A discussion followed the reading of the report, in which Hon. Henry F. Greene, Richard Henry Dana and Hon. Everett P. Wheeler took part."

FOURTH SESSION.

NEW HAVEN COLONY HISTORICAL SOCIETY BUILDING, TUESDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 20.

THE League reconvened at 2.30 P. M., President Gil

man in the chair.

Hon. Everett P. Wheeler read a paper on "The Birth of the Pendleton Bill Twenty-five Years Ago.'

At the request of President Gilman, Mr. Richard Henry Dana then took the chair and the following papers were read:

"Civil Service Reform in Connecticut," by Hon. William F. Hennev, Mavor of Hartford."

"The Slow Progress of Civil Service Reform in New Territory," by Frederic Almy, of Buffalo.*

A discussion followed the reading of this paper, in which Hon. Charles J. Bonaparte, W. H. Hale, Hon. Everett P. Wheeler, E. H. Goodwin, Horace E. Deming, Mrs. Glendower Evans, Henry A. Richmond, Henry W. Farnam and Ansley Wilcox took part."

"The Enforcement of the Provisions of the Civil Service Law in Regard to Political Assessments," by Hon. Henry F. Greene, of the United States Civil Service Commission.

"The Best Method of Regulating the Political Activity of Public Employees," by Hon. Cyrus D. Foss, Jr., of the Philadelphia Civil Service Commission."

A discussion followed the reading of these two papers.*

The Hon. Charles J. Bonaparte moved a resolution of thanks to the Civil Service Reform Association of Connecticut, to Professor and Mrs. Farnam, to the Ladies'

8

Printed in full 1 at page 94; 2 8 at page 120; at page 127; at page 137; at page 144; at page 153; at page 170; at pages 168 and 178.

Committee of the New Haven Colony Historical Society and to the Women's Civic Club of New Haven. The resolution was unanimously carried by a rising vote.

The League then adjourned.

Attest:

ELLIOT H. GOODWIN,
Secretary.

A banquet to the visiting delegates was tendered by the Connecticut Association at Harmonie Hall, at 8 o'clock, Tuesday evening, November 20. Professor Henry W. Farnam, President of the Connecticut Association presided. Addresses were made by Professor Henry W. Farnam, Dr. Daniel C. Gilman, President of the League, Dr. Flavel S. Luther, President of Trinity College, Professor Edward B. Reed, of Yale University, and Hon. Charles J. Bonaparte, Secretary of the Navy.

During the meeting of the League the delegates were tendered a reception on Monday afternoon by Professor and Mrs. Henry W. Farnam, at their residence, 43 Hillhouse Avenue. On Tuesday afternoon the Ladies' Committee of the New Haven Colony Historical Society and the Women's Civic Club of New Haven served afternoon tea for the delegates.

At the close of the preliminary meeting of the Council Monday morning the members were tendered luncheon by Professor Farnam at the New Haven House.

Printed in full 1 at page 180; 2 at page 185.

Treasurer.

* Of which $55.31 in Special Fund Committee on the Organization of Civil Service Reform Associations. Of which $175.31 in Special Fund Committee on the Organization of Civil Service Reform Associations.

January 7, 1907.

Audited and found correct.
WM. G. Low,

NELSON S. SPENCER.

Committee.

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL.

TO THE NATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE REFORM LEAGUE:

During the last year, the League has experienced a most serious loss in the death of the Hon. Carl Schurz on May 14, 1906. Mr. Schurz was one of the founders of the League, and became its President, and President also of the New York Association, after the death of Mr. Curtis, September 1902. He resigned the Presidency of the League in 1900, but remained President of the New York Association until his death. A committee has been appointed by the Council to sum up his valuable services in resolutions for this meeting of the League, to co-operate with the committee of the New York Association in preparing a memorial, and to take part in the Schurz memorial meeting to be held in New York on Wednesday evening, November 21.

At this gathering of the League we celebrate our twenty-fifth anniversary. On August 11, 1881, a conference was held in Newport, which led to the formation of the League. It may be well to review our work from that date. The Pendleton Bill was drawn up by the New York Association, was introduced into the United States Senate in 1881, and became a law much sooner than we had anticipated, namely, on January 16, 1883. At that time, the total number of employees in the federal service was 110,000, and of these, 14,000, or a very little. over one-eighth, were put under civil service rules. Since then, the federal service has increased to the enormous number of 326,855, on June 30, 1906, and the classified. competitive service includes 184,178 persons, which is two-thirds of the total number of employees, if we omit from the latter unskilled day laborers. All the more important branches are now included that can be included under civil service law, excepting the fourth class

postmasters, now numbering 62,480, the pension examining surgeons and a few other officials.

The enormous growth of the federal service is a point worthy of comment. One explanation of a part of this growth has been that a great deal of work has been thrown upon the field branches of the War and Navy Departments. The people are looking to the federal government to undertake work which might naturally have been left to the states, in no small degree because of the existence of the merit system in the federal government, and the consequent confidence in the efficiency of its administration. Those government works especially that are under the control of the army and navy engineers, with subordinates under the civil service rules, exemplify the highest ideals of the ultimate good that can be accomplished through civil service reform. The army and navy engineers have gained their positions after having undergone hard examinations at West Point and Annapolis, they are thoroughly efficient, and are wholly out of politics. They have charge of the making and enforcing of all the contracts, while their subordinates are also selected by the merit system. Thus, we have, from top to bottom, in these large departments, work wholly carried on by substantially permanent officials who have received their appointment without political influence or favoritism.

Outside the federal service, merit systems have been established in New York for the state, cities and the large counties; in Massachusetts for the state, cities and some of the towns; in Wisconsin, for the city of Milwaukee, for the police and fire departments of other cities over 10,000 population now numbering about twenty, for the state service and for the legislative employees at the State House, a new extension worth copying in the older states and at Washington; in Illinois, for the charitable institutions of the state and for the service of the cities of Chicago, Evanston, Rockford, Aurora and Elgin, and for Cook county; in Connecticut, for the city of New Haven; and in Indiana, for the state schools for the blind and deaf, four hospitals for the insane, and the state reformatory by voluntary action of the boards. In the chief cities of Ohio the employees of the boards of public safety in