§ MR. JORDANI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether any examination for Customs appointments was held since October, 1887, or for Excise since May, 1887; whether these services, or any of them, are insufficiently manned; and will he state if any future examinations will be held, and when?
§ MR. JACKSONSo far as the Customs are concerned no appointments to outdoor officerships have been made since August, 1888, or to clerkships since November of that year. These are the only two junior grades of appointments which are open to competition under the Civil Service Commissioners. The last open competition for the Excise was in May, 1887. Since then vacancies in the Excise have been filled up by the appointment of men who had passed for the Customs, but were found not to be required for that Department, and also by the transfer of certain writers. Neither service is insufficiently manned, and no date has been fixed for any future examination.