No. complet'g

the special examining board, consisting of Messrs. Bogart, Green and Horace Andrews of Albany, who had been designated as a member in place of Prof. Staley, whose removal from the State necessitated his resignation from the Board. This examination, requiring the presence of the examiners was confined to Albany. Six applicants were examined, of whom four were found qualified. The general result is stated as follows:

In addition to these, nine candidates were examined for positions as inspectors of masonry in the department of public works, all of whom were found qualified and their names entered on the eligible list.

For Guards-Elmira Reformatory (Second Examination.)

At Elmira, besides the general examination for clerical positions before referred to, twenty-three applicants for appointment as guards at the State Reformatory were examined. Seventeen passed and were entered on the eligible list. The table of results following will show a slight change in the scheme of examination, deemed advisable after consultation with the authorities of the institution:

GUARDS AT STATE REFORMATORY.

examination.

:

10

Highest general average obtained. 99.33. Lowest general average of a proficient candidate, seventy.

Lowest general average of a deficient candidate, 40 56.

Fai ed to obtain required average (70)," though not deficient in any subject, one. Deficient in one subject, five. Deficient in two subjects, one,

For Interpreters of Courts (Second Examination).

An open competitive examination for court interpreters was held at the city hall in New York city, Saturday, November thirteenth. It was deferred from the eleventh of the month, on which day it was incumbent on me to be present at the general examination at Albany, and I deemed it equally important that I should personally superintend the interpreter's test at New York. The amended scheme of the examination, to which reference has been already made, was as follows:

First. Distinctly and deliberately a paragraph was read from the trial of a cause reported in a newspaper of that day. During the reading the candidates were directed to listen attentively, but not to touch pen to paper. Then, having in view the difference between English and German construction, the selection was read a second time by sentences, in order that the exact idea to be conveyed might be impressed upon the minds of those who were to interpret. This done, the candidates wrote in German, as the examiner again dictated in English a translation of the paragraph. Second. The condidates were directed to render the German translation in a second foreign language.

Third. This completed, the exercise was to translate from the second language into English.

Fourth. As the rule provides that interpreters shall undergo an examination as to general intelligence, of the character provided for clerks, the candidates were examined in arithmetic and in the geography and history of this country and of the countries in whose languages they sought examination.

Fifth. Forty-six questions and answers taken from an actual case, the questions printed in English and the answers in German, were placed before the candidates, with instructions to render the questions in German and the answers in English. The last ten questions and answers were then translated in a second foreign language.

Sixth. Each candidate was then tested as to his ability in reading and speaking the German language.

Six candidates presented themselves, one of whom not understanding German was found ineligible; four passed the required minimum and were entered on the eligible list. The following table will show, as in the other tests, some results of the examination:

For Prison Keepers and Guards.

The prison authorities of the State sought and obtained a modification of the rules respecting appointments of guards and keepers, so that a keeper may be selected from an eligible list of persons especially examined for that grade, as well as by promotion from the grade of guard. The rules were further modified by requiring as a requisite and competitive test of qualification for appointment as keeper, previous and satisfactory experience in directing or governing men. It was reasonably urged that one fully qualified to be a good guard would not necessarily become a successful keeper; so that promotion to the higher grade could not as a rule be predicated because of faithfulness and success in the lower. The Commission, in order to secure as practical a test as possible, designated as a board of examiners, under the rules as revised, Hon. Lewis D. Pilsbury, formerly Superintendent of Prisons in this State and at present warden of the New York Penitentiary; Hon. James W. Wadsworth, formerly State Comptroller, and Charles H. Kitchell, Esq., an active member of the New York Prison Association.

The scheme of the competitive examination for these positions embraced tests of the candidates' knowledge of simple computations, memory of dictated orders and faculty of observation. Each candidate was then brought before the examiners and closely questioned as to his habits, experience and judgment in matters of prison discipline. Seven candidates for positions as keepers and seventeen seeking appointments as guards were thus examined at Sing Sing, November eighteenth; of these, all the candidates for the higher grade and fifteen for the lower grade passed the minimum mark of seventy and were entered on the eligible lists, the general

result proving quite satisfactory to the examining board. The general features of the competition may be tabulated as follows:

77

Arithmetic

Test of memory of

orders

74.29

7 Test of faculty of

observation....

7

Experience in con

trolling men.

77

Discipline

Habits and bear

ing.

SUBJECTS.

*In this case it was afterwards discov ered that a portion of the exercise of a candidate deficient in arithmetic was lost through no fault of his. He was, therefore, allowed to pas on his general average

Remarks.

AVERAGE AGE.

The average age of those who passed in the competitive examinations of the year may be stated as follows:

Of candidates for assistant engineers, levelers, rodmen and inspectors, thirty-two years.

Of candidates for clerkships of the third grade, thirty-two years. Of candidates for clerkships of the first and second grades, twenty-eight years.

Of candidates for law clerkships, thirty-three years.

Of candidates for court interpreters, thirty-seven and a half years. Of candidates for prison keepers and guards, thirty-seven years. Of candidates for guards at Elmira Reformatory, twenty-nine

years.

Of candidates for janitors, thirty-seven years.

Of candidates for messengers, twenty-five years.

General average for all examinations, thirty-one years.

EDUCATION.

The following tabulated statement will show the grades of educational training of those who succeeded at the several competitive examinations:

The average age of those found eligible and the fact that twothirds of them received no higher than a common school training, would seem to be ample proof of the invalidity of the objection, too frequently urged against the tests selected for the examinations, that only those recently graduated from high schools and colleges have a fair chance of success.

NON-COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS, SCHEDULE C.

Examinations have been held under the direction of the chief examiner and by several special examining boards designated by the Commission for positions in Schedule C, requiring a noncompetitive or "pass examination of persons nominated for the following positions:

Assistant clerks of courts, attendants of courts, court stenographers, court janitors, court interpreters (temporary), corporation examiner, secretary of States office, stationery and document clerk, comptroller's office, physicians in asylums, law clerks, department of public instruction, matron of hudson river hospital, superintendent of house of refuge for women; corporation tax clerk, State treasurer's office, assistant clerks of prisions, confidential messenger. comptroller's office, stenographer to New York Excise Board (temporary, and afterward filled with eligible list of November eleventh), excise inspectors, New York city; gate keeper at Castle Garden, New York city; watchman at Castle Garden; guards at Elmira, temporarily appointed. The positions were afterward filled with eligible lists after the competitive examinations of May and November. In all one hundred and seven

persons were examined in this schedule.

The average age of those so examined was thirty-eight and onehalf years. Of the number eighty-six were taught in the common schools, ten were academic pupils and eleven were college graduates.