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The Commission's inability to secure eligibles through open competitive examinations reflects general conditions, and indicates that demands of private employment and of the Federal service oftentimes at salaries higher than those paid by the State have resulted in fewer competitors in civil service examinations.

During 1917 the Commission examined 1,693 competitors in promotion examinations. In many of these examinations the number of competitors were three or less thus eliminating substantially the element of competition, although the number of those eligible to compete in each examination averaged about twelve. This is a condition which the Commission can not control. It has however, declined to hold examinations for the same position more than once each year.

On January 1, 1918, all open competitive examinations held prior to December 8, 1917, had been completed except that for court attendant held October 6, 1917. All promotion competitive examinations held prior to November 10, 1917, had been reported.

Classification

With the entrance of the United States into the war a considerable inroad was made into the civil service of the State and of counties already under civil service law and rules. The enactment of chapter 435 of the Laws of 1917, enabled employees who enlisted or who were drafted, to leave their positions without relinquishing their right to return thereto, and without loss of salary, as they must receive from the civil division in which they served the difference between their military pay and that allowed in the civil service.

These conditions led many to enlist, and considerable demand was made upon the eligible lists to fill the places suddenly vacated. According to the best information obtainable there were on January 1, 1918, 1,117 persons, not counting laborers, holding positions subject to the State civil service rules, who had entered the military service of the United States. The positions were in the Unclassified service, 11; Classified service, 1,106, of which 40 were exempt; 776 competitive; 290 non-competitive. As these persons have a continued relation to the service the Commission decided to carry their names in the Civil List and to indicate their

absence from employment by a star. To do this, however, and also to count their positions in the classification table, which is a part of this report, would show an unusual increase in the service. It was decided, therefore, to omit from the classification table the positions held by those who were absent on account of the war, calling attention to such omissions by an appropriate footnote.

On January 1, 1918, according to the records of the Commission there were 19,628 positions subject to the rules in the State, county and village service. This is a net decrease of 809 as compared with the record of January 1, 1917. During the year 1917 the unclassified service increased from 1,295 to 1,416, an increase of 121. The exempt class decreased from 1,488 to 1,478, a reduction of 10, the competitive class decreased from 11,102 to 10,405, a reduction of 697, and the non-competitive class decreased from 6,552 to 6,329, a reduction of 223, making a total decrease of 930.

The following table shows the increase and decrease in the State, county and village service:

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The changes in the exempt class during the year were as follows:

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* Estimated; not included in Civil List or classification table for January, 1917.

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