A highly competent Commission has been appointed by the Governor and Council, and the rules prepared by this Commission have been recently promulgated. They closely follow the rules for this State, but in addition to the regulation of the permanent service, they provide for the registration of persons desiring employment as laborers by the city of Boston, and for their selection from the register without reference to partisan considerations.

A Civil Service bill has been recently introduced in the Legislature of Indiana, and similar bills have been prepared for introduction into the Legislatures of Illinois and Maryland, when they

convene.

Governor Pattison, of Pennsylvania, in his recent annual message, urges the preparation and passage of such a law. There may have been similar movements in other States that have escaped our observation, but the general and growing interest in the regulation and improvement of the public service is evinced in the action taken in the important States above named.

REVIEW OF THE WORK.

Recalling the fact that two years have not elapsed since the passage of the "Act to regulate and improve the Civil Service of the State of New York," May 4, 1883, the Commission feel at liberty to express their satisfaction at what has been thus far accomplished since their appointment. No violation of the eleventh section of the amended Act touching political assessments has been brought to the knowledge of the Commission.

The classification of the Service of the State, a task of no slight difficulty, the preparation of the rules and partial appointment of State Examiners, after conferring with the heads of departments and Institutions, stated in its first report, have been supplemented during the past year, under the Amendatory Acts, by important and substantial progress; the improvement of the classification of the State Service with the preference given by law to honorably discharged Union soldiers and sailors, the increase of positions in the competitive list, the practical inauguration of competitive and other examinations under unexceptionable Boards of Examiners, the approval by this Commission of the elaborate regulations prepared by experts for the cities of Brooklyn and New York, including those for the Firemen and Police, and the approval of regulations similarly in harmony with those of the State, for the cities of Rochester, Auburn, Yonkers, Long Island, Poughkeepsie, Utica, Binghamton, Cohoes, Ogdensburg, Kingston, Albany, Troy, and Elmira.

The enlargement of the sphere of Civil Service methods, and the rapid progress in extending the competitive schedules, seems to have been due to the growing conviction among the people that in public as in private life competition is the true test of merit, that the right to compete is a natural right of each citizen, a right to which the State by its popular education contributes large advantages. At the same time our people recognize the fact that in the

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public business, in the benefits and expense of which they are alike interested, the State is entitled to the highest merit attainable under impartial rules.

Substantial progress has also been made in the practical use of the methods adopted by numerous examinations for a variety of positions, in all departments of the service, followed by appointments in accordance with the rules from the persons examined.

There may also be remarked the largely increased interest in the subject on the part of the people at large, and among the officials in the public service, the diffusion of a better knowledge of the principles, and the nearly universal acceptance of the truism that public trusts are not legitimate subjects of patronage, but like positions in any other well-ordered business, should be held by those who can best administer them for the public welfare, and that a properly regulated Civil Service is the best agency yet devised for bringing the administration of public affairs to business principles..

The Commission believes that the preliminary work of organization and preparation for the application of Civil Service methods in the State at large, and in the cities, a task both difficult and em-barrassing, has been brought to the point where its usefulness can be tested.

The great diversity in the character of the State service, and also in the municipal service, the vast number of persons employed, the variety in the kind and degree of qualifications required for different positions, have rendered the duty of proper classification, of distribution under appropriate schedules, and of methods of examination and selection of Boards of Examiners, a work of serious. delicacy and responsibility, in which the excellent antecedent work under the National Act afforded little assistance, on account of the restricted sphere of application of the national rules.

The Civil Service Statute and the rules and organization to apply its methods became operative when all, or nearly all, positions in the State, and in the cities, were occupied by incumbents previously selected. The methods have no application to those incumbents, except for promotion.

These methods can, therefore, only be applied to new appointments as positions become vacant by death, resignation, or removal. These processes are proverbially slow, except the latter, which has been biennially rapid in the past.

The fruits of Civil Service methods will, therefore, only become gradually apparent, but of its beneficial results there can be no doubt. There can be no mistake in the fundamental principle that has for its object the selection of the best and most competent men for the public service, and the corollary from that principle is unquestionable, that the selection of public servants for the subordinate positions should not be abandoned to the unrestrained will of the head of an office, and the machinations of partisan committees, but should be made by disinterested and competent men, under fixed and impartial rules guaranteeing fair play to merit.

[Assem Doc. No. 42.]

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Higher grade employes, better service, reduction in the number employed, and large economy in expenditure, are among the prominent results already partially realized, to become obvious in due time. The relief of public officials from importunities for place, and protection of employes from political assessments, are accomplished facts.

Meanwhile a reasonable degree of patience on the part of the public, and intelligent support by the Legislature, full and honest criticism by the press, and the prompt correction of any discovered errors by those intrusted with the practical duties of the reform, and absolute good faith in its application, will certainly and in the natural evolution of results bring the system theoretically and practically to the complete and efficient agency for good expected from it by the friends of good government.

This report would be incomplete if the Commission should fail to refer to the relation of your Excellency's predecessor, Governor Cleveland, to Civil Service reform in this State. As the official head of the system under the law, he has done more than merely to give perfunctory executive assent. His official action and the weight of his influence have alike been affirmatively exerted to promote the reform. The Commission has received from him at all times most courteous consideration, and in its efforts to apply and enforce the law has been sustained by his cordial support from the time of its appointment to the close of his administration. It is only justice to the retiring Governor to say that the successful establishment of Civil Service methods in the State of New York during his adminis tration, and the acceptance of the reform by the public, are largely due to his intelligent interest in the subject, his fidelity to its principles, and his prompt and courageous action through all the stages of its progress.

In its last annual report the Commission referred to the value of the services of the Chief Examiner, and to his diligent and discreet performance of official duty.

It is only just again to commend his conscientious and very efficient work, and to make mention of the great assistance he has rendered the Commission, and the reform in which it is engaged. All which is respectfully submitted.

JOHN JAY,

AUGUSTUS SCHOONMAKER,
HENRY A. RICHMOND.

STATE OF NEW YORK,

OFFICE OF CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, NEW YORK.

Hon. JOHN JAY, President New York Civil Service Commission,
Albany, N. Y.:

SIR-I have the honor to submit the following report in regard to the examinations held during the past year and also in regard to such other duties as during that time have been devolved upon me by the Commission.

COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS.

The first competitive examinations under the rules were begun at Albany on January 24, 1884. They were five in number and respectively for the positions of first, second and third grade clerks, messengers, orderlies and prison guards. Although ample notice of these examinations was given by advertisement in all the Albany journals, only forty competitors presented themselves. The greater number of these were persons who had applied for positions in the State departments, in the belief that all the heads thereof who took office on the first day of January would make their appointments before the rules went into effect upon the fourth day of that month. In some cases the original applications of these aspirants were turned over to this Commission, so that probably not more than one-quarter of the competitors at this examination were original applicants under the rules. This paucity of applications seems at first sight inexplic able, but it has been experienced in the early stages of the merit system of appointment wherever it has been established.

It was so in Great Britain, in the Customs service at New York and under the United States rules of 1872 and 1883.

This early reluctance to enter for competition originates in the general ignorance of the methods, combined with a lack of faith in their sincerity of purpose and fairness in their execution. I have heard at various times many expressions of this incredulity, which is not attributable to any lack in the system, but to the long existence of patronage as the only means of replenishing the public service. Personal importunity and selfishness and party influence and sub

servience had been for so long a time the potent, indeed the sole factors in appointments, that the people were educated to the belief that their only chances to enter their own service were by a concentration of these ignoble forces upon the appointing power. This low view of the public service had so long obtained that comparatively few could believe that any change for the better had been accomplished. It has been found, however, that each successive competition attracts a larger number of applicants and the process of popular education on this point will gradually extend until the whole people will recognize the restoration of their equal rights to public employment.

Although there were some fairly competent candidates in these first examinations there was not such a general competition as the Commission had desired. Nearly all these first candidates resided at Albany or its vicinity and the remainder of the State had no representation. Preparations were accordingly made for a series of examinations in April, and simultaneously at Brooklyn, New York, Kingston, Albany, Plattsburgh, Utica, Watertown, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Elmira and Ithaca. It was thought that this arrangement would accommodate all parts of the State, so that competitors from every locality could attend the examinations without great expense. The main objection to examinations for the same grade being held at several places is the difficulty of obtaining a uniform grading of the competitors by the distinct boards of examiners. This difficulty was surmounted by having the general board of examiners prepare all the questions which were the same for all the places. At each of these there were appointed as representatives of the Commission, two citizens of such prominence and high character as would be to all concerned a guaranty that impartiality and fairness would govern all the proceedings. The representatives had charge of all local preparations, received the competitors and distributed the questions, made all necessary explanations and settled all questions and disputes.

The papers of questions with full instructions for the guidance of the representatives were sent to them in sealed parcels so as to be received the day before the examinations began, which was set for April 24. Immediately after the examinations ended, the representatives returned to the Commission under seal all the papers which were submitted to the general board of examiners for marking and the grading of the competitors. A uniform standard of gradation was thus insured while the labor of marking and grading was reduced to a minimum. This plan of procedure was in all respects satisfactory, and should be followed in all general examinations held hereafter. Although none of the gentlemen who acted as representatives had had any experience in such examinations not an error or delay occurred in any of their proceedings.

At these examinations one hundred and fifty-four candidates appeared, all of whom completed the tests, except three, who with