The number of candidates appearing in open competitive examinations is the largest in the history of the Commission. The statistics for the last seven years are as follows: The largest new examinations held during the year were those for the Kings county service, made necessary by the statutes of 1901 changing the Kings county clerk's, register's and sheriff's offices from a fee to a salary basis, and thereby transferring a large number of positions from the exempt to the competitive class. As the questions of classification of the statutory places had not been settled and as the Commission ruled that the former incumbents of places under the fee system could not be continued and the positions would have to be filled by original appointment, an attempt was made to supply eligible lists for all positions that would probably fall in the competitive class. Examinations were held on January 25th for bookkeeper, clerk, custodian and messenger in the county offices generally, docket clerk and equity clerk in the county clerk's office, special clerk and custodian of map room in the register's office, assistant clerk and equity clerk in the sheriff's office, and bookkeeper, keeper, matron and van driver in the county jail. For these positions 1112 candidates were examined and the eligible lists reported from time to time up to April 16th. On March 15th examinations were held for assistant deputy sheriff, and deputy warden of jail, at which thirty candidates were examined. I made personally several visits to the county offices, having conferences with the heads of the offices, their counsel, deputies and various employees. In spite of the lack of reliable information as to the duties of the various positions due to the inexperience of those in authority and to the great haste necessary in the preparation of these examinations, I believe that the questions were excellent for their purpose and that the eligible lists would have furnished the best candidates for the positions involved almost without exception. The county officers, except the county clerk, refused in most cases to make their appointments from the lists, preferring to appeal to the courts for a ruling as to the validity of the classification. From the county clerk and register, who made in all about sixty appointments from the lists, we have had repeated expressions of satisfaction and no complaints concerning the efficiency of the persons appointed. Other new examinations held during the year were for draughtsman in the state paleontologist's office, associates in clinical psychiatry and in neuro-pathology in the pathological institute, inspector of highway work, special agent in the department of public works, tailor and cutter in the Erie county penitentiary, assistant in photographic chemistry in the cancer laboratory at Buffalo, instructor in engraving, typewriter in the office of Queens county commissioner of jurors, preparator in the state paleontologist office, matron in the Erie county jail, assistant Bertillon indexer, deputy mine inspector, assistant superintendent in houses of refuge for women, marine engineer, bacteriologist, assistant engineer and foreman for the Richmond county park commission, instructors in steam and gas fitting and in shoemaking. Besides these, the usual number of general and technical examinations have been called. A complete list of the examinations for the year is given in the appendix. Many examinations have had to be repeated during the year on account of the small number of applicants. The continued prosperity of the country and general increase in wages and cost of living make many of the salaries paid by the state seem ridiculously small, and it is hard to find sufficient qualified applicants for such positions. The positions for which examinations have been repeated, with the number of examinations held for each, are: Physician, third grade. Stenographer, first, second and third grades. Instructor in printing... Page Architectural draughtsman Engineering draughtsman Assistant electrical engineer... Matron, Erie county jail.... Number of examinations. 5 3 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 23 3 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 Medical and physical examinations for guard, keeper and similar positions have been continued, and the superintendents and wardens of prisons and reformatories report that they consider this feature an important supplement to the mental examination for such employees. Appropriations The funds for the examination division for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1902, are accounted for as follows: |