Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1913-04-24
Civil Service Commission De-
cides in Favor of Only Re-
publicans and Democrats.
BASED ON VOTE FOR
ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES
Question Mas Raised in Es-
sex County Where Progress
sivas Mere Second Highest
(From the NEWS Correspondent.)

Trenton, April 24:-The ClVll
Service Commission today author
lied the sending to the chairman of
each Progressive County Committee
of a letter notifying them that un-
der the Geran election act it will be
useless for members of the Progress
sive party to enter the examinations
this year for appointment as mem
bers of the local Boards of Registry
and Election. The Civil Service
Commission shows that the Demo-
cratic and Republican parties cast
the highest and next highest number
of votes for members of assembly
last fall, and, therefore, only men,
bers of these parties can serve on
the election boards, pursuant to the
provisions of the Geran act. The
letters were sent to the Progressive
county chairmen today by Chief
Examiner and Secretary Gardner
Colby, of the commission.
The question was raised by let
ter sent to Mr.. Colby by Walter F.
Simpson, of Newark. In Essex coun-
ty the Progressive party polled the
second largest vote for members of
assembly last fall, and this led to the
query whether Progressiyes should
serve on the election boards in that
county. The letter authorized by the
Civil Service Commission is as fol-
lows:
"It seems clear that under Sec
tions 8, 4 and of the Geran law,
examination for members of the
District Boards of Registry and Elec-
tion is clearly limited this year to
members of the Democratic and Re-
publican parties, for the law states
that they shall be appointed from
each of the two political parties
which at the last preceding general
election cast the largest and next
largest number of votes in the state
for members of the general assem-
bly,
"The language used indicates the
county lines are to be disregarded
in determining the parties from
which the selection is to be made and
that the vote of the whole state on
members of the general assembly is
to be taken as the basis for the de-
termination Of the parties which cast
the largest number of votes for
members of the general assembly.
The returns as given by the legisla-
tive manual show the vote on mem
bers of the assembly to have been as
follows:
Democratic-163, 3,969.
Republican-92,70
1854.
From the foregoing 1t Is seen
that the two parties casting the
largest and the next largest number
of votes were the Democratic and
the Republican parties. 1t would,
therefore, be useless for members Of
the Progressive party to enter such
an examination this year, for II they
passed they could not be certified for
appointment.
"The language used in the sec
tions referred to seems further to
confirm the opinion that examina-
tions each year shall be limited to
members of the two parties casting
the largest number of votes at the
last general election. Party affilia-
tions are clearly the basis of nomi-
nation, examination and certification,
and the plan to be followed by the
Civil Service Commission on each
succeeding year seems to be indicat-
ed by the result of the previous cleo
tion. Not only would it be useless
for the Civil Service Commission to
admit Progressives to examination
this year, but am inclined to think
it would be illegal, as well, to do So"