records of the commission that no fewer than 497 out of a total of 862 appointments in the competitive class during 1907 were made under this "soldier exemption" clause, that is to say, about 60%. To the great satisfaction of the Pennsylvania Association and the distinct discomfiture of the paramount political organization in Philadelphia, Judge William H. Staake in Court of Common Pleas No. 5, on November 14, 1908, handed down a decision which, like the shot fired by the embattled farmers at Concord, we hope has been heard around the world of our communal interests and sympathies as advocates of impartial examinations for all applicants. This decision was to the effect that "The proviso of Section 1 of the civil service act of March 5, 1906, P. L. 83, applicable to cities of the first class, which exempts soldiers, sailors and marines honorably discharged from service and their widows and children from the provisions of the Act, is in conflict with Article 3, Section 7 of the Constitution, forbidding the granting to any corporation, association or individual of any special or exclusive privilege or immunity,' in that members of the excepted class are relieved from the burdens imposed upon other applicants for appointments or advancement in the municipal service. The unconstitutionality of the proviso does not affect the other provision of the act, which remains complete and enforceable', after the proviso is expunged." This decision was published in full in the Legal Intelligencer of Philadelphia, of Friday, December 4, 1908. The proceedings, it will be remembered, had taken the form of a tax-payer's bill in equity to restrain the payment of salary to the son of an honorably discharged soldier who had served in the Spanish-American and Philippine Wars. The case will be appealed by the city.

At the convention of the League of Third Class Cities, in Altoona, August 26, it was unanimously resolved by the delegates present that the "merit system" in Pennsylvania should be extended to include the appointive offices of third class cities. A bill to

that effect has been drafted and was on Wednesday, December 16th, presented by the Secretary of the Association to the Law Committee of the League of Third Class Cities in session at Harrisburg. This draft incorporates the best features of similar legislation in other jurisdictions with the proviso that the Act shall be operative only in case the people themselves or their duly constituted representatives in councils elect to accept its provisions. The bill includes not the civil service of the third class cities merely, but the appointive offices of the state and the larger counties, and we are discussing with the State Educational Commission whether it shall or shall not include the teachers and other school officers and employees in this commonwealth. The separate provisions of the bill are by no means in their final form as yet, and will require recension and revision at various hands in order to make the bill applicable to the requirements of the several jurisdictions mentioned.

Mr. John A. Butler submitted the report from the Civil Service Reform Association of Wisconsin:

The first application of the merit system in Wisconsin was to the fire and police departments of Milwaukee and a group of the interior cities of the State. Some years afterward the appointments in the large force of the board of public works of Milwaukee were placed on the merit basis under a separate commission, called city service commission. Subsequently the merit system was applied to the State service, and a significant fact in the situation is the popular approval and support of the people in general. The State Association is at present investigating some emergency appointments by the mayor of Milwaukee which are believed to be illegal, i. e., the appointees have retained their positions far beyond the term provided for emergency appointments, at an expense to the taxpayers of thousands of dollars. The incumbents were presumably minor political "workers." The facts have not yet been fully developed, but, as the mayor is a declared enemy of the merit system, we are justified in regarding the situation with suspicion.

It is not too much to say that Milwaukee is at present a storm center of reform sentiment. Twenty-five or more civic bodies are interested in progressive ideas, and are united in a central civic federation, the constitution of which contains a strong merit system clause. The prospective City Club will also be devoted to the principle of civil service reform, and the prospects of a thorough enforcement of the law are excellent. The law is well sustained by all the city departments except the board of public works, which, in some cases, is said to have rejected successive lists of three, refusing to make appointments until the men desired were reached. This situation will certainly be met by necessary legislation, and a removal rule similar to the old rule in the national service will also be adopted and fortified by an amendment to the law. With regard to the State law, I am glad to be able to say that it is well reinforced by public opinion. The politicians are against it, of course, and an effort may be made to curtail it in the next Legislature, but its integrity will surely be maintained. We have an excellent State commission and the law is well administered, so that the entire situation is encouraging.

Miss Marian C. Nichols submitted the report from the Women's Auxiliary to the Civil Service Association of Massachusetts:

As the strength of the Massachusetts Auxiliary lies largely in continuity of effort, along the same lines, we have again devoted our attention to work educational and legislative. Since our last report to the League over 56,000 pamphlets have been distributed to schools, libraries, and individuals. Of these 46,000 have been sent to grammar, high and normal schools. Requests for 30,000 copies of Miss Cary's admirable "Primer of the Civil Service and the Merit System" came from over 1,200 grammar schools, scattered in almost every State. The largest single orders were for 1,250 copies for 50 grammar schools in Seattle, and for 1,425 copies for 57 schools in Kansas City, Missouri. Though we limit the number of free copies to 25 to a school, we received within two weeks

applications from 55 superintendents of schools in our own State for 11,500 primers to place in 460 grammar schools. A total of nearly 200,000 pamphlets have now been distributed in our school work. Surely we are fast approaching the realization of our early ideal that every boy and girl in the country should be grounded in the principles of the merit system.

Our bronze school medal has again been offered as a reward for the best essay on some subject connected with civil service reform. Seven medals were awarded in the Brookline grammar schools, and one each in the Framingham, the Hyde Park, and the Braintree high school, and in a joint competition for the three high schools of Worcester. The winner there not only receives a medal, but also secures a large cast of the medal, to be held by his or her school for the coming year. Preliminary talks are often given before the competition takes place, and also talks to teachers are sometimes arranged. Moreover, the presentation of the medal is made a notable feature in the school programme. It is interesting to learn that the civil service law was recently extended to the police force in Framingham, where competitions have been held for five consecutive years under the auspices of the Framingham Woman's Club.

Three out of our nine branches have held study classes for members. A study class was likewise held in one Boston settlement, and talks were given in several other social settlements in Boston and elsewhere. The Cambridge branch, as heretofore, offered money prizes for the best essay on civil service reform, to the Young Men's Christian Association, to the Prospect Union, and to the Young Women's Christian Association. We are especially indebted to Messrs. Dana, Waldo and Brooks for their kindness in giving addresses for schools and settlements. Mr. Waldo spoke at six places within three days. Besides holding or making arrangements for 20 meetings, the Auxiliary and its branches have supplied speakers on several occasions for schools, women's clubs, churches and other organizations.

As the Auxiliary feels its need of support from the Women's clubs, it raised a special subscription of $280 to contribute towards the entertainment of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, at its biennial convention held in Boston last June. We were fortunate in being able to arrange for Mr. Dana to give an address at one of the meetings, and also to speak and answer questions at the civil service reform conference.

Our legislative efforts were concentrated on the Spanish War Veterans' Preference Bill and the Census Bill. The Spanish War Veterans' Preference Bill again called for active opposition. As in previous years, we circulated widely a petition, urged constituents to write or speak on the subject to their Senators and Representatives, and supplied material to the newspapers. At the hearing before the Public Service Committee in February the Auxiliary was represented and presented the names of 2,553 remonstrants. About one-third of the signatures were those of men, including the names of a number of Spanish War Veterans. On the re-appearance of the bill in modified form last June, it passed the House too rapidly for us to bring any influence to bear. But it was interesting to watch the results of our work in the Senate, on the afternoon of the final passage of the bill. One Senator stated that he had received more letters in opposition to the Preference Bill than in regard to any other measure. Another read a letter from a Spanish War Veteran on our side (written at our suggestion). A third Senator read aloud our circular of remonstrance which gave the total signatures on our protest as 5,060, representing 130 cities and towns. Moreover, eight of ten of the Senators gathered around the petition and eagerly scanned the names. As the question often arises whether the names on petitions are ever looked at, we can now have the satisfaction of answering, "Sometimes, certainly."

When the League called our attention to the need of opposing the non-competitive provision in the Crumpacker Census Bill, we notified our branches and