Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-31
CIVIL SERVICE HITS
!. BILLS At TRENTON
Board, Enumerating Them
Saws if They Become Law
They Will Be Disastrous.
TAKE PROTECTION FROM
MANY PUBLIC SERVANTS
Progress, Not Retrogression,
Declares Commission, Has
Marked History of Reform.
IFrom . star Correspondent.I

tFrom = STAFF Correspondent.l
TRENTON, N. j., March 3i.-The
S.ivil Service Commission in COM
2nunication to Governor Fielder and
Rhe members of the Legislature today
Outlines several bills now pending in
. he Legislature which. if they become
hw. in the opinion of the commits
Zion, will tend to weaken the effect
8genegs of civil service.
The commissions letter follows:
"The civil service law of the State
3f New Jersey was adopted by the
4 legislature in April, 1908. Since the
Saie of it's passage, no amendment
Increasing it's effectiveness or exclud-
<hz from its provisions any Of those
4 iginally protected has been adopted.
is the belief of this commission
hat such amendments as may be
Made 10 the law from time to time
Mould strengthen its operation and
&radually extend the benefits of its
&otection to larger number of en-
&oyees rather than to weaken it or
&pprive any protected by it of further
&otection.
Marked by Advance.
y The history of the operation of the
*vil service in the United States gov
Enment and in other States has been
&arked by an advance, rather than
a retrograde movement. This COM
[ission believes that for New Jersey
act otherwise in this regard will
#nstitute a breach of faith with
a ose OF all political faiths who
cured the enactment of the law and
#th those, constituting a large part
the voting population of the State,
d have at the referendums taken
the various municipalities voted
decisive majorties in favor of the
IS adoption.
liz number of bills have been intro
bed at the present session of the
rislature which. in the opinion of
commission. If passed, will con-
ute such breach of faith and
tend TO weaken public confidence
the civil service. If it shall be
policy of the Legislature from
he to time to select a position or
IS of positions which are there
er to be removed from the bene-
Of the law. the public will cease
have confidence in the stability of
civil service and the employee
perform his work with con-
ual sense of insecurity.
Effect ON Public Service.
Furthermore. because of this lack
confidence in the future, 1t will be
reasingly more difficult to secure
the public service those of the
essary capacity to serve the State
the many lines of important work
which it is engaged.
With no desire to attempt to die
your possible course of action,
under a sense of the RESPONSE
ty resting upon it to apprise you
vhafl sinZ 40. opinion of the COM
sion, wiz be the effect of the
asures referred to, we would he
:tfully request your disapproval of
following measures for the
sons indicated:
assembly 156-This bill extending
ference in appointment now given
to veterans of the Civil War to
be who served in any war of the
ted States is similar to bills
ch have been introduced in the
slatures of New York and Mas
lusetts for many years This Is
rly class legislation. The crea-
of such privileged classes within
civil service is unjustifiable and
mental to good administration.
assembly 157-In addition to the
erence given in Assembly 156. this
leaves to the commission no dis
ion as to what final rating candi-
IS in examination shall attain,
establishes a fixed and arbitrary
ing mark In each subject and
he general average of all sub
This should not be fixed in the
but it should be left to the Civil
ice Commission to raise the min
h markings as conditions may
FAINT
Court Employees Affected.
ssembly 2SS-RemoVes from the
ection of the civil service law
tirally all employees of the court
under the protection of the law.
ssembly 525-A particularly vic
bill which if enacted into law
practically destroy the protec-
features of the civil service. 1t
tly increases the number of those