Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-12-30
CIVIL SERVICE
MORE POPULAR
Increasing Interest Shown In
New Jersey.
(From the NEWS Correspondent.)

tFfOW tHS W. hS COTT oSpOHhtHt-i
Trenton, Dec. 30.-That there is
a growing sentiment in favor of Civil
Service in New Jersey is shown by
the annual report Of the State Civil
Service Commission, which was sub
mitted today to the incoming Legis-
lature. The report shows that at the
recent general election the provisions
Of the Civil Service act were adopt
ed by referendum in three additional
municipalities. Passaic county cast
1873 votes In its favor, to 7,461
votes against, thus adopting it by a
majority of 2,112 votes. The city
of Paterson adopted 1t by a major
ity of 1882. the vote being 6,743 in
favor and 1851 against. The
school district of Newark, under an
amendment to the act passed in
1911, adopted the act by a majority
of 676 votes, the balloting showing
6,373 votes in favor, to 5,697 votes
against.
Besides being enforced in the state
government, the Civil Service act has
now been adopted upon referendum
in II municipalities, as follows:
Essex county, Newark, East Orange,
Hudson county, Jersey City, Mercer
county, Trenton, South Orange, Pas
sale county, Paterson, and the New
ark school district. The total vote
in these r~eferendums in favor of the
adoption Of the act was 219,19S, to
a vote of 1850 against, or a ma
jority in favor in all the eleven
municipalities OF 81,648. In only
one small municipality, the borough
OF Haledon, has the adoption of the
act been defeated. The commission
reports further:
"In no year since the enactment
Of the law In 1908 has a movement
looking toward its further adop-
ton been lacking. During the first
year after the passage of the law,
five municipalities adopted 1t by res
olution or ordinance Of their re-
spected governing bodies. and the
next year two other. Further pro-
gress was, however, checked by liti-
CATION attacking adoption of the law
by ordinance and the law in its en-
tirety. BY the decision of the Court
of Errors and Appeals declaring un-
constitutional the adoption of the
law by ordinance or resolution of the
governing body, but sustaining the
constitutionality of the act In other
respects, the law became at once In
operative in seven municipalities.
"In no wise discouraged, the
friends of Civil Service reform at
once began a campaign for the re-
application of the Civil Service by
popular vote, and the net results of
about two years under new condi-
tons has been as described in the
foregoing. 1t is the firm belief of
this commission that the history of
public affairs in this state affords no
parallel to the remarkable success
of the movement favorable to Civil
Service"
The commission suggests an
amendment to the Civil Service act
making the act operative, In all Its
essential features, Immediately after
a vote in its favor. This sugges-
ton is made to prevent those in po-
litical control of a municipality, up
on the announcement Of q favorable
vote, to proceed within the As days
thereafter, in which such action is
now permissible, to appoint or pro-
mote q large number Of persons to
office, thus in a measure defeating
for a time at least n OF the prin-
cipal objects of the law and often
placing on extra and unnecessary
burden upon the taxpayers through
the creation of unnecessary posi-
tions. The Attorney General holds
that the provisions of the law relat-
ing removals becomes Immediately
operative, and the commission says 1t
Is highly desirable that the same
should be true of appointment.
Court decisions have, the commits
sion continues, made apparent that
some existing laws have to an extent
narrowed the field of the laws opera
ton. Thus, all positions in the jails
will, If an opinion of the Supreme
Court be affirmed, be in most coun-
ties placed entirely without the pro-
lection of the law, and all officers
with a statutory fixed term by deci-
sion Of both courts are now found
to be In this position. The situa-
ton, therefore, says the commission,
"in our opinion, warrants the enact
ment of such remedial legislation as
shall apply Tue Clfll Del vice Id" "
all positions Of the nature above
referred to, which we believe 1t was
originally intended should be in
cluded within It's Jurisdiction"
The commission recommends that
the law be enacted abolishing fixed
terms in Offices, not including de-
partment and office heads or any of
those now embraced in the u%nclassi-
fed service, but covering all those
officials who should be under civil
service.
During the year, exclusive Of cleo
ton officers, the commission con
Quoted 21O competitive examina-
tions, against 1870 last year and rs
the year before. These examine
lions were attended by 1857 candi-
dates, as against $3.50 the year be-
fore.
1t is shown by the commission that
fewer candidates than last year pre-.
scented themselves for examination
election officers. The commission
says that while 1t must confess to
some disappointment that more can
didates have not presented them
selves for nomination, 1t is firmly
of the belief that this provision Of
the Geran law Is justified by expe-