REFORM IN THE CIVIL SERVICE. 



695 



The number of places in the service of the 

 city to be filled by competitive examination is 

 5,486. 



The Supervisory Board was asked by a 

 resolution of the Assembly to report " the re- 

 quirements established by them as conditions 

 to appointment in the Police and Fire Depart- 

 ments in New York city." From its report, 

 March 3, 1885, it appears that all applications 

 in those departments have to be made upon 

 blanks furnished by the respective departments, 

 and be accompanied by testimonials as to the 

 applicant's good moral character, sobriety, and 

 industry. Proper officers of the department 

 in which appointment is sought are required 

 to make inquiry as to the applicant's general 

 character, habits, and reputation, and especial- 

 ly make direct and explicit inquiry of the 

 signers of his testimonials. The applicant is 

 required to present a statement containing 

 answers to questions concerning his physical 

 qualifications, and submit himself to an exami- 

 nation by the surgeon of the department as 

 to his physical soundness, and is afterward 

 subjected to a competitive examination in 

 strength, endurance, and dexterity. Applicants 

 for places as policemen, in addition to an exami- 

 nation as to their general qualifications, are ex- 

 amined on questions relating to city govern- 

 ment, location of streets, public buildings, and 

 railroad depots, and other subjects respecting 

 which strangers in the city are likely to in- 

 quire. Candidates for positions as firemen are 

 examined as to the location of streets, and the 

 location and construction of buildings, with es- 

 pecial reference to precautions against fire. 

 No person whose average standing on all the 

 subjects is below seventy is entered on the 

 eligible list. Promotions are made from the 

 next lower grade by competitive examination. 

 All appointments are made for a probationary 

 period of one month, a portion of which must 

 be 'passed in the school of instruction. The 

 capacity of every member of the uniformed 

 Pjlice and Fire Departments and the Depart- 

 ment of Public Parks is to be inquired into 

 once every three years. 



In the City of Brooklyn, Regulations for ad- 

 mission to the civil service of the city of 

 Brooklyn, under the original civil-service act 

 of the State of New York, were prescribed by 

 Mayor Low, Dec. 15, 1883. These were the 

 first municipal regulations adopted in the coun- 

 try, and have served as a model for the other 

 cities of the State. These were replaced, Aug. 

 15, 1884, by more stringent regulations under 

 the mandatory acts of May, 1884. The public 

 service of the city is classified under three 

 schedules. Schedule A includes all persons 

 that are not employed as laborers or day- 

 workmen, and are not to be appointed upon 

 competitive examination ; Schedule B includes 

 all that are to be appointed on competitive ex- 

 amination ; Schedule D includes all employed 

 as laborers or day-workmen. The places in 

 Schedule B are, for the purposes of examina- 



tion, subdivided into classes and grades. The 

 mayor is required to employ eleven suitable 

 persons, citizens of Brooklyn, two of whom 

 shall be physicians, to constitute the Civil- 

 Service Commission of Brooklyn. Not more 

 than six of the commissioners are to be mem- 

 bers of the same political party. They are 

 also to act as examiners, and to serve without 

 remuneration. For thirty days after the quali- 

 fication of any new officer or head of a de- 

 partment, he is at liberty to make dismissals 

 from his clerical force, except where prohibit- 

 ed by law, but all such dismissals must be cer- 

 tified to the commission. Appointments to 

 places in Schedule A may be made without 

 examination, but full particulars concerning 

 all appointees are to be filed with the com- 

 mission. Every vacancy in Schedule B not 

 filled by promotion must be filled from those 

 who have passed highest in open competitive 

 examinations. Every application must set 

 forth full particulars under oath, and must be 

 accompanied by certificates of not less than 

 three or more than five reputable citizens of 

 Brooklyn, as to the applicant's good moral char- 

 acter, sobriety, industry, and fitness for the 

 service, as well as by the certificate of a prac- 

 ticing physician in good standing that he is 

 physically able. Applicants for the Police 

 Department must have been citizens of the 

 United States and residents of Brooklyn for 

 four years ; must be not less than twenty -six or 

 more than thirty years of age, and of the pre- 

 scribed height, weight, and chest-measurement; 

 and must present satisfactory certificates of 

 character and habits, and be certified by the phy- 

 sicians of the department to be physically sound. 

 Candidates found to be duly qualified are 

 placed upon the lists in the order of merit as 

 shown by the examination, except that honor- 

 ably discharged soldiers and sailors of the late 

 war are to be preferred over other candidates 

 of equal standing. All examinations must re- 

 late to matters that will fairly test the relative 

 capacity and fitness of the candidates. Vacan- 

 cies that the welfare of the city requires to be 

 filled, but which can not be filled by promo- 

 tion, must be reported to the commission, who 

 must certify to the appointing officer the high- 

 est three names on the list. The appointment 

 must be made from these three. If special 

 attainments are required, the commission may 

 certify the names of the three persons whose 

 standing is the highest in the special subjects 

 designated, or a special examination may be 

 held. No person is to be certified for appoint- 

 ment more than three times, except upon the 

 request of the appointing officer. When the 

 employment of any person in Schedule B is 

 terminated, and the head of the department 

 certifies that he has satisfactorily performed his 

 duties, his name is returned to its proper place 

 on the list. All appointments except upon the 

 uniformed police and fire forces are made for a 

 probationary term of two months. Firemen 

 are required to serve a probationary period of 



