New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-24
10 ELIMINATE RERATING.
SERVICE CHANGE.
WW DO A1cay 5citk Favortism,
Says Bird s. CoIer.

The first of a series OF radical amendments TO
the rules Of the Municipal Civil Service Commits
sion was adopted at a meeting of the entire
board yesterday. 1t is designed to eliminate the
practice of reratng the examination papers for
places under the city government by which. it
is said. that many of the evils charged to the
system have entered. President Coler of the
commission, who occupied the chair, declared
that the new rule will put the Civil Service
system Of this city on a higher plane than that
Of any other city in the country. and that it
will do away with all favoritism
Before the commission adopted the amendment
a public hearing given. Representative of
several organizations appeared in favor of the
rule. Only voice was raised against il.
The new rule says in part:
No examination paper or any part thereof and
record or a statement rated part OF exam
nation or in connection Herewith. shall be subject
70 review; alteration reratng after the marks of
the examiners have been registered attested. as
required thereunuer except that the commission at
any time within year from the date of the ceTtih
error or mistake Of marking or rating appearing in
any such paper record the nature OF which il
Shall set form in its minutes.
Another amendment adopted says. in part:
No candidate shall be granted second or special
either written physical preliminary TO or IN con-
less it be shown TO the satisfaction of the commits
sion that his failure 10 appear for or TO gain ad
mission to or To complete such cxamina ton test
was due to a manifest error or mistake for which
the commission is responsible, the nature OF which
was due compulsory attendance before any court
other public authority having the power TO com
pei such attendance.
The latter amendment is largely designed to
do away with the appeals in the case of physical
examinations for iremen and policemen Mr.
CoIer said the commission had in process OF
preparation a chart which will enable any one
to tell If he is fit physically
OF the amendments Mr. Coler said:
These amendments are the most important to
municipal Civil Service that have ever been adopted
greatest evils that has grown up in this depart
ment, the almost universal custom OF taking an
appointed candidates whether there is real grew
ance or not. ,.
ton of roundsman scne time ago, and or the Iour-
teen hundred who took the examination eleven
hundred of them recorded an appeal and wanted
work no injustice TO any one.
We are going TO make further changes, one or
which will he the adoption of a system whereby
the candidate will not know what his number Is
until the examiners have done with his papers
John T. Dooling lawyer. spoke against the
changes. He said they would make the Civil
Service unpopular. The examining boards
might make errors and should not diveSt them
selves of the power Of review. Albert De Roode
secretary of the Civil Service Reform Assoc1a-
tion in referring to the abuses that had accom-
panied the custom of appeals for reratlng, gave
an instance that he said was illustrative "A
young woman who had taken an examination
for telephone attendant he declared appealed
from the rating of the examiners and asked for
a rerating because she surely thought that she
should receive higher rating. AS 1t happened
the name of her father. who was an alderman,
rating But there were forty other candidates
in the examination who did not get a rerating.'