Suspension of the Rule Requiring Competition Under the provisions of section 15, paragraph 2, of the Civil Service Law, the Commission, upon satisfactory evidence that for specified reasons competition in cases where peculiar and exceptional qualifications are required is impracticable and that the position can be best filled by the selection of some designated person of high and recognized attainments in such qualities, may suspend the rule requiring competition. This authority has been exercised in seven cases during the year, and five of these relate to appointees of the State Food Commission. The persons appointed without competitive examination under the section of the law referred to are as follows: John W. Titcomb, Lydonville, Vt., Fish Culturist, Conservation Commission, March 1, 1917, $4,000. Mr. Titcomb was for many years connected with the bureau of fisheries of the United State Government, and served for sometime as fish and game commissioner of Vermont. John C. McGuire, New York, N. Y., Construction Engineer, Commission on New Prisons, April 16, 1917, $6,000. Mr. McGuire had been employed as construction engineer, supervising architect's department, United States Government, and had been engaged in extensive construction work in New York city. Such services covered approximately twenty-five years. George L. Bennett, New York, N. Y., Assistant Director in charge of Food Investigation, State Food Commission, December 3, 1917, $4,500. Mr. Bennett had served as chief efficiency engineer in the office of the Commissioner of Accounts, New York city. He had made a study of market conditions and drafted that part of the report of the Mayor's Market Commission relating to marketing, published in December, 1913. P. A. Johann, New York, N. Y., Assistant Director, in charge of Bureau of Complaints, State Food Commission, December 12, 1917, $4,500. Mr. Johann is a graduate of the New York Law School, and had studied accounting, auditing and system installation under certified public accountants. Just previously to his appointment in the State service he was chief examiner on the staff of the Commissioner of Accounts of the city of New York, being in charge of the complaint bureau. He had also been employed for eight years as assistant to the auditor of the College of the City of New York. Blanche R. McDonald, New York, N. Y., Assistant Director, Bureau of Publicity and Information, State Food Commission, December 13, 1917, $2,400. Miss McDonald had had about six years' newspaper experience as a special writer and during 1917 was publicity director for the children's war relief fund. She had given personal study to food problems and had assisted in food educational work. Frederick E. Breithut, New York, N. Y., Director of Food Conservation, State Food Commission, December 13, 1917, $4,000. Mr. Breithut had been an assistant professor of chemistry, and chief of the divisions of municipal chemistry and food chemistry, College of the City of New York. He was chemist for the New York State Factory Investigating Committee in 1912, and had been a lecturer on food and chemistry under the New York City Board of Education since 1910. Dr. Breithut is the author of several publications relating to food chemistry and allied subjects. Floyd W. Fiske, New York city, Assistant Director in charge of Trade Committees for Price Interpretation, State Food Commission, December 13, 1917, $4,500. Mr. Fiske was employed for several years by the United States Express Company and thereby acquired a knowledge of many phases of express transportation business, involved in the distribution of food stuffs and other commodities throughout the United States. He also was conversant with Federal and State control regulations of common carriers, and his duties had often involved technical interpretation of laws and regulations. Mr. Fiske assisted the Interstate Commerce Commission in its nation-wide investigation of express rates, and the relation of these to the Parcel Post Service. Grading of Civil Engineering Positions A standard classification and grading of engineering positions was adopted and became effective April 1, 1917, applicable to positions under the Commission of Highways and the State Engineer and Surveyor. The groups and grades are as follows: Group A- Engineering Assistant In this group are included: Grade 1. Axeman, chainman, tracer, salary range: $720, $780, $840, $900, $980, $1,020, $1,080. Group B-Junior Assistant Engineer In this group are included: Grade 1. Rodman, junior assistant, engineer, tracer, salary range: $1,200, $1,320, $1,440. Grade 2. Leveler, junior engineer, bridge draftsman, engineering draftsman, mechanical draftsman, bridge designer, salary range: $1,560, $1,680, $1,800. Group C In this group are included: Assistant Engineer Grade 1. Mechanical engineer and draftsman, assistant engineer, salary range: ($1,680), ($1,800), $1,980, ($2,004), $2,160. Grade 2. Bridge designer, assistant engineer, salary range: ($2,208), $2,340, $2,580. Group D Senior Assistant Engineer In this group are included: Grade 1. Assistant engineer, resident engineer, assistant Grade 2. Bridge designer, salary range: $3,300, $3,540. In this group are included: Grade 1. Highway inspector, inspector of construction, inspector of masonry, inspector of public works, fore man of borings, salary range: $960, ($1,104), $1,260, ($1,416). This classification and grading resulted in a large reduction in the number of titles; uniform groups and grades; per annum compensation for each employee; elimination of inequalities as to compensation for the same class of work, and a standard rate of pay for all persons employed, with promotions to fixed amounts under the same conditions; ready exchange of employees between departments because of standardization of positions and salaries. Promotions are made as follows, provided that a person must have been continuously employed in a position, the duties of which are such as would naturally and properly fit him to perform the duties of the position to which he seeks promotion: From Group A to the minimum salary of Group B upon written competitive examination open to those who have served in the group at least one year. From Group B to the minimum salary of Group C upon written competitive examination open to those who have served in Group B at least three years, or one year and six months in Grade 2 of Group B. From Group C to the minimum salary of Group D upon written competitive examination open to those who have served at least three years in Group C or one year at the maximum salary of said group. Promotions from the maximum salary of Grade 1 to the minimum salary of Grade 2, under Groups B, C and D, will be allowed from special promotion eligible lists based on efficiency ratings of those who have served in appropriate positions for at least six months. When there is no promotion list and no one eligible for promotion in the respective groups or grades, original appointments shall be made from eligible lists established as the result of open competitive examination at the lowest salary of the grade in which the vacancy exists. Rates of salary included in parenthesis are temporary. This standardization of engineering positions is along the lines recommended by the Senate Civil Service Committee, whose report was made after many months' careful study and numerous conferences in which representatives of the Highway Commission, State Engineer and Surveyor, and Civil Service Commission participated. By eliminating the multiplicity of titles, broadening the scope within each grade, fixing definite rates of pay on an annual basis, thus removing the inequalities existing where daily, monthly and yearly rates were used, and by simplifying transfers where desired from one department to another, it is believed that a great improvement has been made, not only so far as the members of the department are concerned but also as affecting the interests of the State. . It is hoped by the Commission that this grading of engineering positions may extend in the near future to employees in the Bronx Parkway Commission and Conservation Commission. Extension of the service; county nurses. Chapter 469, Laws of 1917, provides among other things, that the board of managers of a county tuberculosis hospital shall employ a county nurse or nurses if it deems necessary, for the discovery of tuberculosis cases and for the visitation of such cases and of patients discharged from the hospital, and for such other duties as may seem appropriate. The Charities Aid Association urged that these nurses be appointed only after competitive examination open to residents of the State. As the service of only eighteen counties was subject to the civil service rules, it was decided to recommend that the rules be extended to the position of county or visiting nurse |