REFORM IN THE CIVIL SERVICE. 



689 



OBLIGATORY SUBJECTS. 



1. Writing from dictation 



2. Handwriting ................................ 



8. Spelling ....................... ........ ......... 



4. Arithmetic, numeration, simple addition, subtraction 

 multiplication, and division ................... 



Relative 

 weights. 



2 

 4 



Total. 



Candidates for the positions of office-messenger 

 or orderly must be in approved physical conditfon 

 for active duties. Applicants for position of prison- 

 guard, in addition to the other requirements specifi- 

 cally named in Rule X, must furnish satisfactory 

 vouchers that they are not irascible or passionate, and 

 are of a kind and humane disposition. They must 

 be not less than five feet nine inches in stature when 

 unshod, and before being admitted to service must 

 pass a physical examination by the prison physician. 



The first Board of Examiners was appointed 

 at Albany, on the 25th of December. It con- 

 sisted of Hiram E. Sickles, official reporter of 

 the Court of Appeals; James E. Morrison, Dep- 

 uty Superintendent of Public Instruction ; Wil- 

 lis E. Merrirnan, a clerk in the Comptroller's 

 office ; Richard G-. Milks, a book-keeper in the 

 Treasurer's office ; and John G. Clifford, a clerk 

 in the Insurance Department. The law respect- 

 ing competitive examinations and the rules of 

 the commission were to apply to appointments 

 made after Jan. 4, 1884. 



The application of the provisions of the law 

 to cities of more than 50,000 inhabitants was 

 left to the discretion of mayors, but before the 

 close of the year steps had been taken in both 

 New York and Brooklyn for the introduction of 

 competitive examinations. Mayor Seth Low, 

 of Brooklyn, was the first to take the matter up, 

 and, after consultation with the commission, 

 rules were formulated, the municipal service 

 was classified, and examiners were appointed. 

 Similar action was taken in New York, the 

 mayor and heads of executive departments 

 having first had a conference with the State 

 Commission in September. The service was 

 classified under four schedules, as follow : 



Schedule A includes all deputies of officers and 

 commissioners duly authorized to act for their prin- 

 cipals, persons occupying a strictly confidential posi- 

 tion, and stenographers. 



Schedule B includes clerks, copyists, recorders, 

 book-keepers, and others rendering clerical services 

 not specially included in Schedule A. 



Schedule C includes all per'->ns not laborers or day- 

 workmen who are not included in Schedules A and B. 



Schedule D includes persons employed as laborers 

 or day-workers. 



Appointments to positions in Schedule A 

 could be made without examination, but the 

 appointing officer was required to file with the 

 Examining Board, within five days after mak- 

 ing such appointment, a formal notification set- 

 ting forth the full name of such appointee, date 

 and place of birth, length of residence in the 

 city of New York, nature of previous employ- 

 ment, date of beginning of service and term 

 for which appointed, salary, the name of the 

 person in whose place the new man is appoint- 

 ed, and such other statistical information as 

 the board may deem proper for registration. 

 VOL. xxui. 44 A 



Applications for appointments under the other 

 schedules were to be filed with the Examining 

 Board, accompanied by the following papers : 



1. The affidavit of the applicant that he is eighteen 

 years of age ; that he Is a citizen of the United States 

 and a resident of the city of New York, stating the 

 street and number of his residence, the extent, place, 

 and nature of his education, and of his business train- 

 ing and experience. 



2. A list of the optional subjects upon which he de- 

 sires to be examined, if any ; and a statement whether 

 such application is limited to any particular office or 

 offices in the service. 



3. The certificate of not less than three nor more 

 than five reputable citizens of the city of New York, 

 that they have been personally acquainted with the 

 applicant for at least one year, and believe him to be 

 of good moral character, of temperate and industrious 

 habits, and in all respects fit for the service he wishes 

 to enter, and that each such citizen is willing that such 

 certificate should be published for public information. 



All examinations were to be in writing, on 

 the following subjects: 



OBLIGATORY. 



1. Handwriting (as shown in next subject). 



2. Copying from dictation. 



8. English spelling (as shown in previous subject). 



4. Arithmetic, viz. : Addition, subtraction, multiplication, 

 and division, as applied to whole numbers and fractions. 



5. Abstracting or digesting returns into summaries. 



6. Questions relating to the city of New York. 



OPTIONAL. 



7. Copying from manuscript and indexing. 



8. Arithmetic applied, viz. : Practical problems in propor- 

 tion, percentage, interest, discount, and average. 



9. Letter-writing on subjects connected with New York 

 city affairs ; grammatical correctness, clearness, and brevity 

 of expression will be considered. 



10. Book-keeping. 



Every applicant must be examined in the six obligatory 

 subjects, and may be examined further in such of the optional 

 subjects as he may select. 



The relative " weight" given to the obligatory sub- 

 jects in making up the average standing will be as 

 follows : Handwriting, 3 ; copying from dictation, 1 ; 

 English spelling. 2 ; arithmetic, 2 ; digesting returns, 

 1 ; New York city data, 1. Total, 10. Each subject 

 will be marked upon a scale of 100, which represents 

 the highest possible attainment. 



The standing of a candidate on the optional subjects 

 is to be marked according to the scale of 100, and is to 

 be recorded in the same way. The aggregate results 

 of each examination will be entered upon a register of 

 eligible candidates. The name of no person can be 

 entered upon the eligible list whose general standing 

 on the obligatory subjects is less than 70. 



The rules require that whenever the head 

 of an office or department certifies a vacancy 

 coming under the head of Schedule B to the 

 Board of Examiners, he shall signify whether 

 the position to be filled is a minor clerkship, 

 or whether any of the special qualifications 

 denoted by the optional subjects are essential, 

 and if so, which ones. If a minor clerkship be 

 certified, the names of the five persons having 

 the highest standing on obligatory subjects 

 will be returned by the board to the appoint- 

 ing officer, who shall fill the vacancy by ap- 

 pointing one of the five so certified to him, 

 and shall notify the board of the appointment. 

 If the appointing officer signifies that attain- 

 ment in one or more of the optional subjects 

 is essential, the Board of Examiners will re- 

 turn to him the names of the five candidates 



