civil administration and would be dissolved by an executive order when the purpose for which they were called into existence had been accomplished. The status of some of these offices, however, was settled by recent legislation of the Commission. In Act No. 167 it was provided that the clerks and employees of the office of the disbursing quartermaster for civil bureaus, which office was discontinued by order of the military governor on June 30, 1901, should be transferred to the office of the insular purchasing agent, which was created on June 21, and the positions therein made subject to the provisions of the civil-service act. At the same time the act was made to apply to the clerks and employees in the office of the superintendent of the government cold storage and ice plant, and also those employed under the officer in charge of the improvement of the port of Manila. The board is now arranging the details of the classification of all of these employees. The board stated in its report of February 7 that it was of opinion that the conditions would be such in the near future that teachers could, with advantage to the service, be included within the provisions of the civil-service act. It is believed that it will be a difficult matter to retain teachers from the United States in this service for an indefinite time unless they are brought within the Philippine classified service and a satisfactory arrangement is made under which they may be transferred to the service in the United States after a certain period if they so desire. The matter of returning to the United States after a certain lapse of time will always be considered by persons seeking employment in the Philippine civil service. Under a recent enactment of the United States Philippine Commission the classification of the provincial service was fixed for March, 1902, when vacancies in that service will be filled in accordance with the provisions of the civil-service act and rules. The law enacted by the Commission on May 22, establishing the Philippine weather bureau, provided for the classification of that bureau. The classification has since been completed, and the board has held examinations and made certifications to fill vacancies in the positions of observers of the first and second classes in the weather bureau. Act No. 136, enacted June 11, 1901, providing for the organization of courts in the Philippine Islands, requires that the selection of clerks, deputies, and assistants to the supreme court and the courts of first instance shall be subject to the provisions of the civil-service act. Act No. 157, providing for the establishment of an insular board of health, also requires that the selection of all employees of the board shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the civil-service act. It will thus be seen that the provisions of the civil-service act requiring that appointments and promotions be made upon merit are applied to new civil departments and offices as they are created. Practically all of the officers and employees in the Philippine civil service at this time, with the exception of the higher officers, and the positions of teachers, policemen, firemen and guards, are classified under the civil-service act. The Act provides that after eighteen months from the date when the board shall certify that it has a list of eligibles from which to fill vacancies in the various positions in the service, vacancies occurring in the higher offices shall be filled by promotion from a class to be composed of the first, second, and third assistants in all the different offices. On April 26 last the board certified that it was prepared to fill vacancies in the service from its registers of eligibles. In eighteen months, therefore, from that date, or on October 26, 1902, all vacancies in positions in the Philippine civil service, from the highest to the lowest, will be required to be filled by promotion within the service, or by certification from the eligible registers of the board. OATH OF OFFICE. On May 16 the board recommended an oath of office for the Philippine civil service, which was adopted by the United States Philippine Commission as follows: PHILIPPINE CIVIL SERVICE. Oath of office. PROVINCE OF of the state or province of —, having been appointed to the position of do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I recognize and accept the supreme authority of the United States of America in these Islands, and will maintain true faith and allegiance thereto; that I will obey the laws, legal orders, and decrees promulgated by its duly constituted authorities; that I impose upon myself this obligation voluntarily, without mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God.1 Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me this (Signature) ADDITIONAL WORK IMPOSED UPON THE BOARD. 190 In addition to its regular work, the board has been called upon from time to time by the office of the military governor and the United States Philippine Commission for an expression of its views in regard to various matters relating to the civil service, among which may be mentioned the question of suitable salaries for existing positions or positions to be created, the need of increases or decreases in the force of employees in the different offices, the advisability of the employment of substitutes, the construction of different provisions of the law regulating hours of labor, leaves of absence, etc. During this formative period in the establishment of civil government in the islands the need of a central bureau to consider questions relating to the personnel of the service and which do not affect the internal administration of the different departments and offices is self-evident. It is believed that the reference of such questions to a central bureau like the board, which has relations with all the departments and offices, will secure uniformity of action and will result far more satisfactorily than if the head of each department or office should act independently in such cases without having the information at hand in regard to action in similar cases in other departments or offices. PROMOTION REGULATIONS AND EXAMINATIONS OF EMPLOYEES. On June 15 the board addressed a letter to each of the heads of offices requesting a report on the efficiency of the employees who were in the service before the passage of the civil-service act. Reports 'The last four words should be stricken out in case of affirmation. have since been received from all of the different offices in regard to the efficiency of the employees, and the heads of offices have been requested to have those who were rated as the least efficient report for examination on September 16. The board has also informed the different heads of offices that it is engaged in the preparation of promotion regulations for the service, and it has requested that in cases of proposed promotions of employees who have not entered the service through the examinations prescribed for the positions to which promotions are proposed they be directed to report to the board for examination to test their fitness for promotion. With the examination of the least efficient employees to determine whether they can be of service in any other capacity than that in which they are employed, and the examination for promotion of all other employees, the entire service will be placed on a uniform basis, and vexatious questions as to the status of efficiency of employees who have not been examined, as compared with those who have been examined, will not then arise in the service. CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP OF BOARD. On June 29, 1901, the Commission adopted a resolution accepting the resignation of Señor Arellano, chairman of the board, to take effect on July 1. Señor Arellano, as the board stated in its first report, accepted the position of chairman temporarily, pending the preliminary work of preparing rules and regulations. While his duties as chief justice of the islands prevented him from devoting much of his time to the work of the board, it nevertheless had the benefit of his counsel and advice on all matters of importance affecting the preliminary organization. Mr. Kiggins was at the same time designated as chairman of the board to succeed Mr. Arellano, and Don Felipe Buencamino was appointed a member of the board to fill the existing vacancy. CABLE CIPHER CODE. In October, 1900, the board prepared a preliminary cable cipher code for use in official communications with the War Department and the United States Civil Service Commission on matters relating to examinations, appointments, transfers, etc., under the civil-service act. A revision of this code was completed in June, which will greatly facilitate the transaction of business by cable with the War Department and the Civil Service Commission at a minimum cost for cable messages. ASSISTANCE FROM THE UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. The board desires to acknowledge the material assistance which it has received since its organization from the United States Civil Service Commission. The President of the United States authorized that commission to render such assistance as practicable to the board, and it is proper to state that from the beginning the commission has manifested the greatest interest in the work of building up a merit system in the Philippines. It has unusual facilities through its local boards for holding examinations in all parts of the United States for the purpose of securing competent persons for the work in the islands. While awaiting the registers of persons examined especially for this service in the United States the board has in a number of instances availed itself of the eligible registers of the Civil Service Commission in making selections of persons for appointment. It has also secured other persons by transfer from the Federal classified service of the United States through the agency of the Civil Service Commission. The persons thus secured by appointment or transfer have proved efficient and are rendering valuable service in the islands. We have the honor to be, your obedient servants, Hon. WILLIAM H. TAFT, FRANK M. KIGGINS, W. LEON PEPPERMAN, Members of the Board. PHILIPPINE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, Civil Governor of the Philippine Islands, Manila. SIR: In compliance with your instructions of the 1st instant, the board has the honor to submit herewith a supplemental report covering the work of the board during the last quarter, from July 1 to October 1. It is proper to state in addition to the examinations held and papers marked during this quarter, and the performing of the routine work of the office, a portion of the time and attention of the board has been occupied in the preparation for an unusually large number of examinations to be held in the immediate future. TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS. The operation of the law is now being tested. It is no longer theory, but practical application of its provisions. The needs of the service during the period of its reorganization and development demand immediate appointment of well-qualified persons. The board has been unable to maintain eligible registers from which certification could at all times be made to positions requiring special clerical ability, such as bookkeepers, typewriters, stenographers, interpreters, translators and other high-grade positions, but it is making strenuous efforts to secure registers of eligibles for the higher grades, as well as the lower ones, and thereby avoid, as far as possible, the necessity for the authorization of temporary appointments. At present, however, many temporary appointments are unavoidable, owing to the lack of properly qualified applicants in the Islands. Enlisted men of the United States Army are required to obtain permission from the proper military authorities before filing an application for examination. Formerly it was the practice of the military authorities to grant such permission to enlisted men without reference to the length of time they had to serve before the expiration of their term of enlistment. At present, however, this permission is only granted to enlisted men who have served at least one year in the Islands, and who have less than three months to serve to complete their term of enlistment. In accordance with this policy the military authorities called upon the board for a list of names of soldiers who have been given permission to appear for examination, but who have not as yet been examined. This list, which was furnished to the military authorities as requested, was returned to the board with the permissions revoked of those soldiers who had more than three months to serve. It will be seen that this policy operates to restrict the number of enlisted men who will be permitted to compete in the future for positions in the civil service, and will materially reduce the number of persons applying for examination in the Islands. The source of supply of men, from which the civil service was largely recruited prior to July, was greatly reduced by the return to the United States of soldiers in the volunteer establishment of the Army for discharge from the service at expiration of term of enlistment. DELAY IN SECURING APPOINTEES FROM THE UNITED STATES, AND SUGGESTED REMEDIES. Examinations were held in the United States last spring for the Philippine civil service. This service has not yet had the benefit of these registers of eligibles. It was thought that the very large department assistant and other registers obtained in the United States might be available before this time; however, these registers and papers are expected by the 1st of November. When they arrive the board will have ample registers from which it will be able to certify eligibles for appointment to high-grade clerical places, and to special, technical, and scientific positions. Eligibles in stenography and typewriting were requested by cable to be selected for appointment, but they have not yet reached the Islands. The long time thus far required to secure eligibles from the United States is somewhat embarrassing. Several factors have probably contributed to this delay. The work of the United States Civil Service Commission proper is in arrears, and there has been inability on its part to rate examination papers immediately after examination. It is believed that arrangements can be made in the future with the United States Civil Service Commission to secure the prompt rating of papers. Some applicants, after being examined and selected for appointment in this service, decline, which necessitates further correspondence in selecting other persons to fill the requisitions. These eligibles being widely scattered over the United States such declinations of appointments operate to delay the final selection. And further, after applicants agree to accept appointment it usually happens that weeks elapse before they are able to obtain transportation. The matter of transportation has been and is a serious cause of delay in securing persons who are ready to come immediately upon notification of their appointment. In this connection attention is invited to the suggestion of the United States Civil Service Commission contained in the following communication of that office to this board: The commission begs to suggest for your consideration that probably more good eligibles might be obtained for the Philippine service if it were possible to offer the inducement that appointees would be reimbursed, after six months satisfactory service, for the expense of going to San Francisco from their homes in the United States. The board believes that it would be a matter of economy to adopt this suggestion, with the modification, perhaps, of requiring two years service, to be consistent with the provisions of Act No. 224, before |