Report of the Committee on Consular Reform... 37,99 form in Dependencies... 38, 102 of Chicago-Mr. Robert Catherwood........ 36, 107 PAPERS AND ADDRESSES: The Administration of the Civil Service Law in 38, 144 -38, 149 The Merit System and the Census-Hon. E. 38, 155 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE REFORM LEAGUE. DECEMBER 9 AND 10, 1909. URSUANT to a call duly issued, the Twenty-ninth Annual Meeting of the National Civil Service Reform League was held at New York City, N. Y., the 9th and 10th of December, 1909. The following delegates from Civil Service Reform Associations and Auxiliaries were in attendance during the several sessions: ALLEGHENY COUNTY: Bishop Cortlandt Whitehead, A. Leo Weil, John D. Meyer. BUFFALO: Frederic Almy, Ansley Wilcox, John B. Olmsted. CHICAGO: Robert Catherwood. CONNECTICUT: Charles G. Morris, William S. Pardee, Gen. William A. Aiken, Prof. Henry W. Farnam. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: John Joy Edson. INDIANA: Harry J. Milligan. LUZERNE COUNTY: A. B. Farquhar. MARYLAND: William H. Pekins, James W. Bowers, Hon. Charles J. Bonaparte, Summerfield Baldwin, John Philip Hill. MASSACHUSETTS: R. H. Dana, S. Y. Nash, Charles W. Eliot, Morrill Wyman, Jr., James P. Tolman, Arthur H. Brooks, John Reed, Harvey S. Chase. NEW JERSEY: Edward K. Sumerwell. NEW YORK: Eldridge L. Adams, Everett P. Wheeler, H. W. Hardon, Col. Silas W. Burt, Hon. George McAneny, Charles W. McCandless, John H. Thomas, Charles C. Burlingham, Elliot H. Goodwin, Albert de Roode, Charles B. Marble, Samuel H. Ordway, Nelson S. Spencer, Edward Cary, Rev. Leander T. Chamberlain, Charles Collins, Horace E. Deming, Dr. A. Jacobi, Russell H. Loines, Francis H. Kinnicutt, Philip J. McCook, Felix Frankfurter, C. Whitney Dall, R. R. Bowker, Camillus G. Kidder. PENNSYLVANIA: Robert D. Jenks, Cyrus D. Foss, Jr., George Burnham, Jr., R. Francis Wood, John B. Roberts, Clinton Rogers Woodruff, Walter Wood, Henry C. Niles, W. Henry Sutton. MASSACHUSETTS AUXILIARY: Miss Marian C. Nichols, Miss Margaret Norton. MARYLAND AUXILIARY: Mrs. Summerfield Baldwin, Mrs. Eli Strouse, Mrs. Albert Sioussat. NEW YORK AUXILIARY: Miss Jean Disbrow, Mrs. W. H. Schieffelin, Miss A. Schurz, Mrs. R. C. E. Brown, Mrs. St. Clair McKelway, Mrs. Everett P. Wheeler, Mrs. Felix Adler, Mrs Stewart Hartshorn, Mrs. S. Carman Harriot and Mrs. George McAneny. In response to invitations issued by the League to municipal reform associations and to other bodies interested in the reform of the civil service, delegates were present from such organizations as follows: BUFFALO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE: Frederic Almy. UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION: M. F. O'Donoghue, Dr. Llewellyn Jordan. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS: Mrs. Imogen B. Oakley. NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POSTMASTERS OF THE FOURTH CLASS: A. K. Hoag, W. S. Bartholomew, W. O. Bock. BOARD OF TRADE, PASSAIC, N. J.: Mason R. Strong. INVITED GUESTS: Hon. E. Dana Durand, John C. Birdseye, Charles F. Milliken, Gardner Colby, Francis Almy, Dr. G. H. Herst, John T. Doyle, William S. Washburn, Frank L. Polk, Frank A. Spencer, George D. Davidson, Joseph C. Mason, F. E. Doty, C. E. Buell, Harry C. Coles, A. K. Hoag. THE MEETINGS OF THE LEAGUE. HE headquarters of the League during the meeting were at the City Club, New York City. The proceedings at the sessions of the League, commencing on the afternoon of December 9th, were as follows: THE FIRST SESSION. City Club, Thursday afternoon, December 9th. HE League convened at 3.15 p. m. President Eliot presided. The minutes of the last Annual Meeting having been printed and distributed, their reading was omitted. Hon. Charles H. Strong, President of the City Club, delivered an address of welcome,' to which President Eliot made response. Mr. Richard H. Dana, Chairman of the Council, then read the report of the Council.* Upon motion of Mr. Bonaparte, the report was accepted and ordered published. The following reports from Associations composing the League were then read: Mr. John D. Meyer, submitted the report from the Civil Service Association of Allegheny County: When the civil service act applicable to Pittsburgh was passed in 1907, municipal civil service was practically unknown in this community. The past year has seen a remarkable development in the knowledge of the subject throughout the whole territory. Public opinion now demands a full and fair enforcement of the laws already passed and by the time the next legislative campaign opens we believe that most of the candidates will be compelled to espouse the cause of state civil service. In December 1908 Wm. A. Magee in announcing his candidacy for the office of Mayor declared for the "merit system" in unequivocal terms. The Voter's League, and our Association through its officers and members kept after him, so that in nearly every public address he redeclared himself in favor of the letter and the spirit of the law. Mr. Magee's earnestness convinced a majority of the people of his fitness for the position and he was elected by a substantial majority over the "reform" candidate, an old time civil service advocate. But it was a victory for the better element of the community because every proposed reform was supported by Mr. Magee. Upon his inauguration he appointed a new civil service commission consisting of the political writers of two newspapers and for the minority member one of the members of the old commission. Fortunately, several attempts to act outside of the law have acted as boomerangs to the present administration in that they gave the criticising element of the city a splendid opportunity to accuse the mayor of bad faith. One prominent member of the cabinet has laid himself open to criminal prosecution but no active steps have been taken to prosecute. In the choice of a census supervisor for Allegheny County there has been a great contest. The politicians favored an avowed ringster, a man who at one time declared President Roosevelt was crazy. Mr. Durand chose Prof. A. H. Willett instructor in economics at the Carnegie Technical Schools for the position but his commission has not as yet been issued at the request of Senator Oliver, who is now trying to compel the appointment of a compromise candidate. The chamber of commerce as well as this association, took formal action in favor of Mr. Willett and many busi ness men sent their protests directly to the President, but no decision has as yet been made. The membership of the association is now 1026 and the interest in the work does not seem to be lagging although, of course, being young, the financial support is not all that could be desired. During the year seventeen formal trials have been conducted before the civil service commission by the attor |