Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled.

Pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of chapter 320 of the Acts of the Legislature for 1884, the Civil Service Commissioners have the honor to submit their thirteenth annual report, including the period from Oct. 1, 1895, to Oct. 1, 1896.

Upon the expiration of his term of office, in July, Commissioner Lord was reappointed, and there has been no change in the personnel of the commission. In January, George H. Johnson, who had succeeded to the office of registrar of labor, created by the Legislature in 1895, died, and suitable notice was taken by the commissioners of his long and faithful connection with the labor service under civil service rules. William L. Hicks, who had long been connected with the Boston Board of Health, and a veteran of the war of the rebellion, was appointed to the vacant position.

During the year covered by this report there was no change in the civil service rules, in the classification of the public service or in the regulations concerning appointment to it. There has been a steady increase in the number of applicants for examination, especially in the number of women. The commissioners repeat the statement made in their last report, that "this increase is the strongest argument in proof of the continued belief of the Legislature, the people and seekers for public employment in the efficiency, wisdom and fairness of the present system. Year by year

since 1884 the tendency and effort both of the Legislature and appointing officers have been to increase, and never to lessen, the labors imposed upon the commissioners and their able and efficient officers."

During the official year, 183 examinations of applicants for appointment in the first division of the classified service. have been held. Of these, 99 were general competitive examinations, 3 were special competitive and 81 were noncompetitive examinations. Of these 81 non-competitive examinations, 63 were in cases of promotion.

cases no eligible list for the office existed.

women.

In the other

During the year 2,804 persons were examined, as compared to 2,613 the previous year. Of these, 2,031 were men, including 32 veteran soldiers or sailors, and 773 were There were 334 more women examined than during the previous year, showing the still growing desire of women to seek employment under the present civil service system, and the inclination of appointing officers to employ them in the clerical service. This inclination may be partly due to the veteran preference provided by present legislation.

Of the persons examined, 1,677 passed the examination, and their names were placed upon the appropriate eligible lists, from which certifications for appointments have been made. Of the persons examined, 2,767 have had a common school education and 37 have attended college. The number appointed from the eligible lists was 647, of whom 525, including 9 veterans, were men and 122 were women. There were also appointed without examination 116 veterans under the soldier exemption law. The average age of the applicants examined was about 38 years, and of those passing the examinations 36.59 years, -a continued proof that, under the scheme of examination provided, experience and common knowledge count for more than recent graduation from or study at school. The examinations have been practical, adapted wholly to test the qualification of the applicant for the office sought, and have resulted, as these figures show, in bringing to the top of the eligible lists those who have proved themselves in open and fair competition to be the best fitted for, and, therefore, under free government, the best entitled to the office created and paid for by the people.

THE LABOR SERVICE.

The labor service of Boston, Cambridge, New Bedford, Newton and Everett is classified and administered under civil service rules.

In Boston 3,230 men were registered during the year, including restorations from former registration. Of this number, 339, or a little over ten per cent., were veterans. One hundred and eight requisitions were received, and 106 certifications of men for employment, containing 2,365 names, were made. Of those so certified, 442, or nearly 19 per cent., were veterans, and 1,923 were not.

In Cambridge the total registration was 854, of whom 38 were veterans, 39 requisitions were made, and 869, including 32 veterans, were certified for employment.

In New Bedford 341 names were added to the register; 289 men, including 13 veterans, were certified upon requisitions. The 13 veterans and 156 others were employed.

In Newton 471 men, including 6 veterans, were registered, and 14 requisitions were made, upon which 447 names were certified, including 2 veterans.

By vote of the city council of Everett the labor rules and system were applied to that city early in the year, and, from the returns for the period of nine months preceding October 1, it appears that 122 men were registered, of whom 7 were veterans; 83 men were certified upon requisitions, of whom 4 were veterans.

A more detailed statement of facts and figures regarding the labor service appears in the report of the registrar of labor, in the Appendix.

EXTENSION OF CLASSIFIED SERVICE.

While there was no change in the classification of the public service under civil service rules during the year covered by this report, the commissioners take this opportunity of reporting to the Legislature amendments of civil service rules recently approved by the Governor and Council (Dec. 3, 1896), and which, under the law, will take effect upon Feb. 15, 1897.

These amendments are published in the Appendix, and are

here referred to under appropriate heads. The first and second amendments provide an extension of the classified service to include messengers in city service, superintendents and assistant superintendents not exempted by statute, civil engineers, draughtsmen and other employees of the city engineer, and the aids of the State Fire Marshal. This extension has been made after careful consideration and consultation, with a desire on the part of the commissioners to act conservatively, and at the same time to recognize the public demand that the classified service should be extended whenever it is possible." It is felt to be both possible and advisable to make this extension.

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The inclusion of messengers in the classified service is justified by the increase in number and compensation, especially in the city of Boston. When the rules were adopted, in 1884, the number of messengers was small, their duties understood and their pay such as would hardly invite competition. After the classification of clerks and other employees, excluding messengers, there developed an inclination to increase the number of messengers and to substitute them for clerks in some city departments. It is difficult to follow such messengers in the performance of their duties, or to restrict them to duties not clerical. It is simpler and easier to include them with clerks in the classified service.

As showing the increase in the number of messengers in the service of the city of Boston, attention is called to these statistics:

No similar increase is noticed in other branches of the public service, and no reason is known to the commissioners

why in the last five years the public service of Boston has required an increase in the number of messengers from 19 to 47, at an added expense to the taxpayers of the city of some $25,000.

While the duties of messengers are somewhat varied, and to be learned from experience, the commissioners feel that they will have no difficulty in providing a suitable and fair scheme for testing, by competitive examination, the qualifications of persons seeking such employment. Under the present veteran preference, the classification of messengers will give the veterans the benefit of the statute preference, and in a class of public service in which many of them might desire and be well fitted for employment.

As the pay of some messengers is too small to invite competition, the commissioners provide, by adding section 2 to Rule XXXVIII, that, whenever the pay does not exceed $400 a year, the commissioners may, in their discretion, allow appointment without examination. In such cases, however, such appointee gains no right to promotion or transfer until after at least two years of service. This will prevent the appointment at small pay with the object of increasing it, or promoting the messenger without examination.

The commissioners deem it expedient to except from the classification of messengers one messenger to the mayor in each city. It is possible that such a messenger may have such confidential duties or stand in such a relation to the mayor that the latter should have the absolute right to appoint, just as he now has the right by statute to appoint his secretary and confidential stenographer.

Amendment second extends the classified service under the present Schedule B (Rule VI), by adding three additional classes. Class 12 will include superintendents, assistant superintendents, deputies and other persons, under whatever designation, performing any of the duties of a superintendent in any city. The statute, chapter 95 of the Acts of 1893, exempts from classification heads of any principal departments of a city. Since the inclusion a few years ago of foremen and sub-foremen, under Class 6 of Schedule B, there has been a tendency to enlarge the number of so-called superintendents having duties substantially similar to those of