ment was so rapid, that in 1884, the merit system was greatly extended, and was made compulsory in all the cities of the State. The twenty-five cities of New York brought under the act have a population of more than 2,500,000, being fully one-half of the entire population of the State. The examinations provided for under the New York law and rules [and nearly all must be competitive] besides covering the execu tive service of the State-including State prisons, State asylums, State health offices, the State board of public works, &c.-extends to all analogous places in the cities, as well as to the police and fire departments. There are more than fourteen hundred such places in Brooklyn, and more than five thousand five hundred in the city of New York. The prohibition of political assessments, under the New York acts, is more stringent than under the laws of Congress.

It will be seen that these changes, set forth in the more than 300 pages of the first report of the New York State Civil Service Commission, constitute a revolution in the administrative policy of that State. How great and patriotic has been the surrender of a partisan State and municipal patronage need not be pointed out. The new mayor of New York City, elected over the candidates of both the political parties, is in full sympathy with the reform policy.

Massachusetts has followed closely in the wake of New York, having last winter enacted a law covering much the same parts of the service as the laws of New York. It extends to all the cities of the State. Under it Governor Robinson has appointed a State civil service commission, and, during the present month, has approved rules for carrying the act into effect, which are now in force. They extend not only to general State and municipal offices, but to officials in asylums, hospitals, State reform schools, public markets, poor-law boards, and to police, fire, and public works departments.

In Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri movements are understood to be well advanced for similar legislation.

SUGGESTIONS.

The civil service act provides for such suggestions in the reports of the Commission as it may approve "for the more effectual accomplishment of the purposes of this act." It repeats from its report of last year: 1. "It would seem plain that since the subordinates at the post-offices and customs offices, to which the rules extend, are no longer appointed ou the basis of a party test, consistency not less than the efficiency of the service forbids the application of that test for the selection of collectors or postmasters at such offices.".

Under the new system there will be in a few years in the classified service few whom any powerful influence has placed there, and who consequently cannot be removed for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or other good cause, without overcoming such an influence sure to be exerted

for keeping them in their places. But while that system thus makes justifiable removals easier, it is on the other hand quite repugnant to that four years' term for subordinate officials which suggests that they should be treated as political lieutenants of a party, rather than business agents of the Government.

The Commission quotes from its former report the following:

"2. The new system would be much strengthened by such an amendment of our bribery laws as would bring within them other corrupt considerations for official wrong doing than those which are merely pecuniary. Every corrupt exercise of the power of nomination, promotion, transfer, or confirmatian, even though the corrupt consideration may not be a thing of value,' should surely be an offense under our bribery laws. Laws with this scope have long been enforced in England, and our courts have sometimes appealed to them in aid of punishing official corruption which the bribery laws of this country fail to reach." The civil service law enacted in the State of New York in 1883, as well as a similar law in Massachusetts, supplies the deficiency, and the fourteenth section of the New York act is hereto attached, Appendix No. 9.

3. The provisions in the Federal civil service act, forbidding Federal officials taking part in collecting political assessments from each other had for its object the securing of a real liberty on the part of the public servant to pay or not to pay.

A request of a superior officer had been found in practice to be equivalent to a command to pay on the pain of removal or other serious prej udice.

The principle on which the act is based is this: That it is the duty of the Government to protect those in its service against extortion.

The experience of the last year has shown that even in Washington a real coercion of payment may be caused by requests made through a formidable partizan committee, although no official participates in making them. A real liberty, therefore, cannot be secured without a prohibition of all demands of assessments from public officers, whether made by their fellow officers or by others. The New York civil service act of May 24, 1884, recognizes and meets this necessity by comprehensive provisions, which appear in the eleventh section, to be found in Appendix No. 8.

4. If we are to have an increased foreign trade, involving as it will more complicated consular relations, it would seem indispensable that our consuls, and their subordinates, as well as the clerical force serving under our ministers at foreign courts, should be as competent for their duties as the officials of the same grade in the service of the leading commercial countries. In such countries these officials are subjected to adequate examinations, especially in consular and diplomatic law and usages, and in the language of the country where they are to serve

5. There would seem to be no good reason why free, open, competitive examinations, under the charge of the academic boards of the

institutions, should not be made the basis of selections for filling the cadetships at the Military School at West Point, and at the Naval School at Annapolis. The filling of these places under the present method, while causing a monopoly of patronage and much demoralizing solicitation, has severely taxed the time of members of Congress which is needed for duties of legislation.

6. The need of extending and maturing the new system by suitable rules, founded on the theory that public office is a public trust and not a perquisite, which shall cover the important subjects of promotion and removal, has already been alluded to.

7. Without making other definite suggestions, but regarding the new system as having demonstrated its utility, and hence as being no longer a mere experiment, it is not improper to glance at what, perhaps, may be accepted as the natural lines of its development.

(1.) There are additional places in various Departments at Washing. ton within its principle, which should be brought under the operation of the rules for examinations.

(2.) There would seem to be no reason why the same methods which govern the selection of officials for the Federal Departments should not apply to those seeking to enter the Federal service under the government of the District of Columbia, regulating the details in the light of the experience which has been so beneficial for nearly two years in the city of Brooklyn, and which the city of New York is now following.

(3.) The results in the large post-offices and customs offices would seem to justify the extension of the examinations to others having a less number of officials as well as to the railway mail service, the internalrevenue offices, the mints, and perhaps various other offices, as experience may warrant.

It should be stated, however, that no extension of the work of the Commission can be made without a corresponding increase, both of its working force and of office room for doing its work. The evidence contained in this report, in regard to time lost in attending to officeseekers under the old system and saved under the new, would seem to show that even with such an increase of the cost of the work of the Commission it would be far less expensive than the old system.

The office room of the Commission is now inadequate, and in order to keep up its work its office hours have been made one hour longer daily than those of any other Government department, and even beyond these hours much additional work is required.

8. The subordinates of the Commission, without exception, have labored faithfully and diligently, with a zeal born of a deep interest in their work. One additional clerk and a laborer the Commission regards as essential for the fit performance of its present duties, and it asks to have the salary of its stenographer, who performs important duties not suggested by his official designation, increased as an act of simple just

The work thus far has occupied the entire time of the commissioners, and has taxed their energies to the utmost. To the grave difficulties which, at the outset, attended the organization of a system so new and extensive, have succeeded perplexing questions inseparable from this stage of its enforcement. The maturing of amendments to the rules and regulations in the light of a large experience, the devising and revision of many blank forms, the preparation of appropriate series of questions for all kinds of examinations, the correspondence with the heads of the Departments, and so many offices as are affected by the rules and with the numerous and widely scattered boards of examiners, answering inquiries, interpreting law and rules, considering questions as to classifi cation, and giving instruction for procedures, the revisions of examinations on appeal, and a multitude of daily recurring duties incident to a new system-all these have taxed the Commission heavily. It entered upon no highway, but has had to make its road as it has advanced. If, under such circumstances, the Commission has failed in fully meeting the public expectation and demand, it will not occasion surprise. We cannot doubt that the most difficult stage is passed. But it will require some years of careful study and prudent adjustment to carry into full effect the practical methods authorized by the civil service act.

9. The more important functions of the Commission are in their nature both judicial and legislative, requiring a careful regard to the practical effects of its action, firm resistance of solicitation, and an unflinching adherence to principle.

These functions cannot be successfully discharged without the constant, firm, and friendly support of the President. That support has never failed. The Commission has never asked advice or an exercise of authority on the part of the President which has been refused.

In the original rules the carrying on of the examinations was, in express language, made a part of the public business at each office to which they extend, and the heads of these offices are required to give to the Commission the information and facilities which it may need. The Commission believes that no officer within the classified service has been allowed for one moment to doubt that it was the fixed purpose of the President to have the civil service law and rules enforced in their true spirit. With very few exceptions the officers referred to have at all times acted in the true spirit of the new system.

9. As to its own action, the Commission can declare positively, and as to that of the President, it can express its unhesitating belief, that neither discrimination on the ground of political or religious opinions, nor favoritism of any sort has been allowed to defeat, delay, or in any wise impair or improve the chances or opportunities of any person un der the civil service act.

The law and the rules are of such a nature, their practical methods. and effects are by many so greatly misconceived and distrusted, and

their execution confronts and defeats so many partisan, personal, and selfish interests, that their enforcement is possible only when it is abso.. lute. To yield to sympathy in this case and pressure in that would be to make the execution of the law impossible and the position of a commissioner intolerable. The surrendering to patronage of a single place in the classified service would not only invite a contest over every other, but would bring distrust upon the Commission and the good faith of an Administration. The only alternatives, therefore, are to enforce the new system absolutely or to abandon it altogether.