EXAMINATION IN THE FAR EAST.
Regulations Differ from Those in the United States--Mounted Men in
the Island Force.
The Civil Service regulations for the Postal Service in the
Philippine Islands vary considerably from those for the United
States. There is only one examination--that of letter carrier.
Carriers are divided into two classes, mounted and unmounted. The
entrance salary of an unmounted carrier is $360. The higher classes
are filled by promotion. All the carriers must furnish their own
uniforms, as in the United States, while the mounted carriers must
provide their own conveyances. Both conveyances and uniforms are
subject to inspection and must be approved by the Director of Posts.
The examination consists of tests in spelling, arithmetic,
penmanship, copying from plain copy, location of buildings,
streets, plazas, etc., in the City of Manila, reading addresses and
simple tests in English.
The following is an example of the questions asked by the
Philippine examiners in an examination for letter carrier:
Spelling.--Question, Column, Regular, Possible, Precious, Guardian,
Entrance, Separate, Official, Eager, Patience, Position, Exceed,
Language, Explain, Business, Receive, Copyist, Certify, Specimen.
Arithmetic.--1. Add the following numbers: 7,820, 140, 616,487,
18,021,762, 5,329,456, 5,647,893, 432,890, 23,578,932, and 45,004.
From the sum of these numbers extract 8,641,762.
2. Multiply 794.4 by 450-3/5, and divide the product by 49.65.
3. A clerk received a salary of $720 a year. He spent 3/5 of it for
board, 1/4 of the remainder for clothing, and $144 for all other
expenses. How much did he save?
4. An open court contains 160 sq. yds. How many stones 9 inches
square will be required to pave it? (1,296 sq. in. equals 1 sq. yd.)
5. A Manila grocer imported 1,083 pounds of butter at 39 cents a
pound and sold it at 5/13 more than it cost. If his expenses were
$36.47, what was his net profit?
Letter Writing.--Two subjects for letter writing are given, and the
competitor may select either upon which to write a letter of not
less than 125 words. The exercise in letter writing is designed
chiefly to test the competitor’s skill in composition.
Penmanship.--The rating on penmanship is determined by legibility,
neatness, rapidity and general appearance, and by correctness and
uniformity in the formation of words, letters and punctuation marks
in the exercise in copying from plain copy. No particular style of
penmanship is preferred.
Copying from Plain Copy.--Candidates were required to make an exact
copy of the following:
“The hemp tree in the Philippines reaches an average height of
10 feet. It is a native plant, the stem of which is inclosed in
layers of half-round petioles. The hemp fiber is extracted from
these petioles, which, when cut down, are separated into strips 5
to 6 inches wide, and drawn under a knife attached at one end by
a hinge to a block of wood, while the other end is suspended from
the extremity of a flexible stick. The bow tends to raise the knife
and a cord attached to the same end of the knife, and a treadle
is so arranged that, by a movement of the foot, the operator can
bring the knife to work on the hemp petiole with the pressure he
chooses.”