university05 ILLINOIS LIBRARY urbana-cham?™^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/report1916publ Summary An attempt should be made to secure agreement as to classification titles in the various commonly recognized professions, trades and occupations. Subdivi¬ sion should not be too minute. We believe it unwise to attempt, by means of classification of positions, to restrict promotions or lines of promotion within narrow limits. There is at present no uniformity among commissions as to subjects and weights of examinations for similar positions, and no uniformity as to methods of examination. There is however an agreement as to essentials and it should not be difficult to arrive at a fairly uniform application of the principles involved. Commissions should be empowered to fix age limits and to vary same when required. Rigid requirements as to local residence are too restrictive in some cases. Commissions should have control over the matter. We believe that commissions should be authorized to require fees for exam¬ ination to be applied with sound discretion. Examination standards should present a degree of uniformity for similar ex¬ aminations, but allowance must always be made for local conditions. Minimum prerequisite qualifications of education and experience are desir¬ able in many cases. Examinations above the grade of apprentice, office boy, junior clerk, etc. should always include “experience” as a subject for rating. Examinations for unskilled or common labor positions should be competi¬ tive as far as practicable, the rating to be based on physical or practical examina¬ tions, or both, and an experience rating. The receipt of applications for common-labor should be continuous, if the demand warrants, and new names should be added to the eligible lists at fre¬ quent intervals. j The use of oral examinations on technical or practical matters is to be dis¬ couraged except for skilled and unskilled labor, and in other cases only where it is evident that a written examination is positively unsuitable. Oral interviews in connection with experience ratings are commended. They should be given the most careful attention and used more frequently, sub¬ ject to obvious limitations. { .. We advocate physical examinations wherever practicable and reasonable, h such examinations to be made by physicians in the employ of, or designated by, ^ the civil service commission without expense to the candidate or for a nominal fee. Investigations of experience statements, and of character are in some cases indispensable. Outside sources of information should be consulted where prac¬ ticable. Provisional appointments should be avoided as far as possible, as they give d? an advantage in examination to the incumbent, and also discourage competition. Genuine cooperation between commissions and appointing officers will lessen this "> evil. New positions should, wherever possible, he filled by promotion, and the ser- vice recruited in the lower grades. <. Commissioners should fed greater personal responsibility for the character 3 — \ . \ and ability of men and women certified for appointment. No perso., certified for a position whom commissioners would not be willing to employ the same capacity in their private business. RECOMMENDATIONS That the Assembly appoint a standing committee to work out an acceptable classification scheme and minimum prerequisite qualifications. That each commission represented at this meeting of the Assembly, and others to be designated by the executive committee, or otherwise be requested to study an assigned class of examinations and to report results at subsequent meetings, with recommendations in detail as to standard examinations, and methods of rating.. NOTE: The Committee regrets that conference and exchange of views on the report has been almost impossible because of the fact that the members 'of the committee are so widely separated. It should be stated that Mr. Doty and Mr. Whitman do not fully concur in what is herein said in regard to examination fees. Mr. Doty also differs on the matter of age limits. > 4 Co-operation Among Civil Service Commissions on Examination Standards Inasmuch as the first and most important function of a civil service commis¬ sion is to select the best available persons for the public service, cooperation with a view to agreement as to examination standards is of vital importance to this assembly. Believing that if civil service commissions, generally, are to make progress in approximating a scientific, selective, competitive system there must be agree¬ ment at the outset on certain broad fundamentals of classification and examination, your committee submits in this report for the consideration of the National As¬ sembly of Civil Service Commissions: ' (a) A statement of the fundamental principles governing classification of positions and a discussion of classification of the service so far as such classification is, or’can be, universal in its nature. (b) A discussion of the fundamental principles governing examinations. (c) Model examinations for selected classification units. (d) Recommendations for cooperative studies and experiments or investiga¬ tions through the work of committees, or otherwise. (A) CLASSIFICATION : We find here and there in all administrative organizations certain positions requiring experience within a department to insure familiarity with local condi¬ tions, laws and practices. It would be futile at this time to discuss the classifica¬ tion of such specialized departmental positions, which as a rule are, or should be, filled by promotion from the ranks, but our inability to come to any agreement as to the classification of such specialized positions should not prevent coopera¬ tion as to a very large proportion of the services common to the various states and municipalities. There is lack of uniformity among commissions in the use of such terms as “division”, “class”, “rank”, “grade” and “group”. We are of the opinion that there is no occasion for subclasses or ranks in the service and that a classification for examination purposes should contain an enumeration of classes and grades only. We see no material advantages arising from an artificial classification of the service into large divisions, such as “agricultural service”, “custodial ser¬ vice”, “inspectional service”, “professional service”, “investigational service”, “ar¬ tisan or mechanical service”, “skilled trades”, etc. Such a classification brings into juxtaposition unrelated employments. It does not materially assist in estab¬ lishing standardized salary schedules, nor does such a classification serve as a final determining factor in establishing lines of promotion or in limiting the num¬ ber of required open competitive examinations. We think that the grouping of employment by divisions serves no good purpose whatsoever. We believe: (a) That an attempt should be made to secure agreement as to classification-titles in the various commonly recognized professions, trades and occupations. (b) That all employments in a direct line of natural promotional gradation should be arranged by grades under a common title or class. (c) That classes should be arranged alphabetically and identified or numbered in accordance with some established expansive classification scheme, such as the Cutter Alfabetic Order List. Each class should be divided into grades 5 according to the relative importance of the duties, responsibilities and re¬ quired preliminary qualifications, the grade representing one or more groups of closely allied services and equivalent as to monetary value. (d) We should abandon any attempt by means of classification of positions to re¬ strict promotions within narrow limits. Promotional rights by examination should be extended to all persons within a department satisfying the prelim¬ inary requirements laid down in the open competitive examination for the same position, or, in the discretion of the commission, to all persons in the service satisfying such requirements. CLASSIFICATION is, by definition: “The act or process of arranging by classes; the putting together of like objects or facts under a common designa¬ tion; a process based on similarities of nature, attributes or relations.” To apply this to the great body of positions in a governmental organization, we must have clearly in mind the purpose of the classification and the end to be attained by it. The objects of a classification are: First—To put together in units all positions in the service, the performance of whose duties requires similar qualifications and abilities, and to give these units titles that most nearly describe the duties of the positions coming within them, for the purpose of giving the Civil Service Commission a clear conception of the employment needs of the organization it has to serve. Second—To give a description or a typical illustration of the specific duties of each unit, so that a clear conception may be had of the requirements of the po¬ sition or positions falling within that unit. This description should be accompanied by a list of qualifications necessary to the successful performance of those duties, together with a notation of the compensation to be paid. Third—To set forth clearly the natural promotions that may be looked for¬ ward to by persons falling within any unit of the classification where the pro¬ motion depends upon a greater experience and a higher degree of proficiency in that line of work. Promotion to any other line of work must always be at the selection of the employee and must be provided for in the requirements of the position to which promotion is sought. Fourth—To provide, for the information of the general public and employees in the service, a convenient summary of the various kinds of employments in the service; the qualifications necessary for appointment thereto; the compensation paid; and the promotion that may be anticipated. The following form of classification has been worked out to fulfill the above purposes. The service is divided into classes of employment, each class representing positions the duties of which require the same or similar qualifications and abili¬ ties. A new class shall be created only when the duties to be performed are so different from the duties of any other class that an essentially different test of qualifications and abilities is necessary. Each class is divided into grades based upon the relative importance of the duties, the degree of responsibility they impose, and the amount of previous ex¬ perience necessary to their proper performance. A higher grade should be estab¬ lished only when the duties to be performed warrant a special determination of the capacity and ability of the persons who are to perform the duties in that higher grade. The classes established are arranged alphabetically by titles and are identified by C. A. Cutter’s “Alfabetic-order Table.” Following are typical classes ar¬ ranged in this order: 6 A 172— ACCOUNTANTS This class covers those offices or employments in which the incum¬ bents are required to analyze and interpret evidence of transactions, to re¬ port on the accuracy and significance of records and accounts and the justice of claims, to devise, install and supervise business procedures, financial and auditing methods, records and documents, and to collect and interpret physi¬ cal and operating data. GRADE I—ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT (A 172-1) Duties — The duties of incumbents of these positions are to perform, under super¬ vision, detail work connected with making audits, examinations and investi¬ gations of records or accounts. Examples: Verifying extensions and footings. Taking and checking trial balances. Qualifications — 1. A certificate granted on the completion of a standard course of instruc¬ tion in accountancy in an accounting school of recognized standing, or proof of other training in accountancy recognized by the Civil Service Commis¬ sion as the equivalent, but not necessarily any experience in accountancy other than that which is incident to the attainment of these qualifications. 2. Such additional qualifications as may from time to time be prescribed by the Civil Service Commission. Compensation — Range of annual compensation. Salary rates. GRADE II—I UNI OR ACCOUNTANT (A 172-2) Duties — • The duties of incumbents of these positions, which may or may not involve supervision, are to execute according to general instructions the detail work connected with audits and investigations and reports thereon, and to carry on independently audits and investigations of minor scope. Examples: Analyzing and reconciling simple accounts. Verifying registers and postings to controlling accounts. Devising forms of incidental records. Qualifications — 1. The minimum qualifications prescribed for Grade 1. 2. Not less than one year of experience in Grade 1, or if appointed other¬ wise than by promotion from Grade 1, in work of the character and stand¬ ard of Grade 1. 3. Such additional qualifications as may from time to time be prescribed by the Civil Service Commission. Compensation — Range of annual compensation. Salary rates. GRADE III—SENIOR ACCOUNTANT (A 172-3) Duties —(To be filled in) 7 Qualifications —(To be filled in) Compensation —(To be filled in) E 57— ENGINEERS (Professional) This class covers those offices or employments in which the incumbents are required to conduct surveys, to prepare, supervise or investigate designs, plans, estimates, specifications and contracts, or to construct, operate, main¬ tain and inspect such projects and works as highways, bridges, transportation, harbor and terminal facilities, buildings, and such projects and works as are incidental to the production, distribution and utilization of light, heat and power, the collection, purification and distribution of water, and the collec¬ tion and disposal of sewage, garbage, snow and other waste, or to perform ser¬ vices in organizing and reorganizing administrative units for which training and experience in engineering are conspicuous qualifications. The professional training and experience which are required for admis¬ sion to positions in the various grades, and the specific duties of incumbents of these positions are set forth in the several grade specifications which follow: GRADE I—ENGINEERING ASSISTANT (E 57-1) Duties — The duties of the incumbents of these positions are to perform, under sup¬ ervision, elementary or apprentice work in field, works or office in one or more of the specialized engineering branches. Examples: Using surveying, measuring and drafting instruments, engineering tables and diagrams. Inspecting or investigation of minor details of engineering work and ma¬ terials. Computing. Qualifications — 1. Such training in civil, mechanical, electrical, sanitary or other engineer¬ ing branches as is evidenced by a professional degree granted on the com¬ pletion of a standard course of instruction in an engineering school of recog¬ nized standing, but not necessarily any experience in the practice of engineer¬ ing other than that which is incident to the attainment of such qualifications. 2. Such additional qualifications as may from time to time be prescribed by the Civil Service Commission. Compensation — Titles —Junior Engineer (E 57-2) Junior Engineer (Civil) (E 57-2C) Junior Engineer (Mechanical) (E 57-2 M) Junior Engineer (Electrical) (E 57-2 E) Junior Engineer (Sanitary) (E 57-2 Sa.) Duties — The duties of incumbents of these positions, which may or may not be super¬ visory in character, are to execute definite instructions in a minor division of engineering work in field, works or office. Examples: Designing or examining plans under supervision. Preparing general or working drawings. 8 Inspecting or investigating engineering work and materials. Making computations and compiling data for reports and cost records. Directing a field party on surveys, construction or repair work. Supervising or inspecting minor operating works. Qualifications — 1. The minimum qualifications prescribed for Grade 1. 2. Not less than one year of experience in Grade 1, or if appointed other¬ wise than by promotion from Grade 1, in work of the character and standard of Grade 1. 3. Such additional qualifications as may from time to time be prescribed by the Civil Service Commission. 4. — Compensation— Range of annual compensation. Salary rates. GRADE III (E 57-3) Titles —To be filled in) Duties —(To be filled in) Qualifications—{To be filled in) Compensation —(To be filled in) N 974 —NURSES The term Nurse is applied to those offices or employments in which incum¬ bents are required to perform such services in the nursing, care and treatment of the sick, and in the investigation, reporting, prevention and correction of conditions unfavorable to the health of individuals or communities as may lawfully be performed by nurses. The professional training and experience which are required for admission to positions in the various grades and the specific duties of incumbents of these positions are set forth in the seevral grade specifications which follow: GRADE I (N 974-1) Titles —Nurse Field Nurse Duties — NURSE: The duties of nurses are to perform under supervision, routine nursing in hospiltals and other institutions in which routine nurs¬ ing is not performed by pupil nurses, or to supervise and be responsible for the nursing work performed in a hospital ward by pupil nurses or other helpers. Examples: Executing in person the orders of physicians or superiors in the care and treatment of patients or inmates. Supervising routine nursing work in a ward in which routine nursing work is performed by pupil nurses or other helpers. FIELD NURSE: The duties of Field Nurses are to perform, under su¬ pervision, such definite details of field nursing or social service work as may be required in the investigation, -reporting, prevention and correction of diseases or conditions unfavorable to the health or welfare of individuals or communi¬ ties, or to supervise small units of field nursing work. Examples: 9 Supervising the health of school children and visiting the homes of parents to secure treatment for children requiring treatment or care. Investigating and reporting cases of communicable diseases. Visiting the homes of the sick to provide nursing care or to assist in their social betterment. Investigating conditions or circumstances attending the birth of children. Visiting midwives to examine their equipment and methods. Acting as nurse in charge of branch office or clinic in the Bureau of Pre¬ ventable Diseases of the Department of Health. Qualifications — 1. A certificate or license to practice as a registered nurse issued by the proper authorities of the state. 2. Such additional qualifications as may from time to time be prescribed by the Civil Service Commission. 3 . — C o mp ensatio n — NURSE: Range of annual compensation— Salary rates— FIELD NURSE: Range of anuual compensation— Salary rates— REPORT OF NEW YORK SENATE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL SERVICE LACK OF UNIFORMITY It is interesting in this connection to quote from the first report (1916) of the Committee on Civil Service of the Senate of the State of New York appointed to investigate the civil service of the state, with particular reference to salaries, grades, and duties of officers and employees. Following is a statement regarding multiplicity of fictitious and unnecessary titles (see page XVI) : “According to standards developed after investigation and submitted as part of this report, there are approximately 943 fictitious or unnecessary titles in the State service to-day. These irregular titles may be grouped according to the general class of work performed thereunder. Titles are now used to designate employments for the purpose of civil ser¬ vice and budget control. A title, as construed by law, indicates not only the relative rank and importance of an employe's status, but also the scope of his employment and constitutes the restrictions or limitations beyond which he may refuse to work. An improper title, because of its legal as well as its institutional significance, almost invariably spells waste. The following illustrations summarize the result of this looseness of practice: Employes performing miscellaneous (as opposed to technical or special¬ ized) clerical work of a standard which would reasonably warrant compensa¬ tion of from $540 to $780 per anuum, and which should be classified under one standard title, are now receiving a variety of salary rates from $360 to $1,500 per annum, under 30 different titles, some of which are as misleading as the rates of compensation are unsound. Employes performing miscellaneous clerical work of the next higher grade which would reasonably warrant an annual compensation of from $840 to 10 $1,200 per annum, and which should be classified under one standard title, are now receiving a variety of salary rates from $600 to $2,700 per annum, under 98 titles. Employes performing miscellaneous clerical work of the next higher grade, which would reasonably warrant a compensation of from $1,320 to $1,800 per annum, and which should be classified under one standard title, are now receiv¬ ing from $1,080 to $3,500 per annum, under 83 distinct titles. These irregularities of title, while striking, typify the present practice. Like the irregularities of compensation they reflect a disregard of efficient methods of administration and, having continued over a period of years, have resulted in an accumulation of obsolete practices. In this connection, attention should be called to the difficulties and disadvantages under which department heads often work. They are frequently so absorbed with large administrative policies of their departments that they have little or no time to consider details of per¬ sonnel adjustment. They are compelled of necessity to leave many of these problems to subordinates who, in turn, have grown so accustomed to established departmental methods and traditions that they seldom initiate changes to meet new conditions or improve departmental practice.” (B) EXAMINATIONS : Fundamental principles underlying competitive examinations: (1) In order to insure the adoption of effective selective methods, examiners must make a preliminary intensive study of the duties of the position to be filled; must visualize the job, and must have a definite conception of the ideal man for the job. We recommend the general use of some such form as the following now in use by the California State Commission. FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES OF THE POSITION OF Title of position Class Grade Salary Limits List the duties of the position under the following heads: I. DUTIES WHICH ARE PURELY MECHANICAL OR ROUTINE IN NATURE: a. b. c. II. DUTIES WHICH REQUIRE SOME SKILL AND ACCURACY: a. b. c. III. DUTIES WHICH REQUIRE SOME SKILL AND ACCURACY AND EXPERIENCE: a. b. c. IV. DUTIES WHICH REQUIRE EXPERIENCE AND ABILITY AND INVOLVE FIXED RESPONSIBILITY: a. b. 11 V. DUTIES WHICH ARE SUPERVISORY, INVOLVING INDE¬ PENDENT JUDGMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE WORK OF OTHERS, OR WHICH ARE NOT SUPERVISORY BUT REQUIRE JUDGMENT AND INDEPENDENT ACTION: a. b. c. VI. DUTIES WHICH REQUIRE A HIGH ORDER OF SPECIAL¬ IZED KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND ABILITY, BUT WHICH ARE NOT NECESSARILY SUPERVISORY, OR WHICH ARE SUPERVISORY BUT OF A HIGHER ORDER THAN V: a. b. c. VII. DUTIES WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE SUPERv ISORY AND WHICH REQUIRE RECOGNIZED EXPERT KNOWLEDGE AND SPECIAL EXPERIENCE AND ABILITY: a. b. c. VIII. DUTIES WHICH ARE ADMINISTRATIVE, INVOLVING RE¬ SPONSIBILITY FOR THE WORK OF AN ENTIRE DEPART¬ MENT. a. b. c. Note: Mark with a star (*) those duties which are only occasional, that is, re¬ curring only every six months or so. (2) Prior to holding an examination, the statement of duties and prerequisite qualifications must be carefully compared with the proposed examination scheme, and such scheme must satisfy the end desired. (3) A written examination should be given in all cases where the knowledge, ability or skill of candidates can be determined thereby. (4) Weight should be given to the written examination in proportion to the degree in which fitness can be determined by that means. (5) No question should be asked in a written examination if there is any doubt as to its value in ascertaining fitness. Each question should involve some specific test not already covered; otherwise the question is unnecessary. (6) If it is desired to apply experimental tests, they should be given little or no weight until their effectiveness has been determined. (7) The emphasis in all written examinations, as far as possible should be upon ability to think, to reason and to do, and the use of memoriter tests should be discouraged. (8) The inclusion of all possible desirable kinds of knowledge in a written examination tends to blur the result. Emphasis should be placed on the quality and not on the quantity of an examination, and the tendency should be in the direc¬ tion of effective simplicity. (9) An oral examination should be required only when the physical senses are to be tested, or when we must determine skill or ability not ascertainable by 12 the written examination, or, as in examinations for labor or trades positions, where competitors are usually able to express themselves better orally than in writing. (10) An oral interview of candidates who are successful in the other subjects of the examination may properly be required in all examinations, its purpose being to reenforce and make clear the statements’made by the candidate in his application or experience paper concerning his previous education and experience, and to make possible the formation of a judgment as to personal qualifications when such are deemed to be essential factors. An oral interview enables the ex¬ aminer to give a qualitative rating to experience,—that is to say, to give the pre¬ vious conduct, service and training of a candidate its true value; or, if it fails to do that, it suggests a more intelligent inquiry of former employers. When the conclusions reached in an oral interview are reenforced or modified by reports from former employers a dependable rating for experience can be given. (11) Practical tests: The weight to be given the practical test in the skilled trades must depend upon the degree to which the test will yield dependable conclusions as to the relative competency of candidates. If the test is short and limited in scope, care must be taken not to give too great weight to the conclu¬ sions reached. (12) It would be very interesting if records of performance of persons ap¬ pointed from lists could be checked back to examination results to determine in what respects the examination succeeded or failed. (C) MODEL EXAMINATIONS FOR SELECTED CLASSIFICATION UNITS : Attached to this report will be found a questionnaire prepared by the com¬ mittee and sent to all Civil Service Commissions in the country. While most of the smaller commissions have failed to send in replies, a number of the larger commissions have very carefully replied in detail, giving the committee valuable information. These questions were asked for the purpose of ascertaining the practice of various commissions as to examinations. We find that there is no uniformity of practice in any respect. Preliminary requirements as to residence, age, education and experience differ in the various jurisdictions, nor is there any uniformity in the schemes of examination used for similar positions. For instance, one State Commission in its most recent clerical examination included nine separate subjects, while the commission of one of the largest cities of the United States includes only four subjects in its lower grade clerical examination. The former includes an experience rating with a relative weight of three-tenths; the latter does not give any experience rating. Out of thirteen of the larger commissions reporting, ten give an experience rating with a relative weight varying from one-tenth to four-tenths. Three com¬ missions give no experience rating. Out of these ten commissions giving experi¬ ence ratings five give oral interviews in connection with the rating and five do not. The same lack of uniformity is found in examinations for the lower grade engineering positions although the differences are not so marked. For example, one city in an examination for civil engineer on street improvements included the following subjects and relative weights: Spelling, 5; composition, 5; penmanship, 5; mathematics and practical questions, 55; experience, 30. Total weights, 100 The majority of commissions reporting, however, give a written examination on 13 the duties of the position with a weight of from five-tenths to seven-tenths, and an experience rating, weight five-tenths to three-tenths. The New York City Commission is the only one reporting which gives a physical examination for all positions. This Commission has carefully worked out physical standards for every position appearing in the classification; medi¬ cal examiners regularly employed by the commission examine all candidates who must measure up to the standard requirements. Four other commissions require the execution, by a physician of the candi¬ date’s selection, of a medical certificate on the application blank. The eight other commissions have no requirements as to physical or medical examination. Eight commissions report the use of confidential inquiries regarding character, habits and ability, in connection with clerical examinations, while five do not. SKILLED TRADE EXAMINATIONS With regard to examinations for the skilled trades the same differences are noted. One city commission uses the following subjects and weights in the exam¬ ination for carpenter: Arithmetic, 10; practical questions, 30; practical test, 30; experience, 30. Out of nine commissions reporting, only one, the United States Commission, omits the practical test entirely; the reason is obvious; it is practically impossible to conduct practical tests all over the United States. The remaining eight commissions reporting give practical tests in the skilled trades examina¬ tions with a weight varying from one-tenth to four-tenths. Physical condition is rated in these examinations by five out of seven commissions, while all commis¬ sions except New York City give a rating for experience. In New York, labor positions are not filled by competition but by registration after a practical test in which oral questions may be asked, but no experience rating is given. COMMON LABOR Six commissions reported on examinations for unskilled laborers; of these, one commission, New York City, bases relative standing solely on registration’ that is, on priority of application; this is due to the provisions of the general civil service law of New York State. Four other commissions give a physical examin¬ ation for laborer with a weight of from five-tenths to seven-tenths and an experi¬ ence rating, weight five-tenths to three-tenths; in Illinois the law does not require eligibles for laborer to be certified in any particular order and no experience rat¬ ing is given, but there is a physical examination which may disqualify candidates. CONFIDENTIAL INQUIRIES With regard to the verification of experience statements by the use of inquir¬ ies, confidential or otherwise, there is great difference of practice. Here again we must refer to the New York City Commission which maintains a specially organ¬ ized bureau to make an investigation of the past record and general character of all eligibles before certification for appointmnet. With regard to clerical and technical examinations, seven out of the ten com¬ missions giving an experience rating send out inquiries and three do not. AGREEMENT IN ESSENTIALS Although it is established that no two commissions do business on exactly the same basis, there will be seen to be a general agreement on essentials, and by this 14 is meant that practically all examinations for the same grade of positions aim to test the same qualifications, though by use of slightly different methods. For instance, in all clerical examinations, although the subjects and weights vary, there is a general agreement regarding the necessity for tests in spelling, arith¬ metic and English composition and penmanship. So also in technical examina¬ tions of a higher grade, experience (including education) forms one of the subjects for rating. In other words, many of the differences, which at first glance seem important, are in reality merely variations in matters of detail. With substantial agreement in essentials it should not be difficult to arrive at a fairly uniform application of the principles involved. AGE LIMITS In connection with prerequisite requirements there is usually a minimum age limit fixed by the rules for each examination. This varies, as a rule, from 14 years for pages or office boys to 21 years for the great majority of examinations. It is seldom that a minimum age limit higher than 21 years is fixed and as a gen¬ eral rule we believe it unwise to do so, yet there are instances of positions requir¬ ing a maturity of judgment that comes, with most persons, only with years Except in case of examinations for police and fire departments and for some othei positions requiring considerable bodily activity we do not believe it wise to place an arbitrary maximum age limit on examinations, since the rigid enforcement of such a limitation becomes difficult in the face of popular disapproval. Referring to the clerk examination the general rule is a mimum age limit of 21 years with no maximum, but a better practice would seem to be that of the United States and the New York State Commissions which have a minimum age limit for clerks of 18 years on the day of examination. In most cases it would seem the better practice to give a preferential rating for preferred ages, the latter to be specified in the announcement of the examination. In any event however, each commission should be empowered to fix age limits for examinations as the exigencies of each case may demand. In passing, it may be interesting to mention that Seattle has a minimum age limit of 20 years for clerk. In New York City the age limits are 18 to 25 for second grade clerk (salary $600 to, but not including, $1200) which is practically the only open competitive clerical examination given. Seattle, Washington, and Rochester, N. Y., have maximum age limits of 50 and 60 respectively. In Hous¬ ton, Texas, a general maximum age limit of 45 years was recently killed by char¬ ter amendment. RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS In a number of cities including Houston, Seattle, Minneapolis and St. Louis one year’s residence in the city is required. New York State requires three months residence. In some other jurisdictions the law or rules require only actual residence at the time of application. It is the belief of your committee that the rigid restriction of examinations to residents of the city or state is unwise. Civil service laws should give discretion to commissions in this matter. Generally speaking a residence requirement of from three months to one year is reasonable, but each commission should have power to waive the residence requirement entirely when the situation warrants. Such a situation arises in case of high grade technical positions for which even the entire country may furnish but a few fully qualified candidates. 15 EXAMINATION FEES The new Ohio state civil service law approved May 28, 1915, is the first to embody the requirement of a fee for examination. For positions paying a salary of $600 up to $1000 per year the fee is fifty cents; for positions paying $1000 or over the fee is one dollar. There are two justifications from requiring a fee; first to help pay the expense of holding examinations, and second to act as a restriction on competition. The first reason is, in our judgment, a good one but the second does not apply where competition is already limited as it frequently is in the case of special and technical examinations. It seems, therefore, that the matrer of a fee and its size should be left to the discretion of the Commission who would apply the restriction where desired to cut down the number of competitors, and omit the fee where desired to encourage competition. In this connection it should be pointed out that practically every state exacts a fee from persons taking examinations to qualify for the practice of the licensed professions such as medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, etc. In New York State the fee for the bar examination is $25.00; for examination for Regis¬ tered Nurse, $5.00, etc. REQUIREMENTS OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE Commissions, as a rule, have been averse to the limitation of competition by fixing minimum prerequisite qualifications and in following this principle they have been correct. Open competition means just what it says, that is, that civil service examinations should be free for all within reasonable limits. It needs no argument, however, to show that examinations for entrance to the police force of a city must be restricted to the physically fit, and this is held to mean that candi¬ dates must be in nearly perfect physical condition, sound in mind and body, with¬ out physical defect and in the large cities, between the ages of 21 and 35 years. By analogy it might be shown that reasonable restrictions are proper—even necessary, for each examination, and among the reasonable restrictions are those of education and experience for a large class of positions which will readily occur to you. Particularly do we advocate the limitation of, for instance, the junior clerk examination to candidates who have at least completed a course in our com¬ mon schools. States and cities are spending enormous sums for the free education of the youth of the land and the state is certainly justified in insisting that those desiring to enter its service shall have taken advantage of its free educational facilities. In this connection you are reminded that certain states (e. g., New York and Massachusetts) have been consistently advancing the requirements of education demanded preliminary to the study of the professions of medicine, law, pharmacy, dentistry, etc. EXAMINATION STANDARDS In approaching the subject of uniform examinations we must first recognize certain inevitable limitations upon uniformity however desirable. For instance, oral examinations which are entirely practicable in the service of a city and which can also be made use of to a limited extent by State Commissions are abso¬ lutely impracticable in the United States Service unless by an unwarranted limita¬ tion of competition. The same can be said of practical tests. It is also evident that the law of supply and demand will govern to some ex¬ tent the application of age limitations and other preliminary qualifications. To illustrate; the last general clerical examination held by the New York State Com¬ mission brought out four thousand applicants notwithstanding certain preliminary 16 requirements never before laid down such as (a) grammar school education and at least one year of high-school work or equivalent, (b) applicants having only one year of high-school work were required to show at least three years office ex¬ perience, the rule being that applicants must have had at least four years com¬ bined high-school education and office experience, so that an applicant having had three years high-school work would be required to show one year’s office experi¬ ence, etc. (c) physician’s certificate of good health and freedom from physical defects (use of eyeglasses permitted) (d) two letters of recommendation from employers or teachers. These restrictions were considered rather severe by the public but they seem to be justified. The Chief Examiner estimates that without the application of these restrictions the number of applicants would have been 100 per cent greater, or eight thousand, since in the last previous examination (held in 1911) there were three thousand applicants with the age limit three years higher (21 years). The last general examination for stenographer in the New York State ser¬ vice brought out 2,800 applicants, and the last examination for messenger 3,000. ft is evident with such growth of examinations that some means of restricting competition must be found. STANDARD EXAMINATIONS Having laid before the Assembly some consideration of the matter of exam¬ ination practice we come now to the most difficult matter of all; the recommenda¬ tion of standard examinations. First as to the clerical service. As in nearly all jurisdictions there are two kinds of examination held (a) junior clerk or copy¬ ist and (b) clerk, senior clerk or general clerk, we are of the opinion that the cleri¬ cal examination should be of two grades. First junior clerk or copyist. I—MINOR EDUCATIONAL EXAMINATIONS, SUCH AS FOR CLERKS AT SALARIES NOT EXCEEDING $1200. Junior Clerk Prerequisite Qualifications (a) . Age limits, 16 to 21 years. (b) Education not less than common school (i. e., grammar school) education or equivalent. (c) Examination subjects and weights. 1. Spelling 2 2. Arithmetic (fundamental rules, fractions and percentage) 2 3. Letter writing 2 4. Penmanship 2 5. Copying, rough draft 2 Total Senior Clerk Prerequisite qualifications (a) Minimum age limit, 18 years. (b) Education, not less than common school equivalent. (c) Examination subjects and weights. 1. Spelling 2. Arithmetic 3. Report writing (i. e., grammar school) or 1 2 2 17 V 4. Penmanship 1 5. Copying, rough draft 1 6. Education and experience 3 Total 10 The rating on education and experience should wherever practicable be made after an oral interview to verify statements made by the applicant relative to his experience and education, and to take into account undesirable personal characteristics, habits, etc., where the importance of the position warrants. The whole matter should be further verified by inquiries directed to former employers, etc. II—SPECIAL AND TECHNICAL WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS, SUCH AS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS AT SALARIES RANGING FROM $1200 TO $1500. (a) Minimum age limit, 21 years. (b) At least two years practical engineering experience of acceptable quality. Graduation from an engineering course in a school of recognized standing to be counted as one year’s experience. (c) Examination subjects and weights. 1. Theoretical and practical questions 5 2. Experience 3 3. Education 2 Total 10 III—SPECIAL AND TECHNICAL EXAMINATIONS WHERE NO SET EXAMINATION OUESTIONS ARE ASKED, SUCH AS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS AT $3600. It appears to the committee that as in most cases these are specialized positions, no hard and fast rule can be laid down. Each case must stand alone and be handled according to the best judgment of the commission concerned. It seems however that such examinations might generally be handled according to one of the following schemes: 1. Thesis 6 2. Experience (including oral interviews) 4 Total 10 1. Oral examination 6 2. Experience rating 4 Total 10 Unless special considerations appear the age limits for such examinations should be 21 to 60 and such education and experience requirements should be fixed by the Commission as the case seems to warrant. IV—SKILLED TRADES (a) Practical questions (oral or written) and tests (b) Experience, verified by inquiry and interview Total ' 4 6 10 18 An age limit of 21 to 60 should be fixed; preferred ages between 25 and 50 years with preferential marking. V—UNSKILLED OR COMMON LABOR Laborers (a) Physical examination 5 (b) Experience 5 Total 10 The age limits should be 21 to 60. The physical examination should be simi¬ lar to that given in the U. S. Service for Post Office laborer in which the heart and lungs are examined and the candidate is examined in the nude for external de¬ fects or signs of disease. A muscular test is given in which the candidate is re¬ quired to pick up from the floor, and shoulder, a bulky bag weighing 125 to 150 pounds. The experience rating should give credit for previous good conduct and satisfactory service. There are many difficulties in the way of keeping up a satisfactory list of eli- gibles for unskilled laborer and this is particularly true if examinations are held only once a year. We believe that applications for laborer should be received continuously and new names added to the list at frequent intervals, the list being kept on a running card index. Names should not remain on the list longer than one year without re-examination. Unskilled or common labor is probably the most difficult matter to handle satisfactorily in the whole service. As this class of “jobs” receives the particular attention of the ward political leader, it should also receive the careful considera¬ tion of the Civil Service Commission, but unless labor examinations are handled with great wisdom and practical business common sense they are liable to be flat failures. The labor service in a large city should be handled in an office entirely sep¬ arate from headquarters and in charge of a person who can give his entire atten¬ tion to the matter. Eligible registers must be circularized frequently to keep in touch with eligibles and eliminate dead-wood from the lists. In the service of the larger cities it seems almost imperative to maintain sep¬ arate registers of eligibles for certain kinds of work such as Laborers, Dept, of Water. Laborers, Dept, of Streets. Laborers, Dept, of Parks, etc. METHODS OF RATING One of the most important services that can be rendered to the various Civil Service Commissions by the National Assembly is the preparation of standards for the rating of papers and tests commonly given in examinations for places of or¬ dinary duties, such as clerk, bookkeeper, stenographer, messenger, etc. In this connection attention is called to the handwriting standard prepared by the Carne¬ gie Foundation which is an example of what is very much needed. Uniform standards for the rating of arithmetic, stenographic and typewriting tests would also be most valuable. Examiners understand perfectly that whether competitors pass or fail in a given examination depends altogether upon the scale of rating. In this regard your committee is of the opinion that no hard and fast rule can be laid down. Circumstances over which Commissions have no control will operate against the 19 application of a uniform and rigid rule. For instance, much depends upon supply and demand. Civil Service Commissions are in a sense employment agen¬ cies; men and women must be secured to do work; if the best qualified candidates cannot be obtained for whatever reason, such as low salaries, institution discipline, undesirable location, surroundings, etc., we must nevertheless secure eligibles for certification, and to do this in such cases we must make examinations easier or rate more liberally or both. On the other hand where competition is abundant, we be¬ lieve Commissions are justified in making both examinations and rating more severe ORAL EXAMINATIONS By oral examination we mean question and answer given orally, taken down stenographically and transcribed for filing with the candidate’s papers. We be¬ lieve that this form of examination should be sparingly used in case of all exam¬ inations above the grade of skilled trades. While written examinations are sub¬ ject to certain limitations, oral examinations are subject to still greater limitations in most cases. In the case of a written examination, the candidate has an oppor¬ tunity of reading over his question paper as a whole before beginning to answer the questions. He usually has several hours in which to reflect, write and rewrite and to shape his replies to the best of his ability. In an oral examination candi¬ dates are usually nervous, sometimes to such an extent as to almost preclude proper answers, and the candidate has little or no opportunity to revise and cor¬ rect his replies. Oral examinations, however, in the case of examinations for skilled trades positions may be wise for the reason that those who apply for positions of this character are usually men of limited education, not able to express themselves freely and fully, and because of lack of practice in handling a pen, writing is a laborious and tedious task. For instance, candidates for machinist or fireman may be skillful in handling a monkey-wrench or shovel, tools which they handle every day, but they usually find it very difficult by the use of a pen which they handle possibly once in six months, to express what is in their mind even after the question is thoroughly understood and they are perfectly able, if drawn out, to give a full and complete answer. In these examinations it would seem that a combined oral and practical examination and experience rating is the ideal form. ORAL INTERVIEWS By oral interview we understand oral questions and answers in connection with a rating for education, experience and personal qualifications or any one of these, not necessarily reported stenographically. We believe that wherever pos¬ sible oral interviews should be given in connection with the rating of these qual¬ ifications, particularly in case of examinations for positions requiring force, judg¬ ment, tact, address and those rather indefinable personal characteristics which are necessary in certain positions requiring the appointee to deal with the public or to repreesnt his superior in field work. Replies to the committee’s questionnaire indicate a general adherence to the belief that oral interviews are never unwise. It seems to be generally recognized that it is a businesslike proposition to call candidates before an examining com¬ mittee and to size them up or take their measurement, having in view the duties and requirements of the position. Oral examinations are usually conducted by a committee of three on which committee there is usually one or two representative 20 business men or other persons selected because of their standing in the community, business experience and ability to size up men. There is a considerable difference of opinion as to whether the appointing power should be represented at the oral examination, but it seems to us that the appointing officer should be allowed to suggest the names of three to five persons from among whom the Civil Service Commission may select one to act on the interviewing committee. The Commission should be represented by its Chief Examiner or other staff representative, and the third member should be an out¬ sider selected by the Civil Service Commission. Your committee also believes that the appointing officer or a representative of his office should be allowed to be present at the oral interview merely as a spectator without taking any part whatever in rating the candidates so that the appointing officer may have an opportunity to see and hear the candidates and to observe the manner in which the test is conducted. Commissions which have employed the method indicated have found that it tends to give appointing offi¬ cers greater confidence in the examinaton and its results and it affords the ap¬ pointing officer an opportunity to see and hear all the candidates and to make a comparison when the entire matter is fresh in his mind. There is also some question as to whether such an interview should be public or semi-public. It seems to the committee that such oral tests should not be abso¬ lutely private. Secret methods tend to give rise to suspicion, and on the other hand open and aboveboard methods give confidence. It is recognized, however, that in most cases i.t would be entirely impracticable to invite the general public to be present, but it is believed that persons legitimately interested and to a limited ex¬ tent should, if they so desire, be allowed to be present at any oral examination or interview. It is, of course, understood that what we have said as to the desirability of oral interviews must be qualified by saying that with state commissions the time, labor and expense of oral interviews are prohibitive except in connection with the most important examinations. It is obviously impossible to orally examine a thousand candidates in a clerical examination, and as to other examinations such as messenger, stenographer and page, the benefits gained would not offset the effort necessary. We believe, however, that city commissions, whose candidates come from a very restricted area, can arid should use oral interviews freely. EXPERIENCE RATINGS Ratings for experience must of necessity admit of some elasticity. It is not at all difficult to imagine the case in which a man with five years’ experience in a certain line of business may be superior to another man with ten or more years' experience in the same line. It is not necessary to elaborate this thought. The slightest consideration shows that is is a fatal error in. many cases to give a fixed percentage for a fixed number of years of experience, unless this latter rating can be subsequently tempered by adding to or subtracting from because of superior ability and personal qualifications. It is in connection with this matter that the oral test plays its important part and we have no hesitation in saying that lack of personal fitness should reject a candidate regardless of experience and technical qualifications. This matter of personal fitness is of necessity an evasive thing, but a rating on this element may be defined as the opinion of competent men of a can¬ didate's ability to “handle the job.” It must, however, always be borne in mind that experience ratings, based on oral interviews or otherwise, are frequently the objects of suspicion by the public, 21 and that such ratings afford an easy me'thod of showing favoritism. For this reason oral examinations and interviews must not be secret and they should al¬ ways be conducted by men of recognized high character and probity in whose judg¬ ment the entire community has confidence. The report of the oral interview must show not merely the examiners judgment but the facts on which that judgment is based. PHYSICAL QUALIFICATIONS Many positions require walking, stair-climbing, night work, exposure to the weather, and some times involves other peculiar requirements, such as render nec¬ essary the possession of a considerable degree of bodily activity and a good “con¬ stitution." In all such cases physical examinations should be had hut it becomes a question of expediency how far they should be extended to other classes of posi¬ tions. Some commissions are making a physical examination of all candiates so as to reject those evidently not physically qualified, and there is a tendency to make the examination sufficiently minute to reject candidates giving evidence of disease not readily determined, such as heart lesions, incipient tuberculosis, brights disease, etc. We believe that the subject is worthy of careful study; that care should be taken to exclude not only the physically unfit, but also those liable to become unfit in the future so far as the latter can be determined by a reasonable examination. Certificates of family physicians or others chosen by the candidate himself are not always to be relied upon and we favor the physical examination by physicians designated by the commission and without expense to the candidate, or for a nominal fee. INVESTIGATION OF CHARACTER AND EXPERIENCE There is general agreement among commissions as to the desirability of se¬ curing dependable information from outside sources as to the character and ex¬ perience of eligibles before certification for appointment, but there is, of course, variation as to methods of securing such information. The extent to which inves¬ tigation is now made depends somewhat upon the character and importance of the position to be filled. In many of the smaller cities all of the candidates in some examinations are personally known to one or more of the commis¬ sioners. In such cases, with accurate information at hand, further investiga¬ tion would seem to be unnecessary, but in other cases it seems imperative that character and habits be properly certified as well as technical competency. It also seems desirable to check up the candidate’s own statements of experience. Your committee is of the opinion that the judgment of each commission must determine in each case the extent to which independent investigation should be made along the lines suggested but it is also apparent that where the number of competitors in an examination is large, the labor of investigating each applicant is too great to be practicable. It would seem therefore that the names of eligibles might be placed on the register conditionally—i. e., subject to further investigation before certification for appointment. This plan has obvious advantages where an eligible list may be held in force, as in New York State, from one to four years: an investigation made three years before certification may be entirely inadequate. Tt is suggested that, under such conditions, investigation of eligibles might proceed from time to time so as to keep ahead of certifications. The object of this investigation should be definitely understood to be to qualify or disqualify. It is not a matter to be considered in connection with the percent- 22 age rating of any subject. If an eligible is discovered to be of unsatisfactory char¬ acter or habits his name should be stricken from the register; the same result should follow the discovery of a false statement in any material fact; or the prac¬ tice, or attempt to practice, any deception or fraud in the application or exam¬ ination or in securing eligibility for appointment. The question here arises as to whether competitors or eligibles have the right to know who has made statements derogatory to their character, and whether they (the competitors) shall be permitted to see communications from former employers and others with reference to their experience and ability. In some jurisdictions it,is held to be the right of candidates to have all such information laid before them, but on the other hand there may be a reluctance on the part of employers and others to give such information unless held confidential between them and the Commission. Many corporations, in fact, refuse to give inform¬ ation regarding present or former employes unless the latter absolve the employer from all liability for any statements he may make, by signing a formal legal re¬ lease. This puts on commissions the additional labor of securing the release from the competitor. It is the opinion of the committee that candidates, disqualified as indicated, should have the right of appeal, and to be informed of the reasons for disquali¬ fication, with the privilege of reviewing all statements of employers and others as to character and experience. PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENTS It seems to be the consensus of opinion that it is difficult, if not impossible, to prevent provisional appointees from gaining some advantage, slight though it may be in most instances, over other competitors in the open competitive examin¬ ation. Where provisional appointees are serving it has also the perhaps more serious tendency to discourage competition owing to the knowledge that if the provisional appointee obtains a standing high enough to secure certification he will certainly be preferred for the appointment. The only practicable way to prevent these results is to anticipate, as far as possible, the needs of the service by holding frequent examinations to establish registers of eligibles appropriate for certification to fill all possible vacancies, and when a provisional appointment is absolutely necessary to hold the open competi¬ tive examination at the earliest possible date. This leads us to express the opinion that there are seldom urgent reasons for filling a vacancy instanter. If appointing officers are disposed to cooperate with civil service commissions in this respect some arrangement can usually be made by temporary assignment of someone already in the service until a speedy exam¬ ination can be arranged. If cooperation can not be had the civil service commis¬ sion should allow a provisional appointment only when there exists an urgent necessity for it which should be construed to mean that serious harm will come to the service and that the interests of the city or state will suffer unless the pro¬ visional appointment is allowed. APPROPRIATE LISTS In some jurisdictions the civil service rules require the filling of a vacancy by appointment from a certification from the most appropriate list of eligibles,— and also requiring that no new examination shall be held unless there is no “ap¬ propriate list” in existence. 23 Practical civil service men all over the country well know the feeling of ap¬ pointing officers that a new examination should be held for filling every vacancy, especially where some showing can be made that the vacant position has a peculiar title, a few peculiar duties or seems to require qualifications not tested by the ex¬ amination held for the establishment of the list from which certification is pro¬ posed. Instances are not unknown where a slightly different title has been in¬ vented, or a few new duties imposed on a position in order to make it appear that the eligible list is not “appropriate.” In these cases as in most others a middle ground must be sought. Examin¬ ations for a certain class or group of positions should be general. It would seem unnecessary to hold more than one examination for clerical positions whether the title of the position be clerk, index clerk, filing clerk, recording clerk, or what not, but if superior penmanship, for example, is required, commissions should be authorized to certify from the existing clerk register, in their order, eligibles with superior qualifications in penmanship. This leads to another interesting point. Suppose an open competitive exam¬ ination is held for the very important position of superintendent of an institution with a salary of $3000 and maintenance for the superintendent and his family. Sixty candidates pass the written test and present themselves for the oral inter¬ view. Out of the entire sixty it is found that only six have the education, exper¬ ience and personality to warrant certification for the superintendency. While, theoretically, no person should pass this examination who seems unable to “handle the job,” yet we find that thirty of the candidates are bright, active and intelligent men who would make excellent assistant superintendents. It would seem, in such a case, that the six first class men should go to the top of the eligible list for sup¬ erintendent and that commissions should be able to put the other thirty men on the list for certification to subordinate institution positions such as assistant super¬ intendencies. Such procedure would frequently avoid the necessity of holding another examination, would relieve a commission of considerable effort and ex¬ pense and avoid delay by immediate certification from an existing list. In the practical administration of civil service laws and rules many situations arise which call for the exercise of judgment and discretion on the part of com¬ missions, but is not that why we have commissions? It is an error to suppose that civil service laws and rules can be so perfectly drawn as to need no interpreta¬ tion, else the business of a civil service commission could be carried on by a few subordinates, and when the “system” has become so refined as to be automatic, needing little direction or control, there is serious danger of its falling into decay and disrepute. PROMOTIONS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED The opportunist policy of creating a job only when a man is immediately needed should be abandoned, and for this should be substituted the policy of de¬ liberately planning for the distant future by making liberal allowance for the selection and training of persons of promise for positions such as student nurse, student charity investigator, student probation officer, apprentice carpenter, ap¬ prentice plumber, law clerk, hospital interne, junior clerk, etc. For all important positions there should be an understudy in training. An improvement in the methods of selecting persons for the lowest grade in the service, with promotion definitely in view, will result in placing greater emphasis upon entrance exam¬ inations. A uniform and coherent system of promotions from the bottom to the 24 top of the service will tend to encourage and influence effective supervision and the keeping of efficiency records. We believe that the great ends of efficiency and economy will be better served if states and municipalities will, so far as practicable, limit future expan¬ sion of the service to the lowest grades;—that is all higher positions newly estab¬ lished should be filled by promotion, unless it is evident that the best interests of the service demand a different course. This movement should enable civil service commissions to reduce the number of open competitive examinations and to increase the number of promotion examinations. At the same time careful attention should be given to the training, instruction and development of persons in the service in lower grades. Earnest consideration should also be given to methods of selecting persons of promise, and examinations designed to discover capacity, and ability to learn and to advance in the public service must be de¬ veloped. Such a policy should appeal to legislative and governing bodies be¬ cause it will tend to prevent rapid increase in the cost of government generally, and to simplify civil service procedure. It has become a trite saying that the exclusion of higher positions from the competitive class tends to deaden the service. When young men of ability reach the point where they find the door to further promotion closed they seek other fields of labor, and trained employees are lost to the service. When the higher positions are open to promotion, a better class of young men is attracted to the service in the lower grades. FOR MORE PERMANENCE OF EXEMPT POSITIONS—NEED TENURE IN IMPORTANT POSTS The following quotation from the report of the New York State Senate Com¬ mittee before referred to is of interest in this connection. “At the present time 1,616 positions within the so-called classified service of the State administrative departments and other offices are filled without examin¬ ation or other competitive civil service requirements. They are termed ‘exempt positions.’ Many of these are positions of responsibility requiring such technique and training that the highest degree of efficiency is secured only where the in¬ cumbents have had appropriate training before appointment and are assured permanence of tenure after appointment to the service. Appointment without competition does not necessarily prevent the selection of competent employes. It has in fact in many instances secured well qualified persons for the State service. But it does not insure the selection of competent employes and almost invariably leads to retirement by reason of change of administration or other incident before the best results are obtained. This is responsible for needlessly recurring waste in the mangement of the State’s business. The Committee recognizes that department heads and other policy-determin¬ ing officials must have deputies and confidential secretaries in complete harmony with them and their policies. Such persons cannot be selected through examin¬ ation or other devices which restrict the responsible official in making a personal selection. The soundness of this principle has been recognized by the constitution and statutes. The Constitution provides that “appointments and promotions * * * shall be made according to merit and fitness to be ascertained, so far as practicable, by examinations, which, so far as practicable, shall be competitive.” The present classification of the State service, which is intended to enforce this constitutional requirement, contains many inconsistencies. The same positions, such as sten- 25 ographer and chief clerk, are differently treated; being exempt from competi¬ tion in some departments and subject to competition in others. A proper ob¬ servance of the constitutional and statutory provisions requires that those positions for which competition is admittedly practicable be reclassified and placed in the ‘competitive’ class. This would secure, among other things, permanence of tenure and thus improve the transaction of the State’s business.” (D) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COOPERATIVE STUDIES AND EXPERIMENTS OR INVESTIGATIONS THROUGH WORK OF COMMITTEES OR OTHERWISE: There should be a standing committee on classification, with the object of ascertaining and listing under some simple acceptable classification scheme, ser¬ vices that are common to a majority of the civil service commissions. After in¬ vestigation the committee should define classes and grades, and the classification should be designed in such a way so as to enable civil service commissions throughout the country to adopt it in whole or in part. It should also permit internal variations to suit local conditions, at the same time retaining those elements common to all commissions. The scheme should be an internal, expan¬ sive classification system. This standing committee should also take up the matter of minimum pre¬ requisite qualifications for entrance to examinations. This is a very important matter for the fixing of such minimum qualifications tends not only to improve the results of examinations by keeping out those persons not properly qualified by training and experience, but it also makes for economy of labor and money by lessening the number of candidates to be examined, and in some jurisdictions the overwhelming number of competitors in certain examinations is and has been for some time a very serious problem. Minimum prerequisite qualifications fall naturally into four groups—(a) age limits, (b) residence requirements, (c) educational requirements, (d) experience requirements. Allied to the question of preliminary requirements is the question of adver¬ tising examinations to the best advantage,—so as to secure properly qualified competitors. The New York City Commission has given considerable study to this question and reports that it has been able, by careful attention to advertis¬ ing, to secure a larger number of qualified competitors than formerly, in special and technical examinations, and with a smaller expenditure of money. In many cities the advertising question is probably not serious, but in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia and possibly in other large cities special efforts must be made to bring technical examinations to the attention of properly quali¬ fied persons. SPECIAL STUDY OF EXAMINATIONS Specially designated civil service commissions should be requested to under¬ take a series of investigations, covering from one to three years, relative to same one assigned class of examinations. This investigation should relate to all of the elements involved and should comprise a series of experimental tests for the pur¬ pose of bringing examinations to the highest possible degree of effectiveness. The results of such an analytical and experimental study should be submitted to the National Assembly. This committee therefore recommends that the executive committee of this Assembly be instructed to confer with members present and to designate the vari- 26 ous commissions to make the investigation referred to above, and to report con¬ clusions at the next annual meeting of the Assembly. This study, however, should probably cover a longer period han one year. RESPONSIBILITY FOR EXAMINATIONS Civil Service Commissions are coming to recognize the fact that their re¬ sponsibilities extend beyond the mere ascertainment of ability to answer ques¬ tions in writing. Every commission should be able to say;—“Here is a list of eligibles, everyone of whom we, as commissioners, feel perfectly satisfied is able to fill the position called for. Furthermore we feel certain that the persons whose names appear at the head of this list are preminently qualified for the posi¬ tion, and we have formed this judgment after a careful investigation into their character, experience and ability such as we would make if hiring men for similar positions in our own private business.” The time has long gone by when a commission can foist upon appointing of¬ ficers a list of eligibles prepared in the dark of old style methods. Such lists contained the names of peisons who had “passed” an examination of one sort or another, but concerning whose business training, experience and ability commis¬ sions had little or no knowledge. It is one thing to rate a candidate’s answers; it is quite another thing to rate the candidate himself, and right here is where the written examination fails. In preparing a list of eligibles for certification to fill an important position civil service commissions are bound, in good faith, to use every practicable means for ascertaining fitness and the rating should take into consideration as far as possible all the matters which a conscientious, able and successful business man would take into consideration in selecting men to whose hands he-would entrust his own fame, fortune and family. In conclusion, your committee takes occasion to express its appreciation of the courtesy of those commissions, secretaries and others who have replied to letters and questionnaires, and to say that it believes the recommendation made for a study of classification schemes, and the study of various classes of examin¬ ations by different commissions to be of prime importance. F. E. DOTY, Chairman. J. C. WHITMAN H. N. SAXTON. 27 Questionaire NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONS As a member of the Committee on “Cooperation among Commissions on Ex¬ amination Standards,” the writer has been requested by the Chairman to prepare a report for submission to the Annual Meeting of the Assembly to be held at Ottawa, Canada, June 14-15-16, 1916. As a comprehensive report on the subject can be made only through the as¬ sistance of the practical civil service workers throughout the country I am en¬ closing a set of questions which you are urged to read carefully and answer in detail. If these questions do not serve to bring out all your ideas on the subject, please discuss at length any phase of the work you may deem worthy of em¬ phasis. Your early response will be warmly appreciated. Fraternally yours, HAROLD N. SAXTON, Chief Examiner, N. Y. State Civil Service Com. Committee: F. E. Doty, Los Angeles, Cal., Chairman. H. N. Saxton, Albany, N. Y. J. E. Whitman, Sacramento, Cal. It is obviously impracticable to attempt to cover the entire field of exam¬ inations by questions of this kind; therefore the committee has limited itself to typical examinations of the following five classes: 1—Minor educational examinations, such as for clerks at $100 a month. II—Special and technical written examinations, such as for civil engineers at salaries ranging from $100 to $150 a month. III— Special and technical examinations where no written test is required and candidates are rated on education, experience and the recommendations of past employers and possibly on an oral interview, such as for civil engineers at a salary of $300 a month. IV— Skilled trades examinations, such as for carpenters. V—Examinations for common laborers. I—Minor educational examinations:— Clerks at a salary of $100 a month. 1. Give the subjects and relative weights which you include in the test and add any others which you think should be included. 2. Do you give a rating for experience? (a) If so, what weight does it have in the examination? 3. Do you hold an oral examination in addition to the written? (a) If so, what weight does it have in the examination? (b) Mention the tempermentaal qualities which you endeavor to de¬ termine in the oral examination; and state your method of determin¬ ation. ' 4. Do you send out confidential inquiries? 5. Do you require candidates to pass a physical examination? If so, how are they examined? 28 1 ? 3 0112 063718594