OCR Text |
Show COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 69 is frequently necessary to change from one fund to another in the payment of salaries, eventually a larger number would have lost their classified status. Therefore, this ruling, if adhered to, would have had a demoralizing effect upon the personnel, as few persons would care to remain in a service where the tenure was so uncertain; nor could competent persons be procured to take their places. Therefore, the commission was requested to reconsider the matter, and, after being placed in possession of all the facts, reversed its former ruling. The difficulty experienced in the past in procuring and retaining a competent wrps of employees has not lessened, and it has been neces-sary at times to carry a large temporary force. This condition is due to the large percentage of civil-service eligibles who decline ap-pointment and to the comparatively short period those appointed remain in the service. During the fiscal year 1911 but 53 per cent of the eligibles certified by the Civil Service Commission were willing to accept positions, and this percentage dropped to 51 during 1912. Approximately 23 per cent of the present force has been in the service one year or less; 15 per cent, two years; 11 per cent, three years; 10 per cent, four years; and 6 per cent, five gears, making about 65 per cent of the field force that has been in the service less than five years. Aside from the large number of changes occurring by resignation it became necessary to make about 600 transfers within the service in order to give deserving employees slight increases in salary. OFFICE WORK AND PERSONNEL. During. 1912 the work in the office increased more than 6 per cent over the preceding year, while the force was diminished by three clerks, and present indications give promise of as great an increase in work during the ensuing year with the number of employees remaining stationary. Betterment of office methods can not offset this increase. In fact, the inadequacy of the force on current routine matters often prevents proper thought and attention being given to constructive work. During the year office force performed nearly 1,800 days' overtime work without recompense, an average of nearly 8 days for each person employed. Most of this mas purely voluntary on the part of the clerks. ORGANIZATION AND METHODS OF WORE. While some improvements have been effected in the organization of the service and methods of work, these subjects have not had the careful study and attention they deserve. This duty falls upon the Chief of Methods Division, who also has charge of the mechanical |