Mr. Doty's suggestion of holding examinations in a single branch. We gave open examinations to all persons entitled to promotion in that branch in all the different departments and institutions and when a vacancy occurred a certification was made that might be taken from one department to another and we have no difficulty in the work. Subsequently the position of supervisor was abolished in our institutions and chief nurses were placed in charge.

Another examination was that of head teacher for the School for the Deaf. The superintendent wanted to make an appointment and had one particular teacher that he wished to select. A promotional examination was called in which the superintendent of the School for the Deaf at Indianapolis, Indiana, and Prof. John W. Swiler, an authority on the deaf from Iowa were the examiners. A promotional examination was held in which the following weights were used:

Education and professional training, 4 points.
Experience in teaching the deaf, 2 points.

Special questions on deaf, mute education, I point. Personal qualifications and oral examination, 3 points. The examiners gave the applicants an oral examination on personal qualifications which was complete. Three teachers were passed and the one at the head of the list was appointed.

The most successful promotional examination that the commission has held so far, was for chief of staff or first assistant physician. A new system was tried on this examination and it proved very successful.

At the first examination we had one vacancy in the largest institution. The superintendent wanted to appoint a man who had been in the service II years, thoroughly competent, but the Commission required him to take a younger man in the service. A great deal of objection was made to it, but he finally appointed him. Now, after three years of service in that capacity he is recognized as a rising young man, and may be one of the new superintendents within the next six months.

say further that the man of eleven years' experience was disqualified in a later examination on account of disloy

alty. The weights of the last examination which was held last May were:

Medicine, surgery, mental and nervous diseases, 5 points.

Pathology, I point.

Personal qualifications, 2 points.

Experience, 2 points.

The Commission sent out references to all previous employers, references to every one with whom the applicant had come in contact or by whom he had been employed during the time of his service and after he left the medical college. Those references minus the name of the applicant were sent to the examiners. They did not know the applicant at any time. They had to make 70 in the technical examination and thereafter they were disqualified or passed on their personal qualifications, providing of course they had a good record.

The Illinois Commission is young and there have been no efficiency records kept. We keep practically in the offices of the Commission the real record of the employees. We are trying to teach the employee that he must maintain a good record or else he cannot continue in the service or hope for advancement, and we have been fairly successful in that. In all the questions of promotion, in the estimation of the Illinois Commission, you might just as well wipe the books clean if you haven't a competent man at the head of the department, and it is ridiculous to ask a man who is not under civil service to pass upon those employees who have entered the service, to pass upon their records and give you a satisfactory report. It isn't in human nature; no matter how just they may want to be, you will find that they have shaded in favor of the man from one county where there is a great deal of political influence brought to bear on them or the personal element enters. You may get away from the political idea, but yet at the same time you will have the personal.

The Illinois service will be reorganized after January I. A system of promotion will be established. The new board of administration is favorable to making a satisfactory reorganization subject to approval from the

Civil Service Commission, and then the lines of promotion may be opened and we hope to be able to establish efficiency records in the institution and provide for their keeping. While we have made a little advancement in the extension of the service-the last legislature placed new employees under civil service who will draw $50,000 a year, giving us two departments in the state house,-we find in Illinois that down in the hearts of the people there is some distrust of civil service, not only of state civil service, of city civil service, but of national civil service. It is due in my estimation to failure to understand it. What they hear is directly from the men who know nothing about it whatever, and who have had no experience with it. The Illinois Civil Service Commission has recognized that and instead of trying to disabuse the minds of the people of that idea we are going to the children. The women's clubs throughout the state are educating the children in the hope that the coming generation will be boys and girls who will have more confidence in the public servants of Illinois.

ORGANIZATION

OF THE

National Civil Service Reform League.

CONSTITUTION

[REVISED DECEMBER 13, 1900.]

ARTICLE I.

The name of this organization shall be the National Civil Service Reform League.

ARTICLE II.

The object of the Civil Service Reform League shall be to promote the purposes and to facilitate the correspondence and united action of the Civil Service Reform Associations, and generally to advance the cause of civil service reform in the United States.

ARTICLE III.

The League shall consist of all the Civil Service Reform Associations in the United States which signify their willingness to become members thereof. Any such Association hereafter expressing such willingness shall become a member of the League upon its being accepted as such by the League or the Council. Any member of any such Association, and any individual specially invited by the Council, may be present at any meeting of the League and take part in the debates or discussions subject to such restrictions, if any, as the By-Laws may prescribe. The Council may in its discretion invite representatives of any other society or organization to take part in any designated meeting of the League.

The Council may also admit, in such manner as it may prescribe, associate and sustaining members of the League. The annual dues for associate members shall be five dollars and for sining members twenty-five dollars. Associate

and sustaining members shall have the same status at the meetings of the League as the members of a Civil Service Reform Association.

ARTICLE IV.

At any meeting of the League all questions shall be decided by a majority vote of the individuals present and entitled to take part in the proceedings, unless a majority of the representatives of any Association shall demand a vote by Associations, in which case each Association represented shall be entitled to one vote, which vote shall be cast by the delegates from such Association present at such meeting or by a majority of them.

ARTICLE V.

The officers of the League shall be a President, a Secretary, and an Assistant-Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall discharge the usual duties of such officers, and not less than ten Vice-Presidents; and there shall be a Council, to be constituted as hereinafter provided. The said officers and Council shall hold office until their respective successors are chosen.

ARTICLE VI.

The President and Vice-Presidents shall be elected by ballot at the annual meeting of the League.

The Secretary, Assistant-Secretary and Treasurer shall be chosen, and may be removed, by the Council.

The Council shall be elected by the League at the annual meeting, and shall consist of at least thirty members, of whom there shall be at least one member from each Association belonging to the League. Ten members of the Council shall be a quorum.

The officers of the League, except the Vice-Presidents, shall be ex-officio members of the Council, and either the League or the Council itself may from time to time elect additional members to hold office until the annual meeting next following. Any member of the Council may act by proxy.

The Council shall elect its own chairman. It shall keep a record of its own proceedings and shall make a report to the League at the annual meeting. A vacancy in any office except that of Vice-President ma be filled by the Council until the annual meeting next following.