suggested in the Commission's report of two years ago might be tried, and the preparation and rating of examination papers and the supervision of examinations be placed in the hands of the principal of the local high school as ex-officio chief examiner for the local commission, and examinations held yearly for all positions in the competitive class at a time and place fixed not less than thirty days in advance of the examination, of which public notice should be given in all the local newspapers. Such a method, it would seem, would ensure adequate competition by candidates for the positions to be filled, something which is often lacking in examinations as now conducted in the cities mentioned. If municipal regulation or ownership of public utilities is to be extended, as now seems to be the tendency, it is important that steps be taken to remove the resulting large increase of public positions from consideration as party spoils and to make the selection and retention of their incumbents solely dependent upon ascertained fitness. Without the safeguards afforded by the Civil Service law, the growing army of employees would have in it possibilities of grave danger. The disposition now in evidence to curb the collection of gigantic campaign funds by political parties and to protect officials and corporations from "assessment” for partisan purposes, suggests that the safeguard of publicity, now applied to candidates for elective office and perhaps to be applied to campaign committees, might be profitably extended so as to include all employees under the State government. This could be attained by an amendment of the Civil Service law requiring the filing by each such employee, with the receipt for the January salary instalment, of a statement setting forth the amount of the contributions, if any, direct or indirect, made for political purposes by said employee during the preceding year. This would operate, not to check voluntary and legitimate contributions to party funds, but to prevent the enforced and unlawful assessment for political ends of persons in the service of the State government. Appendices. In the appendices which follow this report will be found the report of the chief examiner and the statistical tables concerning examinations, appointments, removals, resignations, etc.; also table showing the number of positions classified in each department and institution with the exception of laborers, revised municipal civil service rules, amendments to municipal civil service rules, amendments to the State civil service rules and regulations, special reports, court decisions, rulings of the Commission, and roster of State and county employees. Conclusion. The Commission, in concluding this report, desires to express its appreciation of the assistance it has received from AttorneyGeneral Mayer and his deputy, Mr. Horace McGuire, and also from Mr. Nelson S. Spencer, of the Civil Service Reform Association, in the matter of the litigations herein referred to. It also extends its especial thanks to Dr. James H. Canfield, Librarian of Columbia University, and to Dr. Herbert Putnam, of the Library of Congress at Washington, who cooperated with the Commission's Chief Examiner, Mr. Charles S. Fowler, in passing on the fitness of candidates for appointment to positions in the State Library. To the newspapers, for their gratuitous advertising of the recurring examinations, it is also indebted. Respectfully submitted. CHARLES F. MILLIKEN, JOHN E. KRAFT, ROSCOE C. E. BROWN, State Civil Service Commission. 1 REPORTS OF THE STATE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONERS OF THEIR INQUIRY AS TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW AND RULES IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK 2 REMOVAL OF MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF TROY AND APPOINTMENT OF THEIR SUCCESSORS 3 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER BROWN TO THE COMMISSION ON THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 10 OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW, RELATIVE TO REMOVAL AND AP- 1 ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION AND THE SEVERAL BOARDS OF EXAMINERS APPOINTED BY AND 2 LIST OF COMMISSIONERS, CHIEF EXAMINERS AND SECRETARIES SINCE THE ENACTMENT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW, MAY 4, 3 TABLE SHOWING THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS IN THE UNCLASSI- 2 STATEMENT OF APPOINTMENTS, REINSTATEMENTS, RESIGNA- 1 REVISED CIVIL SERVICE RULES FOR THE CITIES OF MIDDLETOWN, MOUNT VERNON, TROY AND YONKERS APPROVED APPENDIX A 1 REPORTS OF THE STATE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONERS OF THEIR INQUIRY AS TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW AND RULES IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK 2 REMOVAL OF MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF TROY AND APPOINTMENT OF THEIR SUCCESSORS 3 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER BROWN TO THE COMMISSION. ON THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 10 OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW RELATIVE TO REMOVAL AND AP- |