No. completing examination. 77 7 2 4 No. completing examination 77 result proving quite satisfactory to the examining board. The general features of the competition may be tabulated as follows: Test of memory of orders Test of faculty of observation. 17 Habits and bearing. 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. years. Of candidates for janitors, thirty-seven years. Of candidates for messengers, twenty-five years. EDUCATION. The following tabulated statement will show the grades of educational training of those who succeeded at the several competitive examinations: Colle school. demic. giate. 11 11 9 28 10 5 15 3 1 1 2 3 3 20 19 2 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. Where the law looks to the appointment of those graded highest as the result of competition as the rule, and pass" appointments as the exception, this seems to be a very large number selected from the non-competitive schedule. It should be observed, however, that of this number those temporarily appointed as guards at Elmira, pending the competitive examinations, the inspectors appointed by the former excise board of New York and the changes in the personel of inspectors since the incoming of the present board constitute one-half of the appointments in this schedule for the year. Besides these seventy health officers have been examined, sixty of whom were found qualified. POSITIONS IN SCHEDULE D. Three hundred and forty-five subordinate positions in the State institutions have been filled as the result of examinations held under Schedule D. INSPECTIONS. As the representative of the Commission I have visited all the State institutions with a single exception, and I have found occasion to hold personal consultation with the officers of several of them more than once since the date of my appointment. I have heretofore reported to the Commission in writing the result of my observations. By examination of records, an inspection of the actual work of employes and by free and full discussions with those in charge of these institutions, I am satisfied that they are managed in the main with intelligence, zeal in the right direction and in cordial sympathy with the efforts of the Commission to secure for the State the best service attainable. I have also made frequent calls on the State officers at Albany, sometimes at their request, but more frequently on my own motion, to ascertain among other things if in any way the action of the Commission could aid them in improving the service immediately under their charge. CONCLUSIONS. That the introduction of the merit system would be surrounded by grave difficulties and met with obstructions hard to remove, was well known by those who succeeded in giving concrete form and the force of law to the reform ideas of a better civil service. It is not my purpose in this report of my work as your chief examiner to discuss the merits or the practical value of the system. The report of the Commission contains the soundest arguments for the substitution of competitive methods for all others allowed by law, in the appointment of those who are needed in the ordinary service of the State. You have also urged changes in the general law of appropriations, the enactment of which would greatly facilitate the practical workings of a good service. From time to time it has been my duty to suggest such changes in the rules as experience demonstrated were wise and expedient, and in closing this report, permit me to thank you and you associates of the Commission for the consideration given to every suggestion of mine, and for the uniform kindness extended to me at all times. I desire also to express my appreciation of the intelligent and valuable aid rendered me by the general examining board at Albany, and by the special boards of examiners throughout the State, with whom I have been associated during the year. Respectfully submitted, JAMES E. MORRISON, [Assembly, No. 34.] 5 APPENDIX B. Additions to and transfers in the schedules and classification from January 1, 1886. SCHEDULE A. Class 1, subdivision 2.- Secretary to New York board of excise, chief clerk, inspector general; confidential inspector of school building, department of public instruction; resident and division engineers, department State engineer. SCHEDULE C. Class 11-Corporation tax clerk office, State treasurer; law clerk, department of public instruction; one law clerk and one application clerk, board of excise; one assistant to second deputy and one brief clerk, office of attorney-general; assistant clerks in State prisons. AMENDMENTS TO RULES. Resolved, That the names of persons on the eligible lists or registers on the thirty-first day of March, 1885, may be retained thereon for the purpose of appointment for two years from the time of their examination instead of one year as provided by Rule XIX. (Approved, April 9, 1886.) The following is substituted in lieu of Rule XLIV: "Persons who have been honorably discharged from the army or navy of the United States in the late war, and whose qualifications and fitness have been ascertained under these rules, by competitive examination, shall be preferred for appointments to positions in the Civil Service of the State over all other persons, though graded lower than the others so examined, and the persons thus preferred shall not be disqualified from holding any position in the Civil Service on account of their age nor by reason of any physical disability, provided such age or disability does not render them incompetent to perform the duties of the position applied for. When not more than three honorably discharged soldiers or sailors, whose qualifications and fitness have been ascertained by competitive examination under the rules, shall be on the eligible list at the time a requisition shall be made for an appointment, the names of all such soldiers or sailors with a specification of their respective grades in such examination, shall be certified to the appointing officer, but when more than three names of such honorably discharged soldiers or sailors shall be on the eligible list, |