supplemented by a brief address by the Hon. George G. Davidson, Jr., of the Buffalo Civil Service Commission, on the same subject.' Papers were then read as follows: "Civil Service Reform in Philadelphia," by Fullerton L. Waldo, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Civil Service Reform Association." "The Prospect for Civil Service Reform in Michigan, by Professor John A. Fairlie of the University of Michigan." Mr. Burnham presented the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted: Resolved: That the thanks of the League at the close of this, its 27th annual meeting, are hereby tendered to the officers and members of the Buffalo Civil Service Reform Association, the Women's Civil Service Reform Association of Buffalo and the Buffalo Civil Service Commission for their hospitality and delightful entertainment. The League then adjourned. ELLIOT H. GOODWIN, A banquet to the visiting delegates was tendered by the Buffalo Association at the Ellicott Club at eight o'clock on Friday evening, November 8th. Mr. Ansley Wilcox, President of the Buffalo Association, presided. Addresses were made by Hon. Charles J. Bonaparte. J. N. Larned, R. W. Gilder, Chief of Police Regan, Fire Chief Murphy, Dr. A. V. V. Raymond, Fullerton L. Waldo and Hon. W. D. Foulke. During the meeting of the League the delegates were tendered a reception on Thursday afternoon at the Saturn Club. At the close of the meeting of the Council on Thursday morning, the members were tendered a luncheon at the Iroquois Hotel by the Buffalo Association and the Buffalo Commission; and on Saturday a luncheon was tendered to the members of the Council by Mr. Ansley Wilcox at his home. Printed in full at page 157; at page 160; at page 165. Treasurer. *Of which $175.31 is Special Fund of the Committee on Extension of Civil Service Reform. January 8, 1908. Audited and found correct. NELSON S. SPENCER. Committee. REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. TO THE NATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE REFORM LEAGUE: For the first time in a number of years, we have no extensions of the civil service rules in the national government to report, nor, on the other hand, has any class of employees been withdrawn. The last branch brought under the rules by executive action was that of the deputy collectors of internal revenue, just before our previous annual meeting, and this extension was there reported. We have since ascertained that the number in this class is 1,126. In this branch, newly brought under the rules, as well as in all other parts of the service, the law and rules generally have worked well, owing, as the national Civil Service Commission says, "to the increasing spirit of co-operation shown by the heads of executive departments and officers generally." In regard to the suppression of undue political activity among government employees, we note two mile stones as we progress. One is the policy established that no government employee even outside the competitive classified service shall, at the same time, hold an office in a party organization or allow his political work to interfere with his official duties. The other is the executive order giving the Civil Service Commission power to investigate cases of undue political activity of employees in the competitive classified service; among these employees no political activity is permitted. For instances of preventing the dual character of officeholders who are outside the civil service rules, last December, Mr. Collin H. Woodward, deputy surveyor of the port of New York, was required to resign either his public office or his party position as district leader of the 23d assembly district, New York City. Mr. Woodward resigned his public office. Before resigning, however, a salaried berth was found for him by his political friends, in the New York State service, as deputy superintendent of elections, there being no law against political activity in the New York State service. The other prominent case was that of C. Wesley Thomas, collector of the port of Philadelphia, who was elected to the party office of chairman of the Republican city committee of Philadelphia. The League protested and he was required to resign one or the other. He resigned his party position. To enable the Civil Service Commission to investigate within the competitive service, the President, at the request of the League, issued an amendment to the civil service rules, dated June 3, 1907, and since then five investigations have been successfully carried on by the Commission. In one important case, the deputy collector of internal revenue of Cumberland, Md., P. D. Cowden, Jr., resigned as chairman of his party county committee; in another, William R. Knight, Jr., on account of persistent political activity, was required to resign his office as shipping commissioner of the port of Philadelphia, and there were three more covering six individuals. The case of Mr. Knight is both instructive and humorous. He was appointed in 1903 to the then unclassified office of shipping commissioner, through Congressional influence, as a reward for his successful efforts in breaking up by force a convention of the Union Party in Philadelphia in 1902, his efforts in this direction resulting in great advantage to the regulars. This man had proved himself far too valuable to be left out in the cold, and so the local machine took him in as assistant to the city Bureau of Streets and Highways. In the words of GOOD GOVERNMENT, "Federal or Municipal, shipping commissioner or assistant superintendent of streets, marine or inland duties, a job's a job for a' that!" Last April, Mr. Archie Sanders was requested by the President to resign from the office of collector of internal revenue at Rochester, New York, on account of undue political activity in opposition to Governor Hughes, his activities amounting to neglect of his official duties. This request for resignation was asked for neither by Governor Hughes nor by any one authorized by him. Mr. Archie Sanders is still in his office and no successor is selected, and perhaps he may be allowed to remain, but it is rumored that he is still allowing his political activities to interfere with his official duties. If this should prove to be the case his removal is most desirable. This brings us to the consideration of the whole subject of the political status of Senate-confirmed officers. These include postmasters with salaries of over $1,000 a year, collectors of customs and internal revenues, district attorneys, United States marshals, etc. President Cleveland's order against undue political activity is still in force; but, from the beginning, when President Cleveland removed Mr. Benton, a Democrat, and Mr. Stone, a Republican, in 1886, from their positions as district attorneys, the situation has been most unsatisfactory. Political activity is likely to loom up as interfering much more with official duties when it is exercised against the interests or wishes of an administration. It is then that the President's friends are likely to call his attention to it. Benton, the Democrat, was reinstated by President Cleveland, and Stone, the Republican, remained out of office. Officers of this class have, for at least 75 years, been appointed practically on the recommendation of members of Congress of the President's party, and have been considered as political agents of Senators and Representatives, paid. by the government. President Roosevelt introduced a system of veto of unsuitable recommendation for appointment, and this has been one step in advance, but is only a step. Just how far these officials, who have been appointed for political reasons, and who are expected to do some political work, may go, without its amounting to neglect of official duties, it is almost impossible to decide; and the President of the United States neither has the time himself, nor is he furnished with the machinery, to make thorough investigations. President Roosevelt has established the policy, as already shown, not to allow such officials to hold positions at the same time in their party organizations. They must resign either one place or the other. This is a defi |