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service; the rules recognize this necessity and provide for such vouchers, regulating them as to number and extent. But recommendations for promotion, unless made by officials in the regular course of duty, are manifestly improper. The assumption that any person outside the office can judge of the needs of the service and the comparative merits of those serving so much better than the head of the office as to justify advice as to promotions is indelicate and embarrassing to the head of the office. Such gratuitous intervention is an outgrowth of the patronage system, but it is a fair inference that no person would so harass an official unless urged to it by the one expecting to profit by the intervention. It has, therefore, been provided by the Thirty-third Rule that

"No recommendation of any person for promotion shall be entertained or received, unless made in the regular course of duty by his immediate official superiors, and the presentation of any recommendation, other than that of such superiors, will be considered an unwarrantable interference with the public service, and the person so recommended may be required to show, before being certified for promotion, that such recommendation was not made by his request or connivance."

GENERAL PROVISIONS.

Having arranged the positions in the service in the five schedules according to the several methods of selection applicable to them, the Commission incorporated in the rules the other fundamental provisions enjoined by the law and added thereto certain general conditions. consonant with such provisions. Rules II and III are verbatim repetitions of the fifth and sixth fundamental provisions in the second section of the act. Rules XXXVIII and XXXIX promulgate the provisions of the ninth and thirteenth sections of the act. Rule XL fixes the probationary period required by the law (see sections 2 and 3, fundamental provisions) at three months. It was the opinion of administrative officers that such a period was sufficiently long to ascertain, by actual trial in service, the conduct, habits and competency of probationers; and, such being the case, it would be unjust to submit the worthy ones to a longer suspense, or to retain in service the indifferent and merely passable applicants who might occasionally get into the probationary service.

The inhibition of partisan considerations in recommendations of applicants or in questions at examinations imposed by the law has been further extended by Rule XXXVI, so as to exclude any such considerations in the selection or appointment of examined persons or in their nomination for examination or promotion.

As a general qualification Rule XXXV provides that no person shall be appointed who is not a citizen and has been a resident of the State one year. This is made by the Constitution the necessary qualification of voters, and it is reasonable that those appointed to the State service should in such respects enjoy no privilege not accorded to those who elect its officers. From this rule have been excepted persous employed in the lowest grades of the service where such restriction might embarrass the administration by debarring to a great extent the cmployment of the only class willing to do the work and accept the low rates of compensation given. Thus in the lunatic asylums it would be difficult, if not impossible, without such exceptions, to provide the necessary attendants on the insane. Provision is also made for special exceptions from this rule whenever the Commission may deem it best for the interest of the public service, but such special exceptions must be set forth in its annual reports with the reasons therefor.

For obvious reasons, it is provided by Rule XXXIV, that persons temporarily appointed must have the same testimonials of eligibility as those permanently appointed, the exception being made for the appointment of substitutes in the prisons and asylums in cases of disability of regular officials and for a period not to exceed thirty days without extension in any case.

By Rule XXXVII transfers or promotions from one position to another in a different subdivision can be made only after the examination provided for admission to the last-named division. No evasion. of the test of qualification is thus allowed by either temporary appointment as a preliminary lodgment in the service, or transfer from a position of low degree to a higher one.

APPLICATIONS.

The rules further prescribe the methods for application and general directions for the examinations. Applications for admission to competitive examinations must be in the handwriting of the applicant and verified by oath, and must set forth general facts as to residence, citizenship, age, education and previous occupation of the applicant. The blank form on which these are entered is furnished by the Commission, in order that such applications shall be uniform and embrace all requisite information. To it is appended a certificate to be given by a practicing physician that he has examined the applicant and found him physically able to serve in the position sought. While such evidence is merely ex parte and may not be conclusive in every case, it is believed that it will exclude the great mass of infirm or unsound applicants. Where physical condition is a matter of prime importance, as in prison guards, the applicant otherwise eligible must, before

receiving an appointment, pass a rigid physical examination by a physician in the service of the State, or acting in its behalf.

In regard to moral character the applicant must furnish not less than three nor more than five certificates from reputable citizens of the State that they have known the applicant more than one year and believe him to be of good moral character, of temperate and industrious habits, and in all respects fit for the State service, and furthermore, in cases of applicants for the position of prison guard, that they believe he is not irascible, but of a kind and humane disposition. The citizens who certify must be not less than twenty-five years old and not kinsmen of the applicant, and each one must further certify that he is willing his certificate shall be published for public information. This last clause was added in view of the perfunctory and inconsiderate manner in which recommendations for places are generally given. Petitions and recommendations of persons seeking appointment are too often signed simply to get rid of the applicant or good-naturedly to oblige him or his friends, or because others have affixed their names and the signer does not wish to be singular. There does not appear to be sufficient recognition that such a signature is a personal guarantee, or that any recourse can be had should it be a false statement. It is obvious, however, that when a citizen certifies by his formal signature that a person is fit to be intrusted with public duties he gives evidence on which official action is based, and assumes an obligation in the nature of a warranty. Commission have thought it proper that such a responsibility should be enforced by the publication of the names of those who have certified the moral character of applicants whenever such publication was deemed of value. Whenever a person is discharged from the service for lack of moral qualities that he also lacked at the time of his application, the people of the State are entitled to know upon whose recommendation such person entered their service.

EXAMINERS.

The

The third section of the act confines the Examiners to " persons in the official service of the State of New York." The advantage of the restriction is not apparent to the Commission, which believes that cases might frequently occur where it would be extremely convenient and beneficial to allow Examiners to be selected indifferently from persons within or without the service. Such, for instance, as the regular examination of engineers, supervisors of aqueducts and reservoirs, physicians, chaplains, physicians and pathologists for insane asylums, directors of museums, geologists, botanists, chemists, librarians and inspectors of quarantine asylums. It might be the case also in ex

aminations on optional subjects, such as the modern languages, and different branches of science and art. Frequently too the assistance of outside experts may be useful in revising the examination papers, and suggesting desirable improvements.

This change will give opportunity for the selection of gentlemen of the highest standing for the examining boards, and relieve the Commission from needless embarrassment.

The Commission has appointed the following Boards of Examiners, all in the official service of the State, after consultation with the heads of departments, as required by the third section of the act :

STATE EXAMINERS AT ALBANY.

Hiram E. Sickles, Chairman, Reporter for the Court of Appeals ; James E. Morrison, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction; Willis E. Merriman, Warrant Clerk in the Comptroller's office; Richard G. Milks, Receiving Clerk in the Treasurer's office; John G. Clifford, Clerk in the Insurance Department.

EXAMINERS FOR SCHEDULE D.

State Lunatic Asylum at Utica:

Horatio N. Dryer, Dr. Edward U. Brush, Mrs. Emma Barker.

State Homoeopathic Asylum for the Insane at Middletown:

Dr. Alonzo P. Williamson, Dr. C. Spencer Kinney, Mr. John Coch

ran.

Hudson River State Hospital of Poughkeepsie:

A. O. Kellogg, M. D., Dr. Charles H. Landou, Robert Roberts.

Willard Asylum for the Insane:

Dr. Peter M. Wise, Dr. Alexander Nellis, Jr., Morris J. Gilbert.

Binghamton Asylum for the Insane :

Dr. Charles C. Eastman, Dr. Orville J. Wilsy, Edwin Evans.

Buffalo Asylum for the Insane:

Dr. W. D. Granger, Dr. Floyd S. Creyo, Levi M. Beam.

THE ACTION OF THE COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH CITY MAYORS AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS.

In pursuance of the eighth section of the act providing among other things that the mayors of each city in the State having a population of fifty thousand or over by the last census is authorized to prescribe such regulations for the admission of persons into the Civil Service

as may best promote the efficiency thereof. Subjecting all proceedings and papers connected with the examination to the inspection of the Commission and its agents, and enacting that "said Commission shall set forth in its report the character and practical effects of such examinations, together with its views as to the improvement and er tension of the same, and also copies of all regulations made under the authority hereby conferred," the Commission respectfully reports:

The City of Brooklyn.

On the 29th of June last, the Commission, at the request of the Honorable Seth Low, mayor of Brooklyn, held a conference in that city with the mayor and the heads of departments, and Chief Examiner Burt was authorized to co-operate with Mayor Low in the preparation of regulations for the city of Brooklyn.

On the 12th of November last, Mayor Low attended a meeting of the Commission in the city of New York, when the regulations prepared by his honor were read and approved. They were formally prescribed by the mayor and filed December the 15th. Additional regulations, with schedule showing the positions included in schedules A, B, C and D, were prescribed by the mayor, December 27, 1883. All of these regulations are given in appendix.

On the same day the mayor appointed as examiners:

Schedule B-Ethan Allen Doty, Edmond F. Clyne, John C. Orr. Schedule C John H. Schumann, Frederick Brownell, Edward M. Sheppard.

The first competitive examination for applicants under Schedule B, was held at the City Hall, Brooklyn, on the evening of Friday, December the 28th, 1883.

The Commission is advised that the commissioners of the departments of health, police and fire, being among those exempted by section 8 of the act from the necessary application of the Civil Service rules, have advised the mayor of their intention to apply the regulations to their departments as soon as may be, with such modifications only as may seem to be wise and necessary to adapt them to their respective departments.

The City of New York.

On the 14th of September, in pursuance of a suggestion for a conference made by his honor Mayor Edson, of the city of New York, during the summer, but found to be at that time impracticable, the Commission met at the mayor's office, the mayor, the comptroller, the superintendent of the street cleaning department, the superintendent

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