Question 4. (a) How can the presence of oxygen in air be demonstrated? (b) How much oxygen may be obtained from one litre of air? (c) What modes are adopted for obtaining it for commercial uses? Question 5. (a) From what minerals is metallic lead obtained? (b) How many oxides of lead are there? (c) What are the chemical differences between red and white lead? (d) Describe the manufacture of white lead? (e) 100 kilograms of galenite yield what volume of SO? (f) What are the objections to the use of lead in city water-pipes? (g) What is the formula of plumbic peroxide and to what modern use is it applied? FOURTH SUBJECT.-Mechanical drawings. [A Patent Office drawing is printed below each of the following questions.] Question 1. Describe the machine illustrated in this drawing; name the different views shown; name the several mechanical elements that appear, giving their functions. State the use of the machine. Question 2. Describe the machine shown in the drawing, and give its purpose; name the mechanical elements that appear, and indicate their functions. STATE DEPARTMENT EXAMINATION (Special-Series No. 3). For explanation of the "relative weights," and of the method of determining the "general average," see clerk examination, p. 190. The time allowed for this examination is limited to seven consecutive hours. The first, second, third, fourth, and fifth subjects are substantially the same as the corresponding subjects of the clerk examination, p. 190, et. seq. As optional subjects in the State Department examination the competitor may also be examined in one or more of the modern languages. Such examinations are of about the same grade as the supplementary examinations in the modern languages (see post, supplementary examinations), and consist of two exercises-one being the translation of a passage of the foreign language into English and the other the translation of a passage of English into the foreign tongue. The average obtained on an optional subject is not considered in determining the general average, but it is to the advantage of a competitor in the State Department examination to show a fair acquaintance with at least one of the modern languages. SIXTH SUBJECT.-Arithmetic. Question 1. Express one hundred billion in figures, both according to the American and according to the English method. Question 2. Express in figures, both in the form of decimal fractions and of common fractions, the following amounts: Four millionths, twenty-one thousandths, one hundredth, and one tenth. Question 3. Divide 1.92 by .16. Give work ni full. Question 4. Add of 3 to 43, and from the sum subtract 2}. (Reduce the answer to lowest terms.) Gwe work in full. Question 5. A note dated May 20, 1886, for $1,650, is payable March 4, 1887, with interest at 6 per cent. October 12, 1886, $625 was paid on the note. How much will be due, principal and interest, at its maturity? Give work in full. Question 6. An agent of the Government was sent $7,650 to purchase coal at a coaling station; his commission was 2 per cent. on the purchase, which he was to deduct from the money sent. Required: (1) his commission, and (2) the amount expended for coal. Give work in full. Question 7. If the consular fees collected by the U. S. consul at Liverpool in a year amount to £4,000, and his salary and expenses are $7,591.74, what percentage of the fees can be paid to the United States after deducting the salary and expenses, the estimated value of the pound sterling being $4.8665? Gire work in full. Question 8. Express the value of $3,000,000 in French money, the value of the franc being 19.3 cents. Give work in full. Question 9. Express according to the Roman system of notation the date 1887. SEVENTH SUBJECT.-Geography and history. Question 1. Between what parallels and meridians do the United States extend? Answer approximately.) nestion 2. What are the boundaries of France or Germany, and of Ohio or Ver mont? Question 3. State the population, respectively, of the United States, the British Isles, the Dominion of Canada, France, and Germany. Question 4. State the population of your native State, and of its principal city. Question 6. What nation was at one time an ally of the United States?-Give some particulars of the alliance. Question 7. What circumstances led to the threatened war with France and how was it averted? Question 8. What are the chief controversies in which the United States have been engaged with foreign powers? Question 9. Give some account of the origin and meaning of the Monroe doctrine. Question 10. State some notable events in the diplomatic history of the United States. (Series No. 1.) EIGHTH SUBJECT.—Law (international). Question 1. State the ways in which nationality can be acquired. Question 2. What is international law? Question 3. In what way and by what stages has international law developed to its present condition? Question 4. In cases of differences between sovereigns what are the modes of settle ment? Question 5. What are the rules regulating sovereignty over the high seas? Question 6. What is the law with regard to the marine belt encircling a coast, and what is the law as to navigable rivers? Question 7. In what respects has a sovereign exclusive jurisdiction of the territory within his boundaries, and what exceptions are recognized to such sovereignty? Question 8. What are treaties and what are some of their incidents? Question 9. What are the functions of diplomatic agents? Question 10. What are the functions of consular agents? NINTH SUBJECT.-Law (government). Question 1. What are the functions and powers of the Secretary of State? Question 2. What are the chief features of distinction between the diplomatic and consular services? Question 3. How is legislation effected in the United States generally? Name some special processes of legislation. Question 4. To what extent are the various States of the Union sovereign powers, and in what important respect do they lack the quality of sovereignty? Question 5. What constitutes a treaty; and when the terms of a treaty are in conflict with the provisions of a statute of the United States, which must be regarded as paramount? If the conflict be between a treaty and a law of one of the States, which prevails? BOOK-KEEPER EXAMINATION (Special-Series No. 6). For explanation of the “relative weights," and of the method of determining the "general average," see clerk examination, p. 190. The time allowed for this examination is limited to twelve hours, viz., seven hours on one day for the work called for by the sixth and seventh subjects-bookkeeping, theoretical questions, and book-keeping, practical-and five hours on the next week day for the first five subjects. The first, second, third, and fourth subjects are substantially the same as the corre sponding subjects of the clerk examination, p. 190 et seq. FIFTH SUBJECT.-Arithmetic. Question 1. The tax assessed by a certain town is $18,750; its property is valued at $1,250,000. What rate per cent. is the tax, and how much will be paid by a man whose property is assessed at $6,000? Give work in full. Question 2. Add these across, placing the totals in the spaces provided, and find grand total. Question 3. What is the value in currency of 7,984 ounces of silver bullion at $19.8 per pound (avoirdupois weight) when gold is selling at 1024? Give work in full. Question 4. What must be paid for a $200 four-and-a-half per cent. bond in order to make it an 8 per cent. investment? Give work in full. Question 5. G & H engaged in business as partners. G invested $10,000 and H $5,000, G sharing and H of the gains and losses (no interest was kept). Their assets at the close of the year consisted of cash, $2,100; bills receivable, $4,400; merchandise, $13,000; and personal accounts, $8,000, 10 per cent. of which are considered worthless. Their liabilities are bills payable, $1,625; personal accounts, $5,625. G drew out during the year $850 and H $1,075. If H should retire from the firm how much would he be entitled to receive? SIXTH SUBJECT.-Theory of bookkeeping. Question 1. What is the first account to be opened in a double-entry ledger and what does it show? Question 2. What is an inventory? How is its result made to appear in the ledger? Question 3. What are the distinctive functions of the day-book, journal, and ledger, respectively, in the economy of accounts? Question 4. What does a ledger, properly kept, show at all times? Question 5. Why should the balance of stock accounts or balance of partner's accounts equal the difference in the balance account? SEVENTH SUBJECT.-Practice of bookkeeping. The competitor is required to rule off two books on the blank sheets furnished him a journal-day-book and ledger, and to make thereon the entries representing the following transactions: March 1, 1887, commenced business, investing the following: M'ch 3,'87, paid drayage, $45.50, and insurance, $17.85; bo't of G. W. Goyer & Co. 1,825 lb. S. C. hams @ 10 cts. and 3,608 lb. B. bacon, @ 12 cts., accepting their draft lavor of Third National Bank for the am't in payment thereof. M'ch 6, '87, sold Geo. Riggles 100 bbl. flour @ $1.75, 10 bbl. (480 gal.) sirup @ 50 cts. per gal., 12,000 lb. hams @ 11 cts. M'ch 10, '87, rec'd cash for rent of house at 640 Elm st., 4 mos. @ $68 per mo.; paid cash for digging well on Elm street lot, $64.75. M'ch 27, '87, drew 30 d's' draft on C. E. Persons for am't of his acc't, which he accepted; sold Ed. Goodrich 4,000 lb. B. bacon @ 10 cts., 10 t're's, 4,000 lbs., lard @ 10 cts.. receiving cash for, accepted draft on A. B. Ferguson for $310, and balance on acc't. M'ch 30, '87, sold house and lot 640 Elm st. to Thos. McKiernan for $5,800, receiving cash $2,800, his note, due in 6 mo's @ 6%, for balance; discounted Thos. McKiernan's note at Third Nat. B'k, money being worth 4%, and deposited proceeds in said bank. Apr. 3, '87, paid draft favor of C. W. Goyer & Co. by sending them a sight draft on Geo. Riggles for the am't, the same being duly honored. Apr. 5, '87, B. bacon bo't of C. W. Goyer being damaged, a discount of 2% on the am't was allowed. Apr. 7, 87, J. M. Butt pays $1,500 on his note, and interest to date $78.50. Apr. 10, '87, paid clerk-hire, $125; for services of porter, $75. Merchandise inventory, $8,425.73. Close acc'ts, bring down balances, and furnish a trial balance. INSPECTOR EXAMINATION (Special-Series No. 1). Seventh: Elements of bookkeeping and of accounts Eighth: United States geography, government, postal laws and regulations.. Total of weights Relative 1 1 1 1 2 10 Very few appointments are made from this register. It seems to be the policy of the Post-Office Department to appoint inspectors by the transfer of experienced men from the Railway Mail Service and the large post offices. Only two appointments were made from the register of eligibles in 1890 and none to April 1st in 1891. For explanation of the "relative weights" and of the method of determining the "general average, see clerk examination, p. 190. The time allowed for this examination is limited to eight consecutive hours. The first, second, and third subjects of this examination are substantially the same as the corresponding subjects of the clerk examination, except that the first subject includes an exercise in writing abbreviations in addition to the usual spelling exercise. For the abbreviation exercise the examiner pronounces the full work and the competitor is required to write its authorized abbreviation. FOURTH SUBJECT.-Description of persons. The examiner in charge will point out the person to be described, in accordance with instructions given him on the sheet containing the dictation exercises for abbreviations and spelling. [N. B.-This exercise is designed to test the competitor's ability to describe accurately persons with whom he has no intimate acquaintance.] The following instructions are given to the competitor for this exercise: "Some person will be pointed out to you for description. Notice him carefully, |