goes by favor. Indeed it is a favor to be able to get the President's ear for any particular charity claim, and thousands of others equally deserving must go unheard. We feel that we must protest against many of these exceptions, as setting a precedent which may be followed. to a still greater extent hereafter. Should we fail to protest now, we might be estopped from protesting then. We recommend a rule that at least no exceptions be made simply because the appointee is a relative or connection of a former officeholder, or upon charitable or sentimental grounds. It might also be a good idea to publish the number of exceptions requested by each of the several heads of departments, because some have made many requests, and others have made none. Some have tried to keep to the rules, even at considerable temporary inconvenience.

It often is possible to explain to capable persons the nature of the examinations, to remove their objections to entering them; how, for example, in the higher grades for scientific positions requiring executive and organizing ability, the tests used consist chiefly in an inquiry into the education, training and experience of the applicants, and in finding out what they have done to exhibit the possession of the required faculties. One Cabinet officer may take such a course while another may find it easier just to ask for exceptions. Sometimes, when there is no eligible list, a non-competitive examination would be sufficient under the law, but a Cabinet officer may find it easier to ask for a special order than to have his candidate submitted to examination. If the record of each department were kept separately, and the reasons for the exceptions asked for properly classified, we might still further diminish the number of requests for unnecessary special exceptions. By a letter dated Feb. 28, 1906, addressed to the heads of departments, the President expressed his urgent wish to diminish the number of special exemptions asked for, but this request has been more honored in the breach than the observance.

Turning our eyes for a moment towards Congress, we are glad to report that it has increased the salaries of the Civil Service Commissioners. We wish, however,

the increase had been larger. It was only from $3,500 to $4,000. The salary of these Commissioners should be made at least $5,000. The appropriation for travelling expenses has been increased from $8,500 to $11,000. Congress failed as usual to pass any legislation to extend the civil service rules to the service of the District of Columbia. This legislation is recommended by the Commissioners of the District, and also by the Civil Service Commission.

The growing confidence of Congress in the reform of the civil service could not be better emphasized than by the proviso attached to an appropriation of $150,000 for an investigation into the conditions of labor of workingmen and children, which is as follows: "No part of this appropriation shall be expended for the employment of any person in making said investigation who is not now in the employment of the government or hereafter regularly appointed after competitive examination and certified through the Civil Service Commission." This was wholly voluntary, not even being suggested by any civil service reform organization.

Coming next to the Civil Service Commission itself, in our last report we noted with regret our loss in the resignation of the Hon. Alford W. Cooley, to take the appointment of Assistant Attorney-General. Hon. John Avery McIlhenny has since been appointed in Mr. Cooley's place. During the spring and early summer, Mr. McIlhenny, himself a Southerner, visited every Southern state in order to interest them in the reform, and to induce more from those states to enter the examinations. He saw governors, superintendents of public instruction, presidents of educational institutions, etc., made addresses, and had interviews published in the local papers. He endeavored to disabuse their minds of the popular delusion that none but Republicans need apply. He secured co-operation from school authorities, new courses are to be established to fit persons for the examinations, and it is believed that the quotas of those states will be more nearly filled than in the past. Much indirect good will also be accomplished.

As already stated, the investigations into the undue

political activity of classified competitive employees under the new rules have been carried out with success.

The tests for fitness are always worthy of notice. The element of time has been introduced in certain clerical examinations in order that quickness should count in the marking as well as accuracy.

It has sometimes been supposed that it takes longer to fill places under the civil service rules than by the old methods. During the Spanish War this argument availed for exempting by statute the extra emergency employees in the War Department, though, as a matter of fact, it took far longer to fill these places than it has taken the Commission to fill a larger number of similar positions. These positions were clerical.

But we have recently an illustration of how well the Commission has been able to fill higher and more responsible positions in large numbers with great rapidity. It was proposed, under the meat inspection bill in Congress, to exempt the inspectors. Owing to the opposition of the President, the Civil Service Commission, the League, and others, to that proposition, the inspectors were kept under the civil service rules. We are glad to state that 2,496 persons were examined in 200 places in the country, almost immediately after receiving notice from the Department of Agriculture, and in 26 days from receiving this notice 50 names were certified, and in a few days more all the rest, 825 in all, to the satisfaction of the department as expressed in a letter to the Civil Service. Commission.

As to the civil service at large throughout the country and dependencies, we note that the Philippine Commission has been reorganized into a subordinate administrative bureau, which appears to us to be a change of, to say the least, very doubtful wisdom.

In Porto Rico a civil service law has been passed by the legislature, and was approved by the Governor March 14, to take effect January 1, 1908. It is of limited application, as it does not extend to the municipalities. The insular police force and teachers in the public schools are exempt from the provisions of the rules, but in each case they are subject to a modified competitive system created

by special laws. Mr. Harry C. Coles, formerly an employee of the Federal Civil Service Commission as chief of the rural carrier division, has been selected as chairman and chief examiner of the Porto Rican Civil Service Commission.

The Governor of Colorado, on March 30th, signed a civil service law applying to state institutions and to the employees of the Commission itself, and to such cities as by popular vote would adopt its provisions. On the first commission two well-known civil service reformers have been appointed, Mr. Van Kleeck, its chairman, being a member of the Council of the national League.

In Illinois the various attempts to extend the state law have failed; but some changes improving the law, however, passed the legislature. The platform of the Republican party contained a pledge for the extension of the present Cook County civil service law; but, although the Republicans were in control, no such law was enacted.

The proposed new charter for the city of Chicago was defeated by popular vote. Chicago, by popular vote, had already adopted a civil service reform law. This new charter did away with the system of trial before removal, but there were many other matters in the charter beside its civil service provisions, and this provision was misrepresented by the opponents of the charter as a method of restoring the civil service to political control.

We have this year yet another instance of how the people of the middle west are appreciating the reform. The city of Springfield, Illinois, by a majority of two to one, voted to come under the provisions of the general civil service law of 1895, the same law adopted by the citizens of Chicago.

Three sessions of the New Jersey legislature were held this year. An excellent civil service law, introduced by Senator Colby, after being considerably amended, was defeated in its final passage during the closing hours of the first session, owing to the defection of some of its alleged supporters. Governor Stokes, in his message to the legislature, had advocated the passage of such a bill. At the second session the Governor repeated his message as to the civil service law; but this bill met with practic

ally the same fate as the similar bill in the first session. Public sentiment, however, has been aroused in the state of New Jersey as never before, and both the Democratic and Republican parties have a civil service plank in their platforms, a wholly new feature of party platforms in New Jersey, and the Republican candidate for Governor, just elected, has advocated the law.

In Iowa, Governor Cummins recommended to the legislature the adoption of a civil service law. No such law, however, passed. The city of Des Moines adopted a commission form of government, containing stringent civil service provisions.

In Michigan four civil service bills were introduced at the last session of the legislature. One bill was modelled after the New Jersey bill and applied to the state, county and city service. Another applied to the county service, and two bills proposed civil service systems for the city of Detroit. All the bills failed. The constitutional convention to revise the constitution of the state of Michigan is now being held, and there is considerable agitation for the enactment of a civil service provision.

As to the State of Connecticut, the City Council of the city of Hartford proposed an amendment to the charter, providing a civil service system. The amendment was introduced into the legislature, but did not pass. New Britain had a precisely similar experience with its civil service amendments.

In Massachusetts the bill allowing the application of civil service rules to some of the higher municipal offices failed to pass; but, on the other hand, the Spanish War Veterans Preference bill, opposed by the Civil Service Reform Association, was defeated in the legislature, though by only a narrow margin.

Turning next to Ohio we see, in Cincinnati, an independent movement, known as the Cincinnati Voters' League, has been started, and the establishment of a merit system is among its chief objects; and in Columbus the Board of Trade intends to work at the coming session of the legislature for a civil service law applying to every city of the state; and in Cleveland the Chamber of Commerce is investigating this same question.