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stant employment for either of these purposes is necessary in an office, a practical knowledge of these arts is sought for to be used when required, in connection with fitness for other duties. Hence an applicant for the service who adds to his fitness for clerical duties a knowledge of the modern appliances of stenography and telegraphy, is a better qualified man for the service, and far more likely to be selected for important and well-paid positions than those without such knowlenge. It becomes a matter of practical importance, therefore, to those who aspire to the public service to acquaint themselves with stenography and telegraphy, in addition to arithmetic, book-keeping, and other elementary knowledge, if they would have the complete qualifications that the public service invites.

PROGRESS OF THE REFORM.

More substantial progress has marked the reform the past year than in any preceding year since its inception. The partially veiled hostility of some of the larger cities seems to have disapappeared, and a general acquiescence has succeeded, that appears to be sincere and cordial. New York and Brooklyn have maintained their honorable distinction as pioneers in applying the reform methods, and the city of Buffalo has, under the lead of its Mayor, with the active support of its foremost citizens, made such great advance as to stand abreast with the two leading cities. The cities of Rochester, Syracuse and Troy have also shown commendable interest and acquiescence in the system, and warm approval of the reform methods and the results produced come to the Commission from all those cities.

The press also shows an increasing interest in the reform and in sustaining it as the best safeguard of our republican institutions, and a necessary protection to our higher officials. Many of the leading journals of both parties have given valuable support to the reform, and advocated its principles and methods with intelligence and vigor.

Among professional men also, notably clergymen, lawyers, and civil engineers, strong support is given to the reform. And what may be justly regarded as of more importance and promise, members of labor unions have engaged in discussions of the subject and commended the reform as opening a way for poor and unfriended merit to find recognition and enter the public service,

The sentiment in favor of the reform is wide-spread, and finds expression in various quarters, and often with great clearness and force.

A paper read before the State Stenographers' Association, in August last, by George R. Bishop, Esq., of New York, is so apposite, and exhibits such clear conceptions of the reform and its benefits to the service, as to warrant a quotation from it. Mr. Bishop remarks: "As ought now to be well understood, the theory of Civil Service Reform is, to secure such competent and faithful public servants that the work of administration may be carried on in the most honest and intelligent manner; this end to be secured by a proper system of examinations to test the fitness of each applicant; then, when the selection shall have been made, and the one selected is found to be honest and capable, to retain him; to promote him, as vacancies occur or new positions open, as he shall have shown himself worthy to be promoted, insisting merely that he refrain from active political partisan efforts; protecting him from political assessments, and against dismissal from office except for cause; in other words, to have a class of public servants who shall be just as efficient and experienced as are the employes and officers of a large private establishment or a well-managed railroad corporation, and in no greater danger of capricious and unwarranted dismissal; to import into the public service the business principles, rules and practices which, among corporations and individual concerns, have shown us our great financial successes. Obviously, the system of changing officers periodically; of dismissing one just as soon as he has made himself familiar with his duties and the most expeditious mode of performing them; of putting a man through a course of apprenticeship, and then, just as he has finished it and has become. a full-grown workman, turning him adrift—such a system, one would suppose, would seem intolerably absurd to any thinking citizen, at least to any who are able to comprehend the highly complicated and delicate duties which some of these officers ate expected to perform; so that any argument against it ought to be unnecessary."

In other States, particularly in Maryland, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio, animated discussion has taken place, and earnest convictions exist in favor of the reform, and hopes are entertained that statutes

may be enacted inaugurating the merit system, and abrogating the abuses of patronage.

In Massachusetts a severe struggle has occurred, but the firmness of the executive maintained the merit system despite the inconsiderate attempt to overthrow it. A change in that State, assimilating the system to that of New York by separating the administration of the State and municipal service, is not unlikely to occur, and will result in advantage to the reform, and popularize it more fully.

PREFERENCE FOR VETERANS.

Chapter 29 of the Laws of 1886, which took effect on the first day of March, gave a preference in certification and appointment to honorably discharged Union soldiers and sailors who may pass a competitive examination, over civilians, upon the eligible lists. The rules for the State Service were promptly amended to conform to the provisions of this act, and the same rule in substance was incorporated in the regulations for the various cities of the State.

The number of veterans who have been certified under this act is fourteen, and the number who have been appointed to positions is nine.

The act is as moderate and well guarded in its provisions as an act of that character can be framed and give any substantial preference to veterans over civilians. Many sincere and wellinfofmed friends of the reform doubted the propriety of the act, regarding any preference other than superior merit as a departure from the principles of the reform. The fundamental principle is, that office is a public trust, to be held only for the benefit of the people at large, and consequently that merit alone should control selections. The feeling of gratitude, however, toward those who exposed their lives and health in maintaining the integrity of the Union and the supremacy of the government and its laws by honorable service in the army and navy, is so strong in every patriotic breast that an exception in their favor from the general principle was, to the extent of this act, deemed expedient and justifiable.

Both the great political parties had, in State convention, favored the preference, and the Governor had recommended it in his message.

Some law, therefore, was certain to be enacted, and it only remained for the friends of the reform to see that it should be as

little objectionable as possible. The veterans were satisfied with the law as enacted, and are entitled to very high credit for their moderation and patriotism in accepting a preference founded on a civil service examination, and preserving the principle of competition among themselves. As remarked by the Governor in his message, "The methods of civil service thus become a valuable aid to competent veterans without risks from influence or favoritism," and superior fitness is assured of just recognition.

THE INQUIRIES DIRECTED BY SECTION 15 OF THE ACT.

By the fifteenth section of the act the Commission was directed, when organized, to "immediately inquire into the methods of appointment, removal, terms of service, duties, compensation, and number of all clerks, employes, or subordinate officers of any nature whatsoever, either to this State, or of cities or counties therein having a population exceeding fifty thousand inhabitants, who are not by existing laws appointed by the Governor of the State or by the mayor of any city, or elected by the people; and whenever the action of political parties or the public acts of official servants are in any wise affected, and if so to what degree, by the present methods of such appointments, tenure of office, removals and compensations, and whether the public interest would or would not be advanced by prescribing competitive tests of standards of appointment for any or all of such subordinate public servants, in addition to those who are herein before included, and if so, the nature and extent of such tests or standards; and whether any abuses exist in connection with the existing practices touching said appointment, tenures, compensations, or removals, that require reform, or that may be abated by legislation or otherwise."

The duty thus enjoined was performed so far as was practicable the first year the Commission was in office, and the results were given in the report of that year in the form of a complete catalogue of persons in the public service of the State, and of the cities and counties, the departments or offices, in which they were employed, with their salaries or compensations so far as could be learned. Information with regard to the action of political parties, or the public acts of official servants as affected by the methods existing at the time of the enactment of the Civil Service Law, was also procured to a considerable extent by means of a circular addressed

to public officials and prominent gentlemen in the State, and the responses thereto received by the Commission were embodied in the report of the first year, and disclosed a considerable diversity of opinion upon the subject. But there was a general concurrence that the patronage of spoils system was detrimental to the public interests, and a clog upon public officials. The commission has never lost sight of the duty enjoined by this section, but, as opportunity has occurred, has endeavored to acquire information upon the subject.

In the first report the Commission suggested that there was a lack of authority under the statute to take compulsory testimony, and that no means had been provided for defraying the expense of investigations of this character. The Commission also suggested that the same duty could, perhaps, better be performed by a committee of the Legislature. That body appointed a committee of that character in the session of 1884, which took a large mass of testimony relating to officials and official action in the city of New York, and which resulted in the enactment of divers reformatory acts of a sweeping character, and designed to effect large economies in the administration of public affairs in that city.

It has been the policy of the Commission, from the outset, to make the complete establishment of the reform system its primary and chief aim, and that object has constantly been kept in view. The incidental and collateral matters required to be done by the Civil Service Act, the Commission believe, could very properly await the greater purpose of establishing the reform on a permanent basis. That seems now to have been accomplished, and the Commission is prepared to give more attention and time to related matters of secondary importance.

The Commission proposes, as soon as can be done during the present year, to pursue the inquiries directed to be made by the fifteenth section of the act, and to submit the results of their efforts with such recommendations for legislation as may appear to be proper, to the Governor and the Legislature.

The Commission has again procured and submits with this report a complete roster of the public service as the same existed on October 1, 1886.

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