Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-07
CIVIL SERVICE
BOARD TO HAVE
NEWARK OFFICE
Asks New York and Federal
Commissions to Cooperate
Toward Unity.
IN REPORT TO GOVERNOR,
SUGGESTS IMPROVEMENTS
Recommends Law Allowing Nom
Citizens of State to Fill
Technical Posts.
Especial to the Newark star.1


eral work of administration, the New
Jersey Civil Service Commission to-
day presented its annual report to Goy-
ernor Fort. Continuing, the report
says 1t is not the purpose Of h COM
mission to embarrass or in any way
compromise heads of departments In
their performance Of duty, but rather
to free them from and to
strengthen and them.
In pursuance of this policy, the COM
mission shows that 1t Is now arrang-
ing to maintain a permanent ONCE In
Newark for the transaction of routine
business connected with the three mu-
inequalities of Essex county to which
the Civil Service Commission law ap-
plies. This plan will make some mem
Der or authoritative representative of
the commission always on call and in
direct touch with those municipal serv-
ices, and will a V even the few hours
time in the certi1cation Of pay-rolls
which otherwise would be required In
sending them TO the general office at
Trenton. The commission says 1t is
expected that similar arrangements
will be made in other large municipalf-
ties when they are brought under the
law. This policy will, the report says,
doubtless increase local understanding
of and confidence In the system, and
will extend and confirm that popular
favor for 1t which Is now becoming
dominant throughout the State.
One of Its yexstious Problems.
One of the vexatious problems which
| Tho ooT1aVniGS{ap a we ~ hos had fn
deal with is that concerning certain
classes of State employees whose duties
are confined to spefcic locali-
ties and to whom special knowl-
edge of such localities is essential, such
as the fish and game wardens and the
probation officers. To solve this prob-s
lem the commission repeats its recon-
mendation made to the Legislature last
year, namely that the law be amended
in such a way as will permit the com
mission to restrict Its examinations for
positions of the character in question
to candidates who are residents of the
localities concerned.
The commission also points out the
~desirability of unifying, so far as pos
sible the heads Of departments and
appointing officers, as calculated to
promote the ends of good administra-
ton. In the matter of State service
classification the commission shows
that a somewhat novel problem was
presented during the veal by the need
of classifying certain employees who
were not exclusively subject TO the
authority of this State, such as those
of the Interstate Bridge Commission
and the Interstate Palisades Park
Commission. Negotiations are in
progress with the New York. Civil Serv-
ice Commission and with the inter
state commissions concerned for a sat
isfactory permanent solution of the
question.
$40 of 1.l52 Candidates Were Eligible.
The commission held 43 regular meet
ings during the year which were Sc
faithfully attended by the members
that only IL enforced absences were
recorded. The number Of competitive
examinations conducted was rs, which
were attended by 1852 candidates, of
whom $40 passed and were enrolled
upon eligible lists, and $50 failed. The
remaining 220 candidates being those
who attended the last ten examinations
and not yet rated. During the yea
there were 229 appointments In the
competitive class, 1,720 in the non
competitive class, and SO In the labor
class, a total of 2,o17 appointments.
There were made for the good of the
! service, for adequate causes not of a
political or religious nature, 229 dis
missals, a act which should abundant
ly %disprove the complaint, the report
says, which is still occasionally heard
hat the civil service law operates to
retain incompetent or unfatthful en-
ployees in office, n this to prevent
Improvement of the public service
Increased demands were made upon
the commission In the quality and
character of It's examinations. In Sc
curing eligible lists of experts for the
Public Utilities Commission, of ex-
aniners of building and loan associa-
lions, Of probation officers and others.
high qualifications were required and
expert aid was secured, In cooperation
with the heads of the departments con-
cerned, with gratifying results. The
report contains a number Of letters
testifying to the high standard set by
the examinations Of the commission.
The various hearings held during the
year with relation to complaints filed
are set forth. Details of these cases
referred to were printed at the time
of their consideration by the commits
sion.
Suggestion rs to Technical Positions.
1t has BEEN disclosed, according to
the report, that 1t is not always pos
sible to secure among the actual citi-
zens of the State the most desirable
candidates for the technical positions
requiring high qualifications. The civil
service law now restricts examinations
to citizens of the State, and the COM
mission says it believes that no injus-
tice would be done and that the end
Of higher efficiency would be promoted
by an amendment to the law permit
ting the admission Of candidates from
outside the State to examinations for
such places as those in question, after
1t has been u impossible to fill
them to the best advantage from in
side the State.
There is set forth the decision of the
Court OF Errors and Appeals declaring
unconstitutional the method by which
civil service was adopted in munich
palities, but it is shown that the civil
service law was so popular that not
withstanding the adverse decision the
law was Immediately adopted by refer
endum, in Essex county, Newark and
! East Orange