The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-11-21

Richard Henry Dana the chairman lof the council of the National Civil Ser vice Reform league, presided at the aft
 ernoon session of the league in place of
 President Daniel c. Gilman.
 Everett P. Wheeler, of New York
 city, spoke upon The Birth of the Pen-
 dleton Bill Twenty-Five Years Ago" It
 was the beginning of civil service in the
 United States
 Hon. William F. Hanney, mayor of
 the city of Hartford, made very able and interesting address upon Civil Service Reform in Connecticut" He said that employment under civil ser vice rules was merely a matter of good
 business policy in the securing of the best possible public service.
 Frederick Amy, of Buffalo, read a paper on Methods of Extending Civil
 Service Reform in States and Cities"
 He said that in the United States fed
 eral service two-thirds of the offices are filled by civil service. In Buffalo ST per cent of the public offices are filled by civil service After the assassination of
 President Garfield a spasm of virtue swept the country, and during 1885,
 much was done for civil service; but since that time very little was done un-
 til within the past three years, when i Massachusetts and New York have put into effect very effective civil service rules, both for state and city employees.
 Secretary Charles J. Bonaparte dis cussed very interestingly the history of civil service in Baltimore.
 Hon. Henry F. Grave of the United States civil service commission spoke upon "The Enforcement of the Provi- sions of Civil Service Lews in Regard to Political assessments" He said the United States civil service reform bill has been very we'll enforced during tWenty-one years, and although some changes have been made from time to time, yet the provision as to political assessments has always stood, and been enforced with reasonable promptness. ! The law as it now stands makes pun ishable both the accepting and the pay ing of political assessments.
 1 Under the present administration the civil service commission has received the fullest cooperation of the heads of the various departments of the federal government.
 1 The spread of the merit system has undoubtedly had a great deal to do with the abolition of political contributions. For, although a political appointee un- der the spells system owes a debt of gratitude for his appointment. and of- lice holder who has secured his posi- Ition through competitive examination on the merit system, is very apt to consider that request to him to make a payment as political assessment, is apt to regard it a an outrage.
 lion. Cyrus D, Floss, jr., of the Phila- delphia civil service commission read the last paper.
 The elimination of the office holder as an asset to the political machine was his special theme. He said that there Is no doubt but that even in the case lof office holders, even after they have been appointed after passing a compet- itive examination, he is practically un- der compulsion to support the political party in power, unless there are laws prohibiting him from political activity Massachusetts and the city of Boston has such laws, a alo ha California, and trange as it may seem, Pennsylvania has the most stringent law in this re- spect, not only prohibitinb office holders from political activity in caueuses and convention, but also prohibiting his ac- tivity anywhere in the neighborhood of the polls In the recent city elections in Philadelphia, the laws were scrupu- lously obeyed
 Secretary Bonaparte presented the Following resolution, which was unani- mously adopted:
 Resolved, That the thanks of this convention be rendered to the Connect | Iicut Civil Service Reform association for it's generous and hospitable enter tainment of the delegates of the Ma tional Civil Service Reform league while In New Haven, and to the Pro- lessor and Mrs. Henry w. FarnaEa for their delightful reception yesterday aft ernoon at their home; and to the ladies' committee of the New Haven Colony Historical society, and the Women's Civic club of New Haven for the re- ceptlon which they have prepared for us for this afternoon.