New-York tribune., 1909-02-08
UNIFORM REMOVAL LAW
STATE c. S. BOARD ASKS 1T.
SereroJ amendments to Lac asked
m AnnuaI Report.

Albany. Feb. THE State Civil Service com
missioners, Charles F. Miken, Roscoe C. z
Brown and John E Kraft. in their annual report
to be transmitted 10 the Governor tomorrow re-
new their recommendation that the law respecting
removals from public office be MADE unrorm
throughout the state, but hold that no arnenonent
should be adopted that would deprive appointing
officers OF the right of final judgment without re-
view in the courts.
They recommend also that the mandatory
emption under the statute of deputies be limited
TO for each principal executive officer that the
suggestion OF the Court of Appeals in its opinion
IN the Kings County that the Legislature
change She nature Of the relation between the
sheriff ana his appontees that the latter will no
longer be strictly agents Of the former, but inde-
pendent public officers liable for misconduct di-
rectly 10 any one injured by the same. be acted
upon; that Section 10 of the Civil Service law be
amended to confer upon municipal Civil Civil Ser
vice commissions within their several jurisdic-
tions the powers of investigation now exercised by
the state commission; that it be amended so as
TO require certhcation by the commission not
only 10 the fact that an appointment orisi-
naly made IN conformity with the Civil Service
law and rules. but that the employment continues
so, and also TO allow test by taxpayers ac-
ton of the legality Of the appointment Of persons
held to be public officers (such as policemen) In
the classified service, as well those held 10 be
mere public employees, the remedy by quo war
violations OF the Civil Service law in such
cases being cumbersome and practically ineffec-
tive
The commission aSaIn expresses fits belief that
amendment of the constitution the Civil Service
law designed TO extend further preferences In the
matter of appointment and promotion would be dis
astrous to the merit system and the public service
REDUCTION IN THE EXEMPT CLASS.
The last year. the report says, has bssn marked
by noteworthy extension of the rule OF compet-
tion into new fields and many offices hereto
fore in the exempt and non-competitive classes
Fg{nr1 tbe elias Sstf tfiCafi
the year places transferred from the non
competitive the competitive class while the num-
Der places previously exempt was reduced by ltS
In referring TO its action classifying in
the competitive class the position OF County Super
intendent of Highways in each OF the hfty-two
counties OF the which the classification and
rules had not been previously extended. the COM
mission says
sideration and in the belief that IT was required
not only for the practical good 10 be accomElsh&ea; ed
new state highway code. which was 10 90 into ef-
t6at On the oce of district superintendent q high
ways well as other subordinate onlces IN s tGe
eligible lists established by the State Civil Ser
highways and county superintendent OF highways.
county engineer are practically synonymous
be fned by appointment OF the State Highway
allied nv the county board Of supervisors. II is
obvious that they should be In the same , Tassin-
ton taken by the commission is In line with the
report, but it is new policy TO thus extend the
Operation of the Cvil Service rules certain
ali the ofces in any civil division OF the state
tenSng nd the merit system to particular Offices
which it would be practicable to hll by coTnpet-
Of other places would result in no practical ad-
yaRtsgs but w0gG oaer With nnprotable ab0r The
plan Of dealing with offices by classes rather tal
praetcsbe pr way Of further extending the Operation
OF the merit system
EXTENSION OF RULES CONSIDERED
The report states that the extension of the Civil
Service rules TO several additional counties incud-
ing Osgeso whose officials have made application
for such action, is under consideration. Referring
TO the proposed transfer from the non-conpetitNe
TO the competitive class of the minor positions IN
the state hospitals the report says the commission
has boen impressed with the arguments presented
in opposition any wholesale changes in the cassi
hcation OF the service in those institutions bu'
hopes that of the very frank exchange OF opl-
ions NAV grow some feasible plan for standaTdiz-
;ne the non-cornpetitive examinations throughout
the hospital service and possibly for bringing INTO
the competitive class some Of the higher ana peter
paid positions
Through provision made by the Legislature OF
oos sor an increased force in fits examinations dt-
vision the commission is now for the first tune
enabled to subject practically all examination pa
pers to review and checking, ana has peen enapieu
e. 20 expedte its work that at the close or the
80 on,y, +venty-eight examination papers re
rcained unrated. There were held during tne IasC
year ISL open competitive examinations III "lleI. ~
e44s candidates entered. as compared WIN 81
examinations and e.562 candidates IN !SO'- ol"i
.r,iat, t,ons TO determine the personal qualihca-
tiors or fitness Of candidates have been held oure
tbe wear with satisfactory results IN competitions
e. e. n,,r,her of positions including bank examin-
-. sIInerintendent of the Erie County lodging
tse s,,ner,ntenderlt of Craig Colony and TRACE IN
g+r,ctors AT the State Industrial School
THE CLASSIFIED SERVICE
lrSiN-e o
lahorers now numbers f0,8lO places ana ''0'
49,, o,,n+ies subject to the rules 2oSS places max
.He 80 of - aAS places under the direct super
-. >, +be state Civil Service Commission as
a,,nared with II a3f places year ago ana WIN
: e.n ,Iacas in 1889 when the present ClVh service
-, a,+ into effect OF the 1888 places IN Inc
classified service as above stated 6iSo ars III tue
,sti+iva class $500 are in the non-competl-
tive class (nostly confined 10 the state hospilai
ana rrieon serviceD and lo6s exempt
The repo1t refers in words of commentator 70
the second conference OF state and munlcipal CVA
Service commissioners held in Albany on OCTOBER
and and considers st length the work ana
7robems OF the forty-eighT municipal CiFh ser
vice commissions, including those in the two ne"
cities CiIens Falls and Oneonta. The H'specuoii
of the work of the municipal commissions oy tIe
s+ate commission has been more thoroug My done
the last wear than has been before since me
municipal commissions were first brought unoer
,r-,ie1p of the State Civil Service Commission in
,seA and has resulted marked benent 10 the
service The municipal commissioners thoush
se-virr without pay in many of the smaller cities
are as rule, the report states. pubhc-spirlted
citizens who only need to he informed as 10 ther
RESPONSIBILITIES and opportunities 10 secure their
earnest operation in the enforcement oi the "a"
end rules