those alluded to are not the first, has had a depressing effect on the friends of the merit system. There is also grave danger in the multiplication of commissions and bureaus for which they are largely responsible; as the employes are usually exempt by law. The feeling is unavoidable that having lost so many spoils positions through the application of the merit system, the politicians are bent upon creating other similar positions in various commissions, on the specious claim that expert service can be obtained in no other way. The expense with high salaries is often great, and the cost of supervision unnecessarily high. The last legislature created an unpaid highway commission in which expert subordinates are exempt. That commission will expend $600,ooo next year, working through the counties. Though the commission seems to have had a political origin, it is encouraging to be able to state that its members have requested the civil service commission to hold competitive examinations in counties for supervisors of road construction. These are state appointments, the appointees being paid by the counties. This is an indication of the feeling as to merit appointments and is worthy of record.

Another new department entirely outside of the rules is the commission on state affairs, appointed for two years. It has extensive powers and an appropriation of $30,000. One of its functions is to examine into efficiency in the state service. It could do useful work by helping to reduce the number of small departments by consolidation. It would seem to conflict with the civil service commission and encroach upon its jurisdiction in the matter of investigating efficiency. It has, nevertheless, invited the cooperation of the commission in making a study of departmental organization and a system of efficiency records, and it is hoped that it will assist in securing legislation to center this function in the civil service commission. A table has been prepared Mr. F. E. Doty, which shows that in the University, with 1200 people on its payroll (including 600 instructors), there is a total monthly expense of $99,000. The cost of supervision is 3% of the payroll. In the state board of control of penal and charitable institutions, with its jurisdiction over eight or nine large institutions, the cost of super

vision including the salaries of five members of the board and of the secretary and superintendent, is 8% of the payroll. With all other departments, including state elective officers, commissions and bureaus, the cost of supervision is 23% of the payroll. It has been suggested that consolidation would materially decrease the expense of the state administration.

Before closing this part of my report, I wish to add that the commission of state affairs, composed of the Governor, the Secretary of State and three others appointed by the Governor, is apparently created to look over the entire field and block out new legislation. It is a curious development in politics to say the least.

There are some very hopeful indications of advance since the Supreme Court decision on the validity of the law. Appointing officers have as a rule shown a disposition to co-operate with the civil service commission, and there are fewer efforts to evade the law. The commission is filling more positions from competitive lists and its work nearly doubled during the past summer. The Legislature created 40 new positions as income tax assessors. The commission recently held a state wide examination for these positions and examined over 200 candidates. All sealers of weights and measures, except in Milwaukee, where they are under local jurisdiction, are now appointed by competitive tests, and both our Senators and nearly all our Congressmen apply to the Commission to examine candidates for West Point and Annapolis. This includes the Socialist Congressman Victor Berger. A successful examination has also been held for the position of first assistant attorney general, and superintendents and assistants in free employment bureaus, formerly executive appointments, are now under the rule.

In Milwaukee the so-called city service law has been amended so as to compel officers to select appointees from the first three names certified, and the new removal rule is substantially the rule favored by the National Civil Service Reform League. It was brought about by the Wisconsin League. I regret to say that membership in the Milwaukee fire and police board has been increased to five. This was the result of strenuous work of the

Socialists, and their legislative partners, and was intended to be a means of depriving us of one of the best chiefs of police in this country, whose record under civil service rules seems to have been without a flaw for over thirty years. A cumbersome form of trial has been substituted for the former removal rule in the fire and police departments, with a reference to the Circuit Court on the facts. The University forces, to which I have already referred, presented a bill abolishing our Milwaukee civil service commissions altogether, and substituting a "joint board" composed of a local secretary of the state commission and, in turn, each local appointing officer in the city government, to make the rules by which the latter was to be restricted; to conduct examinations and establish an unlimited eligible list. The measure was known as the Commons Bill, and so strong was the control of the little coteries which operated the steam roller in the legislature that it is wonderful, even with the splendid aid of Mr. Elliot H. Goodwin and General F. C. Winkler, that we were able to defeat it and retain as much as we have of the former machinery for applying the merit system in Milwaukee. We may be pardoned if we look with disfavor, not upon the scholar but the State University professor in politics, when one of them insists that the time has arrived when appointing officers can be trusted under the new dispensation to make their own appointments.

We shall meet the difficulties suggested in this report. at the next legislature, and I hope that in the meantime the National League will hold a meeting in the Middle West.

Mr. Ansley Wilcox submitted the report from the Buffalo Women's Civil Service Reform Association:

The Women's Civil Service Reform Association of Buffalo reports the continuation of its educational work. Literature has been given to the four high schools, where 367 pupils have qualified as reading members of our Association by reading the addresses by Schurz, Bonaparte, Cary, Woodruff and others. This reading leads to the writing of the essay on Civil Service Reform in Municipalities, the writer of the best essay receiving the Municipal Honor Medal. In February we invite our

active and high school reading members to an entertainment in honor of George William Curtis. Two years ago the Women's and Men's Associations co-operated to introduce the "Primer of Civil Service-The Merit System" by Elizabeth Luther Cary into the eighth grade in the grammar schools. We did it not as a reform, but as the study of an existing law and principle of government. We did not ask for an essay from eighth grade pupils (in itself of doubtful value), which would have been a great burden on the teachers, but gave to each pupil a "Primer" as supplementary reading in history when the eighth grade classes reached the chapter which tells of the assassination of Garfield by a disappointed office seeker and the civil service until the merit system was extended. The teachers were told that a "Primer" was to be given to each pupil to keep, that the teachers need have no care of them, and that next year others would be given to each pupil. We gave a "Primer" last year to every eighth grade pupil in our public schools (3,673) and to pupils in seventeen private schools, which includes twelve parochial schools (683), a total of 4,356.

In reporting that the study of civil service reform is now introduced into every public school and seventeen private schools in Buffalo, we wish to give much credit to the hearty co-operation of the school department, superintendent, principals and teachers.

Mrs. Albert Sioussat submitted the report from the Women's Auxiliary of Maryland:

The Auxiliary of the Maryland Civil Service Reform Association began the past season with the privileges and opportunities afforded by the sessions in Baltimore of the Annual Meeting of the National Civil Service Reform League. Presided over by the President Emeritus of Harvard University, Hon. Charles W. Eliot, the members were enabled to gather renewed interest, as the reports and addresses of the two days followed one another.

The work of the year entitled to first consideration and of greatest importance has been that of reaching the public schools.

During nine years, continued efforts have been made to reach and interest in civil service the young men and

women, future citizens of Maryland, now pupils in the high schools of this city and state.

In 1903, Mr. W. Cabell Bruce, Chairman of the Schools Committee, started a movement to interest not only the pupils, but the teachers, in the subject of civil service reform methods-more simply expressed, the methods of appointment and promotion of all teachers, officers, municipal and federal employees, by a system of examination based upon merit rather than political pull or reward. Prizes were offered at that time for best essays on the following subjects: "The Relation of Civil Service Reform to Postmasters," "How Are Your Postmasters in Your Towns Appointed?" "Civil Service Examinations, What Are They?"

The president of school boards in the counties accepted all the literature sent, but until this year, only sixty city schools were willing to be approached. Each year effort has been made to offer prizes for debates, hoping incidentally to interest individual boys to gather themselves into civic clubs, with the benefit of competition among themselves.

After a conference in March last (1911) with General Riggs, President of the Baltimore School Board, permission was granted, and with the co-operation of I. Montgomery Gambrill, Professor of History in the Polytechnic Institute, the following outline and suggestion, made in April, 1911, was returned accepted:

That the subject of the first contest be limited to "The Merit System in Municipal Civil Service." Any topic bearing upon this subject should be accepted. The following might be suggested as example:

(a) The study of a particular city in which the merit system has been extensively applied. (b) A comparative study of a city having the merit system, and one under the spoils system.

(c) A paper on the general status of the merit system in municipalities.

(d) An argument for the advantages of the merit system in municipalities.

That the sum of fifty dollars which is available