The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-11
ADVANCEMENT OF gQENG.
SPIRITED MEETING HELD BY
THE ASSOCIATION.
William II. Hale Makes Strong As
sault Upon Governor Black of
New York, and Incidentally on
Civil Service Reform.


Detroit. Mich, Aug. -1O.-Members Of
the American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science were still arriv-
ing when the days session began. The
general council, after a short morning
session, adjourned till night, when it is
expected that candidates for offices and
the next place of meeting will be dis
cussed.
Today's general session was brief and
occupied mainly with announcements
Proceedings were enlivered by a
criticism of Governor Black by William
H. Hale, Pm. D., Brooklyn, before the
section of social end economic science.
DIR. Hale's subject was civil Service
Reform" He. read.in part:
Last year at Buffalo / presented to
the association a discussion of the cur
rency question, and later / had the
United States. by an emphatic vote,
adopted the view for which 1 then con-
tended AT the same time a great polit-
zeal party, holding what | regard as
sound views upon this question, was
convened for the purpose of nominating
a candidate for the governor of New
York, and selected for this Office a
young nlan- IllS man, >.
Black, an alien of the state by birth,
and recent settler in it. was destined
to fill the chief executive office, and to
become the most bitter and formidable
opponent in the merit system ever met.
For several decades there had been
gradually growing up in England and
America a system of testing, by COM
petitive examination, the fitness of per-
sons TO be appointed to public offices.
Results have been in the main satisfac-
tory to the taxpayers and distasteful
to professional politicians, who look
upon public office as spoils and upon
taxpayers as fit subjects to pluIfder.
The system was adopted to a limited
extent by the state of New York in
1883, long before the advent Of Black
within our borders, and steadily in
creased in efficiency and in favor with
the people.
Governor Black signalized his ac-
cession to office by embodying in his
annual message to the legislature a
recommendation hatlegislation be had
that would authorize the appointment
of employees in the. civil service at
the foot of the list. which is evidently
forbidden by the constitution. The leg
islature had not the temerity to carry
out this audacious suggestion, but near
the close of the session they passed
bill, which the governor prepared, pro-
viding that examinations for merit
should be had by the civil service COM
mission and should count only so per
cent, and that examinations for fitness
should be held by persons holding the
power of making appointment and
should also count 80. per cent, and that
the total percentagel of persons ex-
amined should be ascertained by ad-
ding the results of both examinations.
THE rules. when finally adopted, had
been so modified at Governor Blacks
suggestion as to assist spoilsmen TO the
full extent permitted by the constitu-
ton, if not more.
Referring TO the relationship of civil
service reform to the question OF state
and municipal ownership of quasi
public works, DR.. Hale said: There
are many obvious advantages in having
a responsible government control ana
operate all franchises which use pup
lie highways and supply public neces-
sites. 1t is well that the comfort and
of the people who are sup
piled by these monopolies be made the
consideration. Strikes and
boycotts, the bane of street railway
systems, would thus be averted or MIN
imized.
II believe this country is on the eve
of a vast extension of municipal owneH
ship and control of systems to supply
light. heat, transportationS etc. Per-
haps there is danger oftoo sudden and
explosive movement in this direction
Work of this kind requires skill, IN
dustry and experience and the careful
selection of men. The system OF re-
formed civil service, which aims TO Sc
cure-and to a large extent succeeds IN
securing-the best men for the perform
ance of public duties, affords the only
economical-and, therefore, the only
practical-solution of the problem or
administration of these
natural monopolies for the public
good
The council tonight held star cham
Der session at Hotel Cadillac. presum-
ably to talk about the place for the
next meeting and the election Oh OF
ficers From all that can be learned,
Boston is far in the, LEAD for the con-
vention of the association, with New
York City its only formidable rival.