements are also sent to edu- 

 cational institutions throughout the coun- 

 try. They are also published in Science. 

 No information regarding examinations is 

 given except that stated on the announce- 

 ment just mentioned. No definte informa- 

 tion is given regarding the character of 

 the questions that will be asked. No 

 copies of questions asked in former exami- 

 nations are supplied. No information can 

 be given out by the laboratory for which 

 the examination is called other than that 

 contained in the published civil service an- 

 nouncement. It is held that variation 

 from this principle would give an unfair 

 advantage to those who happen to receive 

 it. It is believed that the class of men de- 



