(5) The League renews its recommendation that the legislation requisite to place the municipal government and other local offices of the District of Columbia within the operation of the civil service law, be enacted without delay, and it respectfully requests that such executive or legislative action be taken as may be needed to extend the provisions of that law to the employees of the National Library.

(6) At its last annual meeting the League heard with pleasure of the commendable attempt of the Postmaster-General to extend the benefits of the classified service to many postmasters of smaller post-offices, by consolidating their offices with those of the larger cities in the vicinity. This measure held out the promise of a considerable saving of public money and a market increase in mail facilities, beside applying the merit system to a portion of the public service wherein its introduction is at once most desirable and attended with serious difficulties. The League has since seen with regret and indignation the practical frustration of this judicious measure through the selfish and unscrupulous hostility of certain Senators and Representatives, a hostility cloaked under various frivolous pretexts, but which could be inspired only by a desire to use the public patronage as rewards for personal adherents or party workers, and it urges upon Congressmen that this eminently practical reform be no longer delayed.

(7) It cannot be too clearly and generally understood that the principles of civil service reform in no wise countenance any tenure of office other than during merit and fitness. The League fully recognizes the importance of preserving to responsible superior officers the power of removal of their subordinates, whenever in their judgment this power should be exercised in their public interest, but the League deems it no less important that the officer exercising this power should do it with full and trustworthy information as to the facts, and that reasonable safeguards should be afforded to employees against the loss of their livelihood for personal or political causes. As a means to these ends it commends the requirements of General Order No. 235 of the Postal Department issued by Postmaster-General Bissell, whereby letter carriers are informed of charges made against them and afforded an opportunity for written explanation or defence, before the power of removal is exercised in their cases; and it would see with pleasure the salutary and conservative provisions of this order extended to other branches of the public service, believing that this course would tend to strengthen discipline and increase efficiency besides removing opportunities for injustice and possible abuse of authority.

(8) The League observes with peculiar satisfaction the remarkable increase in the number and activity of the agencies working for better government throughout the country and it calls attention to the significant fact that these agencies, without exception, recognize the principles of Civil Service Reform as fundamental in all well considered movements for improvement in the public service and the purification of our political life.

Mr. R. Francis Wood, of Philadelphia, presented a proposed bill regulating the removal of employees in the classified service, for which the endorsement of the League had been asked by a Committee representing the National Association of Letter Carriers. He moved that the matter be referred to the Executive Committee, with power, and the motion was carried.

Mr. Potts, of New York, then moved that the report of the movement for the adoption of the merit system in the municipal service of St. Louis, postponed from the morning session, be received, and that the Chairman of the meeting, Mr. Hitchcock, be invited to address the League. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr. Hitchcock called Mr. Dorman B. Eaton to the chair, and reported substantially as follows:

The situation in St. Louis, with reference to the introduction of the merit system in the civil service of that city, is a peculiar one. In any other State, that end would probably be sought by procuring the passage by the State legislature of an Act, either amending the city charter, or substituting a new charter; or, as in Illinois, of a general law authorizing such an amendment to the city charter to be submitted to popular vote. Under the present Constitution of Missouri, adopted in 1875, neither of those methods can be pursued. Under a special provision of that constitution, the present charter of St. Louis was framed, in 1876, by a board of thirteen freeholders elected for that purpose by the voters of the city, and was adopted by popular vote. Other provisions directed the legislature to enact general laws providing for the organization and classification of cities and towns, in not more than four classes, all municipalities of the same class to have like powers and be under like restrictions, and authorized any city having a population exceeding 100,000 to frame and adopt by popular vote a charter for its own government, consistent with the constitution and laws of the State. Another provision forbade the legislature to amend any municipal charter by special Act. The legislature having passed such general laws, Kansas City, in 1889, framed and adopted a new charter, substantially similar to that of St. Louis. Before the constitution of 1875 was adopted, the Missouri Legislature, like some others, had a way of passing laws directly amending municipal charters, and since then from time to time enacted laws, general in form, but designed to have that effect. During the past twenty years the validity of such laws has been frequently tested in the courts, with varying results. In 1895, the Supreme Court, in construing a general law which, if valid, abrogated a portion of the Kansas City charter, reviewed all its previous decisions on that subject and held, in substance, that under those constitutional provisions the legislature could not, even by general law, amend a city charter framed and adopted pursuant to the constitutional provisions in question, unless such amendment was made

either (1) in pursuance of some duty imposed upon the legislature by the constitution, for example, that laws shall be passed for the registration of voters in cities, or (2) in reference to some matter which concerned the relation of the city to the State at large, for example, a revenue Act; but that as to matters of purely municipal concern, such charters could be amended only by vote of the citizens themselves. In other words, that court construed those constitutional provisions as establishing municipal home rule in cities having such charters.

The pending movement for municipal reform in St. Louis grew out of a paper on that subject read in March last before the St. Louis Commercial Club, an influential organization of prominent business men. The club referred that paper to a special committee of five, of which Colonel James C. Broadhead is Chairman, and which, in April, reported in favor of action by the club, looking to an amendment of the city charter, introducing the merit system. They further reported that, under the decision of the Supreme Court above mentioned, this could not be done by the legislature, but only by the adoption by vote of the citizens of an amendment submitted by the Municipal Assembly; for which purpose an amendment must be framed and recommended to the Municipal Assembly by the Charter Amendment Commission, an advisory body established by ordinance, and consisting of the Mayor, President of the Council, Speaker of the House of Delegates, President of the Board of Public Improvements, City Comptroller and City Counsellor. This report was unanimously approved, and the committee was continued, with full power to urge the adoption of such an amendment. No active steps were taken during the presidential campaign. In October the committee appeared before the Charter Amendment Commission and obtained leave to submit such an amendment, which was submitted to the Commission in December and is now under consideration by them with other important amendments to the charter.

The proposed amendment contains sixteen sections, to be added to the article of the charter concerning the administrative department. Without going into details, I may state that the proposed amendment follows the general plan now in force in the Federal service. It provides for a Civil Service Commission of three members, to be appointed and removable by the Mayor, and to serve for three years, one going out each year. They are to classify the entire civil service, with the usual exceptions, conduct or supervise all examinations of applicants, and, as vacancies arise, certify the three names highest on the list of eligibles for such duties, also providing for promotion on the basis of merit. They are not authorized to remove incumbents, the existing provisions of the charter as to removals being left unchanged, but are required to make annual reports to the Mayor, with suggestions as to the working of the system.

The Charter Amendment Commission received this plan favorably, and we have good reason to believe that they will recommend its substantial adoption by the Municipal Assembly. The Assembly has power by ordinance, to submit any amendment to the charter to popular vote, at a general or special election; and any amendment so submitted and

receiving three-fiths of the votes cast at such election will thereupon become a part of the charter. All that can be said at present is that the friends of the merit system are hopeful of success.

Mr. Hitchcock then resumed the chair.

Mr. Mason, of New York, moved that the Executive Committee be requested to take into consideration the best methods of enlisting in the cause of civil service reform the labor organizations of the country, and the motion was carried.

Mr. Collins, of New York, moved the adoption of the following:

RESOLVED: That the League expresses its grateful sense of the generous hospitality extended to by the Pennsylvania Association, the Civic Club, and the Citizens of Philadelphia.

The resolution was seconded by several members and carried unanimously.

The following papers were then read:

"The Relation of Women to the Movement for Civil Service Reform," by Mrs. Charles Russell Lowell, of New York. "Civil Service Reform in the West," by Hon. John W. Ela, of Chicago.

"Four-Year Tenure," by Lucius B. Swift, of Indianapolis. "Civil Service Reform in the Constitution of New York State," by Hon. Sherman S. Rogers, of Buffalo.

A paper by Hon. Dorman B. Eaton, of New York-" Civil Service Commissions Essential to Civil Service Reform "§— was not read owing to the lateness of the hour. Mr. Eaton, however, made a brief extemporaneous address summarizing his subject.

On motion of Mr. Bonaparte it was voted that the Secretary be authorized to incorporate in the printed report of the proceedings of the meeting the annual address of the President, together with the papers read by Mrs. Lowell and Mr. Eaton, and such others as the Executive Committee shall deem it practicable and advisable to publish.

On motion of Mr. Storey it was voted that the President's address be printed also as a separate pamphlet and circulated as widely as possible.

**

Page 66. Page 73. Page 84. § Page 89.

Col. Burt, of New York, moved that the thanks of the League be extended to the Acting Chairman for his valuable and courteous services as presiding officer. The motion was carried unanimously.

The Chairman expressed his appreciation in a brief response and, on motion of Mr. Low, of Brooklyn, the League adjourned.

Attest:

GEORGE MCANENY,

Secretary.

On the evening of the 11th, a banquet was tendered the visiting delegates at the Hotel Walton, by the citizens of Philadelphia. Mr. Herbert Welsh, President of the Civil Service Reform Association of Pennsylvania, presided, and addresses were made by Hon. J. Sterling Morton, Secretary of Agriculture; Hon. John R. Procter, President of the United States Civil Service Commission; Hon. W. L. Strong, Mayor of New York; Bishop Cyrus D. Foss, of the Methodist Episcopal Church; Charles J. Bonaparte, of Baltimore; Lucius B. Swift, of Indianapolis, and Sherman S. Rogers, of Buffalo.

The delegates were entertained at luncheon at the Hotel Walton on the 10th and 11th, by the Pennsylvania Association, assisted by a Committee of members of the Philadelphia Civic Club.