The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-30
THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD.

No more serious question will con
 front Mayor Martin during his term
 of office than that shaped by the
 death of Mir. Andrew which made a
 vacancy on the board of civil service
 It is Mayor Martins duty to fill that
 vacancy and it is Mayor Martins op-
 portunity to fill it with a man who believes In the philosophy of the civil
 service or with a man who will close
 his eyes to the law under which the
 commission operates. lt is rumored
 that one of the commissioners is ready
 to lay down the burden of his office
 which, If he does, will further in-
 crease the responsibility which faces
 Mayor Martin
 The enforcement of the civil service
 laws has moy, friends back of 1t than
 is generally conceded by the politi-
 clans. It is not reform these
 friends of the civil service principle
 are attempting to inaugurate and
 make more commanding in the ad-
 minstraton of the city government. It
 is business undertaking pure and
 simple, a determination born of con vietion that the best local government possible to be secured can only come through the application of business principles of control The principle upon which the civil service laws turn is that of the ascertained fitness of an appointee to office. IL applies not to the heads of departments enjoying administrative powers. and which nat
 urally should he in political svmpa- thy with the administration In office but to the various clerical positions which bear no relation whatever to the policies of the administration. but which too often in the past have been deliberately used by the administra- ton in office for partisan purposes pure and simple, and without regard to business consequences It Is of no importance whatever to the taxpavers of the city of New Haven who the men are who do the clerical work of the different departments provided tba work is done efficiently. It is of the highest importance that when vacan- cies are to be filled they shall be filled by competent men after an examina- ton in which every citizen has right on equal terms to participate
 The civil service laws of the city of New Haven will never he imparfially enforced by commission not in with the spirit of them. i Too many times since the local civil service provision was written into the city charter have mayors appointed to the commission men who privately rid iculed it and officially modified or nul. l lified it, The friends of the law have A right to demand that it either be en- forced or repealed. and the only way ! in which 1t can be enforced is for the | mayor to sntrust its enforcement to who believe in it. This Is the home of the Connecticut Civil Service Reform Association. and i, is tue the intelligent agitation of this association that New Haven has a 'lVtl service provision in it's charter ! It would appear then as if the mayor was under moral obligations to con 'ult that body in his choice of s com missioner. The association includes n it's membership many of the mos, | representative men of the citv who an be trusted to recommend a list of . 'apable men from which to select a commissioner tn fill Mir apir,u.s eat. They will not recommend ranks or unreasonable reformers. | hey will recommend intelligent n,an Eho have the welfare of the city sov- | 7rnment at heart. We hope Mayor Martin will soon make an annoint- llent which will awaken the approval 'f the association and put to sleep in. disturbing rumors sis to his intentions n this regard.