New-York tribune., 1910-01-17
STATE C. s. REPORT
PENSIONS DISCUSSED.
Board Facors Scheme Preserc-
ing Efficiency and Discipline.

! Albany, Jan. l6-The State Civil Service
1 Commission, consisting of Charles f. AIlli-
! ken, John z Kraft and Roscoe c. Z.
Brown i'm its report submitted TO the Gov
ernor to-day, makes important recommen-
dations concerning the establishment of re-
sirement pensions for Civil Service en-
pioyes. The commission recognizes that
abe question is one which is being much
astated and is certain TO come before the
Legislature. and says:
The number Of superannuated employees
sn the state service does not at present
appear To be great enough 20 cause serious
Inconvenience or to make the necessity for
oealing with the problem acute. Never
Theiess. there is likely to be an increasing
demand for some retirement provision in
the state service The Civil Service Com
mission believes THAI the subject should
partnent or political division, or by any
hastily devised legislation, but that the
: general policy of provision for retirement
pensions should be carefully considered,
and II any action is taken comprehen-
siNe scheme should be adopted which
would al once insure economical admins
srst1on and the preservation OF efficiency
and discipline IN the service. The salaries
of public employees in the state and its
cities, except IN the higher grades, COM
pare favorahiy with those paid for similar
service in private life. and employees should
Old age. and probably with well devised
encouragement for savings they would, in
-Aie tcnS run. ne able 10 90 SO. IN the
Imitation Of any plan for retirement FUNDS
made I'D from contributions Of employees,
however. il would doubtless be necessary
for the state to give its aid in behalf OF
those already near the retirement age,
y lile placing the younger employees the
duty of maintaining the fund for their
own retirement Insurance rather than a
pension scheme would be most in harmony
with the independent and self-respectful
traditions of American life. and less likely
to create prejudice against permanent
Civil Service.
state such insurance might be obtained at
reasonable cost TO employees and should
serve, ali practical purposes as safe
guard against want Any insurance sys-
tenn IL is believed should be SO organized
rhaT every individual would have his own
particular insurance paid for by himself
and no ono else. except the state in the
case Of employees already advanced in SER
vice. and every insurance poljrv should
have al ali times an adequate surrender
value so that no question could arise as to
property right in office. or in the pension
fund contributed TO by an enplove which
would be sacrificed by separation from the
service II is absolutely essential 10 the
discipline of the public service that heads
OF departments should have the fullest
tight Of removal for reasonable cause.
without the necessity OF proving in court
a case OF positive malfeasance. Any prop
erty right in fgnd attached to the public
service would tend unreasonably TO ham
the administration of the public service at
the mercy OF organized public servants.
CONCENTRATIONS RENEWED.
Tne commission renews its recommends
-ion that the powers of investigation of
municipal Civil Service commissions be en-
larged. that taxpayers be allowed TO sue
10 test the legality of appointments of
policemen and other officers in the Civil
Service and that mandatory exemption of
deputies be limited TO one deputy 10 each
principal officer. II also suggests legisla-
ZION more clearly separating the civil and
criminal functions OF Sherif's employees so
as 10 make certain who are in the Civil
Service and who outside il. 1t also asks
authority to publish twice yearly civil
list OF the state and pamphlet containing
Information about examinations for the
use OF candidates.
The commission held twenty-eight sepa-
rate meetings in 1853. which It notes is the
largest number of meetings ever held in
one year by the commission. and il an
nounces that il will henceforth hold stated
meetings regularly IN the first and third
week of each month
All litigation 10 which The commission
has been a party has sprung from at
1empts TO break down the classification for
The benefit Of individuals. but in no case
has it been successful. The commission
reviews at length its investigation into the
case OF Earl H. Gallup. whom it found to
nave Deen removed by controller Gaus for
political purposes, and who has just Sc
cured a favorable verdict in the Supreme
Court, reinstating him; and its investiga-
ton into the letters written by- John F.
skelly. assistant secretary Of the Civil Ser
vice Commission of New York City, TO
Senator James J. Frawley. and severely
condemns Skellys conduct in untruly re-
porting TO Senator Frawley that improper
and illegal efforts were being made in be-
llsif OF his constituents.
The recent competitive classification Of
deputy attorneys general receiving less
Than 5000 year each is pointed to as q
method Of securing continuity OF service
which the Attorney General in public -ad-
dresses has advocated. suggesting giving
Them fixed term extending beyond that of
The Attorney General himself On this
point the report says:
The establishment OF any such svsten, *
question OF public policy, having no re-
4atlen TO the administration of the merit
system, out the Civil Service Commission
oeleNes that the same ends-that is con-
alniniy oi legal administration aud experi-
enced expert serVice-can be attained
Shrough The competitive classification OF
tteSs posllens, Whiie avoiding the danger
llcident 10 nNed statutory terms OF robbing
ne Attorney General of complete reSpor 81
tltH Tor ana control over his force and
making the department practically inde-
pendent of its chief The comnetifiVe
Classification would prevent positions on
The stan from BEING used for Datrona ee
With q change of administration and Al
the same time would leave an Attorney
General entirely free to dispense with as
SlstantS who were not rendering efficient
service or not faithfully CARRYING out his
poliey- The commission hopes that the
success of competition for the lower grade
positions will he such as to sIemonstrat te
the practicahilty of selecting depi,tIes of
1nucb higher grade by competition and
secure for The work Of the state a legal
stan highly trained IN its business and
finding in its service sn opportl,nifv worthy
OF the continued ambition of able men.
NEW YORK'S EXAMPLE FOLLOWED
Phe commission takes up the recent aa-
dress OF DIR. Charles W. Eliot. as nrAst
dent CT the National Civil Service Reform
League, in which he advocated the extend
Cd use of oral examinations in rating for
experience in higher professional places
and points out that II itself set the ev-
ample In 1875 for such examinations as d,-
rector. reference librarian, law librarian.
chief OF home education and director of the
libra school. and that the recent exani-
nation for librarian of the Chicago Public
library. which has been much commented
on as an innovation, followed the prece-
dent set i'm this state
On August i the rules were extended to
Chautauqua, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida.
Orange, Rensselaer,, Suffolk and Ulster
counties The service in seventeen counties
&c now classified