recommend to the Commission a change of the scheme of requirements, which met the approval of the examining board, by which, while familiar knowledge of two foreign languages should still be demanded, the rule should designate German as one of these languages. A fair acquaintance with the needs of the local courts and the relative numbers of the foreign-born population of New York city will, I think, justify the discrimination at the present day. Later in the year I found the amended scheme productive of the good anticipated. The general results of the May examination for interpreters are as follows: RESULTS EXAMINATION MAY 20, 1886, COURT INTERPRETERS. Of the eight candidates at this examination, two were unable to compete in more than one foreign language; one of these failed in German; the other passed creditably in Italian, and, although under the rule his name could not be placed on the eligible list as the result of the competition, his record was reported for the consideration of the Commission, in case the services of an Italian interpreter may be required in the courts. Two candidates retired before the examination was completed. But three applicants appeared for positions as janitors, two of whom passed the minimum in the very simple tests applied. For Physician at Auburn Prison. On the nomination of the Superintendent of State Prisons, three candidates were examined at this office July 8, 1886, for appointment to the position, of physician at the Auburn prison. All passed the minimum of seventy, and the one graded highest was appointed. The professional tests were in the subjects of general and preventative medicine, nervous diseases, hospital practice and sanitation. For Assistant Examiners - Regents of the University. The Regents of the University, finding it necessary to employ additional assistants in the examination of the papers returned from the regents' classes in the various academies and academical departments of union free schools of the State, whose services were necessarily required at an early day, a competitive examination was held at this office November 10, 1886, to fill the places temporarily. The candidates, in addition to certain clerical tests, were examined in the several subjects in which they would be called upon to do the work of examining. From the circumstances of the case the competition was necessarily limited. Six candidates presented themselves; three were found eligible; two of these were immediately chosen by the regents, and subsequently the third was appointed. To these three, certificates of qualification were issued, provisional in character, enabling them to serve until an open competitive examination could be properly advertised and arranged. This will be held on the fifteenth instant. GENERAL COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS. The general competitive examinations of the year were held November eleventh, thirteenth and eighteenth. The examinations of November eleventh were for positions of first, second and third grade clerks, stenographers, book-keepers, law clerks, assistant engineers, levelers and rodmen, inspectors of masonry in the department of public works, guards at the Elmira reformatory and office messengers. For Clerical Positions. For the reasons assigned in former reports, the examinations for general clerical positions were held simultaneously at New York, Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, Elmira and Watertown. As in previous years, the Commission was favored by the assistance, as its representatives in arranging for and supervising the examinations at these several cities, of gentlemen, most of whom had already served on former occasions most acceptably in the same capacity. The following is a list of these representatives, whose kindly assistance has been fittingly recognized by the Commission : Dr. William C. Wey. Frederic Seymour, Esq.. Elmira. Elmira, Watertown. Watertown. It may be well here to repeat the explanation of the process of examination in the clear statement made by my predecessor, Mr. Jenkins, in his report last year: "In this connection, and in view of the limited knowledge of Civil Service methods so generally prevalent, even among intelligent people, and especially in view of the unfounded suspicion of partiality by examiners, it may be proper to restate the safe-guards which the methods adopted by the Commission for the conduct of examinations provide to insure exact justice to candidates in general, and to prevent partiality to any one individual. It may be added that these safe-guards are irrespective of the personal probity of those selected by the Commission as examiners, whose names are known to the public through its printed reports, and against whose character, as honorable and fair-minded men, no one has thus far ventured to bring an "Every applicant of record receives a notification signed by the secretary of the Commission, of the time and place of examination. This notification must be presented to the examiners or representatives before he can be admitted to an examination, and he is then given an envelope enclosing a card on which is printed a 'desk number.' This number he is required to indorse upon his notification which he then places in the envelope, sealing the latter, and retaining the 'desk number' until he shall have completed his examination, when it is surrendered to the representatives. "This desk number' he is directed to place upon every paper given him, his name nowhere appearing. The sealed envelopes containing the notifications are immediately transmitted to the Commission, remain in its custody, and are not opened until all the papers have been marked and the competitors graded. When this has been done, the envelopes containing the notifications are opened and the names corresponding to the desk numbers are put upon the graded lists. It is difficult to see what further precautions could be taken, or indeed are necessary, to insure absolute impartiality on the part of the examiners, and fair play to the applicant.' At the close of the competition, the papers of the candidates, properly sealed and accompanied by a certificate of the representatives, relative to the attendance, were at once forwarded from the several places of examination to this office, where the work of reading, marking and grading was performed by the General Board of Examiners, consisting of Hon. Hiram Sickles, Superintendent Charles W. Cole, of the Albany High School, Mr. Willis E. Merriman, of the Comptroller's office, Mr. Richard G. Milks, of the State Treasurer's office, and Mr. Charles V. Hooper, of the office of the Secretary of State, who was designated as a member of the board in place of Mr. John G. Clifford, resigned. It is obvious that by the system followed in these examinations the best safeguards have been established to secure uniformity and impartiality in the work of examining and grading. At this competition there appeared fifty-eight applicants for third-grade clerkships, stenographers and book-keepers; twenty-one for first and second-grade clerkships, and ten for office messengers. Of the number, forty-three passed the required minimum mark for third-grade clerks, nineteen for first and second-grade clerks, and eight for office messengers. The general results are tabulated as follows: TABLE SHOWING GENERAL RESULTS OF EXAMINATION, HELD NOVEMBER 11, 1886-THIRD-GRADE CLERKS. SUBJECTS. Dictation 21 Copying from manu 21 21 21 21 21 Remarks. 31.80 25 50 FIRST AND SECOND GRADE CLERKS. The general scheme of examinations for clerkships in the State departments did not contemplate those positions demanding of their incumbents especial technical knowledge and experience, in addition to such skill and information as clerks are generally required to possess. The Commission, therefore, mindful of the needs of the service in this respect, designated a board of examiners for those seeking positions as law clerks in any of the State departments in which such appointments should hereafter be found nec essary, to consist of Hon. Matthew Hale, Hon. William B. Ruggles and Hon. Edwin Countryman, of Albany. Five candidates appeared at this examination, the law questions for which were prepared by these examiners. All the applicants passed the minium of seventy, the following being the general results of the competition : For Engineering Positions (Second Examination). As at the May competition, the questions for the candidates for positions in the engineering service of the State were prepared, the examination personally conducted and the markings made by |