Certification may be made from the eligibles of the district in which the service is to be rendered. (2) Registered positions.-Applications for registered positions are to be made to local boards of examiners at each of the principal headquarters of the Reclamation Service. Registered positions requiring no educational tests are as follows: (g) Superintendents of construction or of grading, corral bosses, etc.; (h) inspectors, including inspectors of earthwork, masonry, concrete, etc.; (i) foremen, including master laborers, master workmen, master carpenters; (j) survey men, who may perform the duties of transit men, level men, rodmen, chain men. etc.; (k) recorders and receivers of material, including property or store clerks, tool keepers, stewards, storekeepers; (1) all employees performing special duties, as cement testers, concrete finishers, cranes men, dam and head gate tenders, deputy inspectors, dredge engineers, ditch riders, electrical assistants, engine men, gate tenders, helpers, janitors, line riders, powder men, riggers, skilled laborers, stewards, trackmen, truckmen, watchmen, etc. UNSKILLED LABOR. All unskilled laborers are considered to be in the unclassified service, their status being fixed by the fact that they are merely employed as laborers or workmen and their occupation is of the most temporary character. With these are grouped the following: Apprentices in mechanical trades, axemen, bakers, cooks, cook's helpers, boatmen, derrickmen, drillmen, drivers, hostlers, teamsters, waiters. Boards of examiners.-A board of examiners shall be established at the principal office of each reclamation project, for the purpose of facilitating examination and appointment of noneducational positions, and shall be composed of a secretary, vicesecretary, and one or more additional members, selected by the Commission from names submitted by the chief engineer. Duties of boards. The duties of boards of examiners shall be as follows: (a) To furnish the Commission, through the chief engineer, with imformation regarding the needs of the Reclamation Service, the conditions of employment, and the qualifications desired of applicants, (b) to give out application blanks and circulars of information to applicants, (c) to receive applications for positions in which no educational examination is required, (d) to grade the papers, (e) to establish registers of eligibles, (f) to do such other work as the Commission may direct. Applicants for positions requiring a noneducational test.-Applications for positions requiring a noneducational test, filed with this board of examiners, shall be rated upon the statements made in the formal application, upon the elements of age, physical condition, and experience, in accordance with the following regulations for rating: Method of rating examination papers.-Applicants shall be rated on the statements and testimonials in their applications on the elements of age, physical condition, and experience. Age shall be rated as follows: Over 25 years and not exceeding 45 years, 100; for each year less than 25 or more than 45, two shall be deducted from 100. Physical condition shall be rated as follows: Where there are no apparent physical defects or disqualifications for the practice of the trade or occupation for which the person is examined, a maximum rating of 100 shall be given. Deduction shall be made from 100 in the discretion of the examiner for physical defects or disqualifications according to their gravity. Experience shall be rated as follows: A weight of 50 will be given for length of experience and a weight of 50 for character of experience. For positions requiring apprenticeship, a rating of 30 shall be given to a workman who has acquired the status of journeyman; for each of the following four years a credit of 5 shall be given. For positions that do not require apprenticeship, a credit of 20 shall be given for one year's experience and an additional credit of 5 for each of the following six years. The element of character of experience will be rated upon the statements made by the applicant in his application, as corroborated by his vouchers and references. Consideration will be given to the quality and character of the experience shown as well as to the honesty, industry, sobriety, and intelligence of the applicant, which are to be determined by the statements of vouchers, who should be, as far as possible, employers of the applicant. Special consideration shall be given to experience which is continuous and recent. Where special experience is required for the performance of the duties of a position, which is not sufficiently indicated in the application, local boards shall require the applicant to file such additional written evidence as may be necessary. The ratings, their products, and the average percentage shall be entered in the proper blanks on the application form, and each mark shall be initialed by the examiner or examiners responsible for the rating. As the local boards are responsible for the preparation of eligible registers, it is their duty to investigate fully all applicants, in order that no inefficient or improper persons may be made eligible for certification. All applicants, before being declared eligible, shall be required to appear before a member of the board for personal examination, if, in the opinion of the board, this is deemed necessary. Review by Commission.-All examination papers are subject to review by the Commission, when such review is requested. It is necessary, therefore, that all the facts upon which marking is based by the local civil service board should be made a matter of record. If the rating is affected by personal examination of verbal evidence, the facts should be made of record; if the rating is affected by documentary evidence, such documents should be attached to the examination papers. Responsibility of board. Each local board is responsible for the lists prepared by the board, and it is the duty of the members to fully investigate all applications, in order that no inefficient or improper applicants be made eligible for appointment. Certificates and indorsements of unknown persons should not be accepted as complete evidence of capacity or worthiness. Applications will be received, personal examinations made, and rating prepared by any member of the board, the application being forwarded to the board at headquarters for further consideration and final action. Registers of eligibles.-Separate registers for the various positions shall be established, the names of the eligibles being entered upon the registers in the order of general average, except preference claimants under section 1754 of the Revised Statutes, whose names shall head the registers. Registering new names. On the 10th day of each month, and, if necessary, again on the 25th, the board shall prepare new registers of eligibles, the names being entered in the order of the averages attained. New names shall not be entered upon any of the registers on any other day, unless the particular register is exhausted, in which case that register shall be replenished and copies of additional names furnished. Each register should be complete in itself and should contain the name of each person eligible for appointment in the district to which it relates, on the date of issue. The term of eligibility is one year. Eligibles whose terms have expired and those who have been appointed should not appear as eligible. Three copies of the registers shall be prepared. One copy shall be transmitted by the local boards to the chief engineer and one copy to the Commission monthly. Each register shall contain all the eligibles and shall show in each case the reason for the removal of any names during the month, whether by appointment, declination, by reason of three certifications, or by expiration of period of eligibility. Preference for appointment, section 1754, R. S.-This section gives preference to persons honorably discharged from the military or naval service by reason of disability resulting from wounds or sickness incurred in the line of duty, provided they are found to possess the business capacity necessary for the proper discharge of the duties of such offices. It is improbable that many such cases will occur, and the Commission will decide all such claims and inform the local boards of its decisions. When an applicant states that he was discharged from the military or naval service on account of disability incurred in line of duty, the local board should report to the Commission the name, regiment, and company, or vessel, and dates of enlistment and discharge. Eligibility for appointment in other districts.-An eligible in any district may have his name entered upon the proper register of another district for a period not to exceed one year from the date of his report of eligibility to the secretary of the local board with a written request for such action. Appointments. Upon the occurrence of a vacancy in a registered position a selection from the register of the local board will be made by the responsible engineer in charge. In making selections from the register prepared by the local civil service boards due regard will be given to the particular qualifications required to fill properly the vacant position, and one of the highest three possessing such qualifications must be selected. An eligible whose name has been three times considered may be dropped from the register, but it is necessary in order to drop a name that it shall have been considered in connection with three different vacancies. Notice of selection should be forwarded at once to the chief engineer and should specify the terms of employment, the amount to be paid, deductions to be made, if any, for subsistence, hospital dues, and other items. If the compensation includes subsistence in addition to cash payments, this matter must be fully covered. Local boards of examiners will be constituted by the Commission at the following points: Arizona: Phoenix, for Salt River project. California-Arizona: Yuma, for Yuma project. California-Oregon: Klamath Falls, for Klamath project. Idaho: Boise, for Minidoka and Payette-Boise projects. Kansas: Garden City, for Garden City project. Montana: Huntley, for Lower Yellowstone project, Sun River project, Huntley project, St. Mary project, Williston, N. Dak., project. Nebraska: Mitchell, for the Interstate Canal. Nevada: Hazen, including Truckee-Carson project. New Mexico: Carlsbad, for Carlsbad and Hondo projects, Oklahoma project, and Rio Grande project. Oregon: Portland, for Umatilla project, Oregon; Yakima project, Washington; and Okanogan project, Washington. South Dakota: Belle Fourche, for the Belle Fourche project. PROMOTION AND OTHER CHANGES IN STATUS. (a) Any classified employee, after one year's satisfactory service, may become eligible for any position for which an educational examination is necessary, provided he secures the requisite percentage in the appropriate examination, held under the direction of the Commission. (b) A noneducational employee serving in any capacity may be temporarily assigned to duty in any other noneducational position the duties of which are similar and for which no additional special qualifications are required. Continuation for a longer period than thirty days in such new position must be contingent upon registration by the local board in the new position. (c) A classified employee in any recognized mechanical trade shall not be assigned to duty in a different mechanical trade without examination. Such examination shall be similar to that required for original registration in the grade to which the assignment is to be made. TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT. In urgent cases, when time does not permit the appointment through certification from the Commission, a vacancy in any educational position may be filled by the responsible engineer in charge by temporary appointment of any one possessing the necessary qualifications. Such temporary appointment shall not continue for a greater length of time than may be necessary to secure certification and selection of a suitable person from the register; provided, however, that in cases where a competent person will not accept immediate employment continuing for a minimum time, then the employment may be for such reasonable minimum time as will secure the necessary services." The engineer in charge shall take steps to obtain proper certification without unnecessary delay. A report of the appointment and request for certification will be immediately made to the chief engineer, and the report and request, if approved, will be forwarded through the Department to the Commission. Engineers are authorized, after having reported a temporary appointment and requested certification, to continue the temporary employment, if necessary, until action is taken on the request or until special instructions are received. Temporary appointment may be made to fill a vacancy in a registered position when there is no register of eligibles and may continue until a register of eligibles is established; but such temporary appointment shall not continue longer than thirty days. Persons temporarily employed in such registered positions may become eligible for regular appointment by being entered upon the register. Such temporary appointments should be avoided and should continue for as short a time as conditions permit. The temporary employee should be instructed to present himself as soon as possible before the local board, with a view to examination, registration, and becoming eligible for regular employment. FORMS TO BE USED. For the present, or until further instructions are given, Form 9-563 and Form 9-569 are to be used. These are modeled upon the civil service Form 1086, Application for Noneducational Position in the U. S. Engineer Department at Large. Experience has shown that better results can be had than at present by using a form simpler than 1086, as it is very difficult to get good men already employed to fill out any but the most simple statements. Each applicant should fill out Form 9-563. It is to be noted in this connection that instructions on the back of this form are superseded by the present letter. When this form has been completed, Form 9-569 or similar letter should be addressed to each of the persons whose names are given as reference and the replies when received should be attached to 9-563 and form part of the application. REPORT OF CHANGES. The local boards of examiners shall forward, on the first of each month or as soon thereafter as practicable, to the Commission, through the chief enginner, reports of all the changes that have taken place in the service during the preceding month. These reports shall be made on forms which will be provided for the purpose, and in accordance with the instructions thereon. As required by section 3744, Revised Statutes, contracts are executed for all supplies or services, if the contract is not immediately executed by delivery or performance. Such immediate delivery is construed to mean approximately thirty days from the date of the order. In all building contracts the further requirement of a bond for faithful performance is insisted upon. While compliance with section 3744 is frequently expensive and annoying as on an agreement for telephone service, for short rentals, or for minor agreements not performed within thirty days and its requirements might properly be modified with advantage to the Government, yet, in the main, it works well, and most of the contracts are of a nature which good business judgment requires should be made a matter of complete record. ADVERTISING. Section 3709, Revised Statutes, requires that in securing all supplies and all services, other than personal, competition shall be sought through advertising, except when public exigency requires the immediate delivery of supplies or the immediate performance of service. This requirement is being complied with at all points, though with considerable annoyance at times and occasionally probably without benefit to the Government. When proposals are invited for the execution of a large work or for the delivery of large quantities of materials or supplies, an advertisement is inserted in such periodicals as will secure the widest publicity among possible bidders. When bids are desired upon smaller quantities or upon articles or services that can be secured only in local markets, circular advertisements are sent to all dealers within a reasonable distance and posted in public places, as in the local offices of the Reclamation Service and in postoffices. All proposals submitted are open for the inspection of bidders, and all papers, with the report of the board recommending the award, are carefully filed. It is believed that if section 3709 could be so amended as to leave it to Executive discretion whether to advertise for purchases amounting to less than $500, there would be no loss to the Government in prices obtained; and, on the other hand, there would be a material saving in clerical labor. Advertising is economical and advisable when the difference in amount between possible maximum and minimum bids is in excess of the costof advertising. In other cases no saving can result. ACCOUNTING. During the earlier period of operations under the reclamation act the character of the work did not require nor lend itself to elaborate and detailed bookkeeping records. As work progressed it became apparent that a comprehensive scheme of accounts was essential in order to have: (1) The necessary information upon which to plan for the future use of the fund; (2) complete accounts showing the costs of each project, so that the costs of construction would be returned to the Government, and (3) comparative statements tending to show the relative economy of different styles of construction and of different methods and appliances. During the past year the records of all fiscal transactions have been gone over carefully, rechecked, and corrected, where necessary. The number of vouchers during the past fiscal year was 23,533, and from July 9, 1902, to June 30, 1906, was something in excess of 90,000. These are all charged to project accounts, either directly upon payment or subsequently by the prorating of certain general expense accounts to which the expenditures have first been charged. Much thought has also been put upon the subject of a uniform system of accounting for the field offices, and a committee consisting of the accountant, a special disbursing agent, and a public accountant from a firm of national repute recently visited several projects studying this subject. The idea has been to have very complete and detailed records at the field offices and to keep in the Washington office only enough detail to make the figures intelligible and to give the administrative force a complete grasp of conditions COST KEEPING. Allied to bookkeeping proper is the kindred subject of cost keeping. Bookkeeping is concerned with the fiscal statements only. Cost keeping analyzes such statements to get at their meaning. From such analyses policies are shaped as to future operations. A very complete system is in operation, and its results have already been found to be of great value to the engineers of the Service. The purpose of keeping such costs is twofold-first, it enables the engineer to adopt the most economical methods and to select, arrange, and operate his machinery and men in the most economical manner, and, second, it enables him to estimate and analyze the cost of proposed work with intelligence and precision. Engineering construction costs are therefore the fundamental data of estimates and execution of engineering work, and the engineer who tries to get along without them draws conclusions without known premises. The almost inevitable results of such conclusions are financial failure and loss. |