Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-15
CIVIL SERVICE
GAINING FAVOR,
BOARD DECLARES
Annual Report Defends Statute
and Points Out Advantages
of System.

Especial TO the Newark start
TRENTON. Dec. 15.-Showing that
the operation Of civil service in New
Jersey has demonstrated that the civil
service law affords practical and CT
fcient protection to faithful and Of
6cient p~lace-holders, while it does not
In the least screen the unfaithful and
incompetent. n does not in my de-
gree prevent the Improvement of the
cumbents. the state civil Service Com
mission has submitted its second annual
report to Governor Fort.
The report says that the evil service
system is growing in favor. 1t shows
that complaints and criticisms of the
law and of It's administrator have been
steady decreasing In frequency and i'm
p~ortance rs familiarity with the law
through its practical application has
dispelled misapprehenson concerning ii
and demonstrated it's practical utility
and benefits.
One section CT the document is de-
voted to answering criticisms that have
been made of the system and the work.
ings of the law. ON this the report
says:
THE complaint that the law gives
State officers control of local appoint
ments has seemed to us unfounded,
since no appointments whatever out
side its own offices are ever made, sug-
gested or in any way controlled by the
commission, save in the requirement
which certainely should not be object
ed to by any municipality, that ap-
pointees shall, IL possible, be taken from
among the actual residents of the COM
munity which they are to serve and not
TO be imported thither from other COM
munities, and in. of course. the funda-
mental requirement hat they shall
have shown themselves qualified for
the places which they are to fill. the
only preferences being given to those
whose qualifications are highest.
Refutc Expense Argument.
1.-THE complaint that the system adds
to local expense is hopelessly stultiied
by the expression of preference for that
system of local examining boards
which formerly prevailed TO a limited
extent. The fact is that the system
imposes no local expense whatever in
any case, while it actually relieves OF
considerable xpens those munieipali-
ties which formerly had local boards
fer police and fire department eSamina-
tions.'
Under the heading Economy of the
/ system" the report says: I'm this con-
nection it may be pertinently pointed
out that the system cannot fairly b,
regarded as. adding anything 10 the ne
cost of the State government. 1t is
obvious that the work of examining, in.
v~estigatins or otherwise scrutinizine
applicants for office SO as to determine
their capacity and fidelity must be done
by some competent persons if the pub
lie service is to be properly filled.
ut seems probable that by the as
sisnment of it 10 a commission special.
ly constituted for the purpose tina,
work will be done not only more thor.
oughly and fairly. but also far more
economically, in dollars and cents, than
il could be done by leaving it TO Z
multiplicity of heads of departments OF
other officers unon whose time IT would
make serious demands and with whosJ
regular official work it would at time;
seriously Interfere
The report shows that there are now
approximately 1l.0o0 public officials
State and municipal, under civil serv.
ice in New Jersey. During the last veal
lis competitive examinations have beer
held, at which 2.2s0 applicants wer,
examined. OF these SIS have been &c.
cepted and placed upon tbs eligibl,
lists, while 1.I4S have been rejected
The remaining 456 have not yet beer
passed upo The us examination:
were for the filling Of SO differen'
classes Of places, such as clerks, book
keepers. pharmacists, fremen, police
men. interpreters, farmers. electricians
district physicians, chapsfeurs. butch
ers. library assistants. plumbers. cooks
tenement house inspectors. carpenters
stenographers, bath attendants. type
writers. chemists, elevator operators
arborculturists. patrol wagon driver
and many other kinds OF work in Stat
or municipal service.
How system Has worked.
Since the beginning of the operation
of the law there have been 1853 an
poi ents to all classes of positions i
the service of the State and municipal
ties which have adopted civil service
By far the larger part of these wer
made last year There have been Il
dismisssis Tor cause. which have bee
promptly n easily effected under tn
provisions OF the civil service law.
Continuing. the report shows hat i
some examinations there has been
dearth of applicants. due TO the small
ness Of the salary paid on the unde
sirabie nature of the work. In thl
connection raferenca L n,.dn 10 III