self a Spanish War veteran. Early in the year the Chicago Commission had completed an examination for chief examiner of the Chicago Commission. The examination had resulted in the appointment of Arthur M. Swanson, who had been chief examiner of the Philadelphia Commission and previous to that chief examiner of the Kansas City Commission. The Association had co-operated with the state's efficiency and economy commission in an investigation of the state service and had assisted in the formulation of the commission's report. The most important matter with which the Chicago Association was concerned was the appointment of a new Chicago Civil Service Commission by Mayor Thompson. The new Commission consisted of Percy B. Coffin, Edward C. Racey and Joseph P. Geary. Later upon Mr. Racey's death Charles E. Frazier had been appointed. The new commission had made many inroads on the merit system in the city service. It had removed members of the efficiency division of the Commission, had authorized 9.163 temporary authorities, cancelled eligible lists and committed other acts which the Chicago Association held as violations of the letter and spirit of the civil service law. The Association had finally presented charges against the Commission to Mayor Thompson and asked for the removal of the Commission. The Mayor had supported the Commission in all of its acts and refused to dismiss them. The Association had then presented charges to the council and the council, through its finance committee, determined that the Association's charges were substantial and recommended to the Mayor the removal of the Commission. The Mayor, however, refused to accede to the demands of the council and continued to uphold the Civil Service Commission. The Chicago Association continued to work on the situation and planned other investigations in order to save as much as possible of the merit system in the service of the city of Chicago.

William V. Kellen of Boston presented a report for the Massachusetts Association. Mr. Kellen reviewed the legislative work of the Association, mentioning particularly the successful passage of the bill classifying positions in the house of correction of the penal institution

department of Boston situated at Deer Island. Particular mention was made of the work done by the Women's Auxiliary in this matter and credit for the passage of the bill was given to that organization. Seven other bills were introduced to extend the civil service law to counties, but all were defeated, largely due to the opposition of the sheriffs. A bill granting to Spanish War veterans a preference in appointment to positions in the civil service, which appears in the Massachusetts legislature annually, was defeated early in the session. Other legislation in which the Massachusetts Association was interested consisted of a large number of bills providing for reinstatement without examination of employees removed during former administrations. These bills the Association opposed.

Hon. Everett Colby of Newark, N. J., reported on behalf of the New Jersey Association, that the Association had been put on its feet largely through the co-operation of the League, especially in lending Mr. J. Frank Cornelius of Pompton Lakes, N. J., the Chief Clerk in the League's offices, to the Association. Mr. Cornelius as Secretary had reorganized the New Jersey Association and built up its activities. Mr. Colby reviewed briefly the history of civil service reform in New Jersey, calling to mind how one of the State Senators at the time of the introduction of the law denounced the principle of the merit system as a poison that would eat into and destroy party solidarity. That Senator is now one of the vice-presidents of the New Jersey Association. In the last session of the legislature nine bills had been introduced by the New Jersey Association and four were passed and signed. Four of the others were on the order of third reading when the legislature adjourned. The most important legislation secured through the New Jersey Association was an amendment to the law providing that when a petition for a civil service referendum is presented to a municipal clerk it shall be voted upon by the people without the necessity. of approval by the governing body. A large number of bills unfriendly to the merit system had been opposed by the Association. Only one had passed the legislature and this had been vetoed by the Governor. The most serious

attack, however, on the merit system had been the effort made by the Spanish War veterans to secure a preference in appointment to civil service positions. The veterans' bill had passed the Assembly and was given a hearing before the judiciary committee of the Senate. After the strenuous opposition of the Association, the bill had been allowed to die in committee. The Association proposes to appeal to the veterans of the state themselves in the hope that they will uphold the merit system in this matter of preference. Mr. Colby called attention to the investigation made by a legislative committee of the civil service of the state. He called particular attention to the investigation made in the state comptroller's office, where considerable opposition to the operation of the civil service law was found. Mr. Colby pointed out that with the evidence of thirteen municipalities containing over sixty per cent. of the entire population of the state having adopted the provisions of the New Jersey civil service law, the New Jersey Association had reason to feel gratified at the growth of the merit system in the state.

Hon. Charles B. Wilby of Cincinnati reviewed the civil service situation in the city of Cincinnati and state of Ohio. Mr. Wilby indicated that, with the change in administration the year before, the Civil Service Commission had used the merit system very badly. Appointments were made without regard to the letter or spirit of the law and with an eye to the political administration of the party in power. The adoption of the constitutional amendment of the state in 1913 by a vote of two to one was evidence of the popular demand for the merit system in the state. Mr. Wilby indicated that the demand is growing throughout the entire western country and that it is more difficult for employees to be dismissed for political reasons now than it ever was before.

Mr. R. Francis Wood of Philadelphia reported for the Pennsylvania Association that owing to the fact that Philadelphia had had an excellent Civil Service Commission for the past four years the Pennsylvania Association had found nothing to find fault with. The Association had again secured the introduction of a bill in the last legislature providing for a state civil service commission to

have jurisdiction over the state service. The bill was lost, however, just as it was about to come to the last reading.

Hon. Charles J. Bonaparte of Baltimore reported for the Maryland Association. Mr. Bonaparte stated that Maryland has no civil service law and that it is unlikely that a law will be enacted for that state for some time to come. Mr. Bonaparte pointed out, however, the necessity there was in Maryland for having some system for the selection of employees of the legislature on a basis of merit. The state paid at every session of the legislature something like five times as much proportionately as they do in the New York legislature and something like twelve to fifteen times that spent in the Wisconsin legislature. Mr. Bonaparte pointed out that the employees of the Wisconsin legislature were appointed through civil service examination. He stated that because of the extravagance in the distribution of jobs in and about the legislature the state has been practically bankrupt. Mr. Bonaparte stated that the Maryland Association had "a most beautiful field to work in, but no laborers."

Hon. Ansley Wilcox reported for the Buffalo Association that as a result of an investigation made by a previous New York State Civil Service Commission Buffalo had emerged from a commission which was weak and inefficient and which some people even thought was corrupt and now had a civil service commission of high caliber. The Association had worked in harmony with the new Civil Service Commission and had worked in co-operation with the New York Association in protecting the state civil service law from assault in the Constitutional Convention as well as in the legislature. Buffalo had recently held its first election under a new commision form of government. The election had resulted in a commission favorable to the merit system and with the charter containing a civil service chapter drafted by men who believed in civil service reform the Buffalo Association looked for good results.

Hon. Samuel H. Ordway, President of the New York State Civil Service Commission, commented upon the work of the New York State Constitutional Convention. Mr. Ordway pointed out that the convention was guided

by men who were thoroughly in sympathy with civil service reform principles. The convention had a committee on the civil service, of which Dr. Rush Rhees, President of the University of Rochester, was chairman. The committee had held a great many hearings and considered a large number of proposed amendments to the constitution. They had finally recommended no change in the existing clause of the constitution relating to the civil service. They had proposed, however, a clause, in connection with the reorganization of the 152 independent departments and commissions of the state, a provision in the constitution for a state civil service commission. It was provided that the commission should take care that the civil service provisions of the constitution should be obeyed. The present constitution contains a simple clause providing that appointments and promotions in the civil service shall be after competitive examination so far as practicable. There is, however, a preference given to Civil War veterans in the existing clause. In the Constitutional Convention efforts were made by a number of organizations of employees and citizens to have this preference extended. The most violent effort. was made by the Spanish War veterans. The New York Association most actively opposed the effort of the Spanish War veterans and the State Civil Service Commission helped in every way. Mr. Ordway wrote letters, as did the Association, to mayors and heads of departments and commissions throughout the state urging them to oppose any extension of veteran preference in the constitution. The result was that the amendment suggested by the veterans was kept out of the proposed constitution. In closing Mr. Ordway spoke of the help that Governor Whitman had given to the civil service cause. The Governor had supported the Commission in everything it had asked him to do and Mr. Ordway paid an earnest tribute to him for his real co-operation.

Reports from the Women's Civil Service Reform Association of Buffalo and the Civil Service Reform Association of Denver, Colo., were received but not read.

The Women's Association of Buffalo has continued