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 British]

CIVIL

SERVICE

Service Commissioners. The examination for 1st class clerkships is held concurrently with that of the civil service of India and Eastern cadetships in the colonial service. Candidates can compete for all three or for two. In addition to the intellectual test the candidate must fulfil the conditions of age (22 to 24), must present recommendations as to character, pass a medical examination, and must also pay a fee of £6. The subjects include the language and literature of England, France, Germany, ancient Greece and Rome, Sanscrit and Arabic, mathematics (pure and applied), natural science, history (English, Greek, Roman, and general modern), political economy and economic history, mental and moral philosophy, Roman and English law and political science. The candidate is obliged to reach a certain standard of knowledge in each subject before any marks at all are allowed him. This rule was made to prevent success by mere cramming, and to ensure competent knowledge on the basis of real study. Clerks of Class I. are employed in the following departments and offices :— Admiralty, Head Office and Inland Revenue. Outposts. Local Government Board, EngAgriculture, Board of. land and Ireland. Chief Secretary’s Office, Ireland. Lunacy Commission. Civil Service Commission. Patent Office. Colonial Office. Post Office. Constabulary, Ireland (Inspector- Privy Council Office. General’s Office). Record Offices, England and Customs. Ireland. Exchequer and Audit Depart- Science and Art Department. ments. Scottish Office. Home Office. Supreme Court Pay Office, EngIndia Office (Correspondence, land. Political, Accountant - Gene- Trade, Board of. ral’s Store and Audit Depart- Treasury. ments). War Office. The maximum scale of the salaries of clerks of Class I. is as follows :—3rd class, ,£200 a year, increasing by £20 a year to <£500; 2nd class, <£600, increasing by <£25 a year to £800; 1st class, £850, increasing by £50 a year to £1000. Their pensions are fixed by the Superannuation Act 1859, 22 Yict. c. 26 “ To any person who shall have served ten years and upwards, and under eleven years, an annual allowance of ten-sixtieths of the annual salary and emoluments of his office : “ For eleven years and under twelve years, an annual allowance of eleven-sixtieths of such salary and emoluments : “And in like manner a further addition to the annual allowance of one-sixtieth in respect of each additional year of such service, until the completion of a period of service of forty years, when the annual allowance of forty-sixtieths may be granted ; and no additions shall be made in respect of any service beyond forty years.” The “ordinary annual holidays allowed to officers” (1st class) “ shall not exceed thirty-six week-days during each of their first ten years of service and forty-eight week-days thereafter.” Order in Council, 15th August 1890. “Within that maximum heads of departments have now, as they have hitherto had, an absolute discretion in fixing the annual leave.” Sick leave can be granted on full salary for not more than six months, on half salary for another six months. The scale of salary for 2nd division clerks begins at £70 •a year, increasing by £5 to £100; then £100 a year, increasing by £7, 10s. to £190; and then £190 a year, increasing by £10 to £250. The highest is £300 to £500. Advancement in the 2nd division to the higher ranks depends on merit, not seniority. The ordinary annual holiday of the 2nd division clerks is 14 working days for the first five years, and 21 working days afterwards. They can be allowed sick leave for six months on full pay and six months on half pay. The subjects of their examination are : (1) handwriting and orthography, including copying MS.; (2) arithmetic ; (3) English composition ; (4) precis, including indexing and digest of returns; (5) book-keeping and shorthand writing; (6) geography and

99 English history; (7) Latin or French or German; (8) elementary mathematics; (9) inorganic chemistry with elements of physics. Not more than four of the subjects, (4) to (9), are to be taken. The candidate must be between the ages of 17 and 20. The fee is £2. A certain number of the places in the 2nd division were reserved for the candidates from the boy clerks appointed under the old system. The severity of the competition is shown by the fact that in February 1900 there were 932 candidates for 120 places. Candidates are allowed a choice of departments subject to the exigencies of the services. The departments are as follows :— Agriculture, Board of. Pay Office of the Supreme Court. Admiralty. Post Office (London). British Museum. Post Office (Edinburgh). Chancery Department (Edin- Post Office (Dublin). burgh). Prisons Board (Dublin). Charity Commission. Prisons Department (EdinChelsea Hospital. burgh). Chief Secretary’s Office (Dublin). Privy Council Office. Chief Secretary’s Office, Yeteri- Public Works Loan Office. nary Department. Public Works Office (Dublin). Civil Service Commission. Reformatories Office. Colonial Office. Registrar-General’s Office Constabulary (Ireland), In- (London). spector-General’s Office. Registrar-General’s Office (EdinCustoms (London, Liverpool, burgh). and Outposts). Registrar-General’s Office (DubDeeds, Registry of (Dublin). lin). Dublin Metropolitan Police Science and Art Department Office. (London). Education Department. Science and Art Department Exchequer and Audit Office. (Dublin). Exchequer Office (Scotland). Scotland, Office of Secretary for. Fisheries Office (Dublin). Scottish Education Department. Fishery Board (Scotland). Stationery Office. Foreign Office. Supreme Court of Judicature Friendly Societies Registry. (Ireland) Accounting Office. Home Office. Teachers’ Pension Office (Dublin). Inland Revenue— Trade, Board of. Offices in London. Trade, Board of; Bankruptcy Offices in Edinburgh. Department. Offices in Dublin. Trade, Board of; Commercial, Local Government Board Labour, and Statistical Depart(London). ment. Local Government Board (Edin- Trade, Board of; Patents Office. burgh). Seamen’s Registry Office. Local Government Board Treasury. (Dublin). Treasury, Remembrancer’s Office Lunacy Commission. (Dublin). Mint. Valuation Office (Dublin). National Debt Office. War Office. National Education Office (Dub- War Office, Royal Army Clothing lin). Depot. Paymaster - General’s Office Works, Office of. (London and Dublin). The total number of 2nd division clerks employed is 2945. A new class of assistant clerks or abstractors was formed in 1886. The appointments are made from the ranks of the men copyists. The maximum salary is about £150. Now only 93 men copyists remain, so this source for candidates is practically exhausted, but open competition has not yet been instituted for the assistant clerkships. The subjects of the examination that is held are — handwriting, orthography, arithmetic, English composition, digesting returns into summaries, and geography. A competent amount of general proficiency is insisted upon. This new class has been introduced into the following offices :— Admiralty, Board of Agriculture, Census Office, Charity Commission, Customs, Education Department, General Registrar Office, Home Office, Irish Land Commission, Inland Revenue, Local Government Board (England and Ireland), General Post Office (Savings Bank Department, London and Dublin), Prisons Commission (England and Scotland), Public Works Loan Board, General Prisons Board (Ireland), Registrar - General’s Office (Dublin), Science and Art Department, Seamen’s Registry Office, Board of Trade, Treasury, War Office, and Office of Woods (Quit Rent Office, Dublin). A new class of boy copyists has also been established. They are almost entirely employed in London, a few in Dublin and Edinburgh, and, very seldom, in some provincial towns. The subjects of their examination are : Obligatory—handwriting and orthography, arithmetic, and English composition. Optional—■ (any two of the following) : (1) copying MS. ; (2) geography ; (3)