The Federal positions are subject to the Federal civil service act and rules. There are approximately 325 of these positions, of which about 250 are subject to competitive examination, and about 55 are not subject to classification.

AMENDMENTS TO THE ILLINOIS CIVIL-SERVICE LAW.

An important addition to civil-service legislation was accomplished during the year in the passage by the Illinois Legislature of an act amending the State civil-service law in important particulars.

In the matter of removals for cause the civil service commission is given authority to investigate charges against any employee, and the finding of the commission, to quote the act, "shall be certified to the appointing officer and shall be forthwith enforced by such officer." The same act also provides for an extension of the commission's powers by a section making it the duty of the commission to investigate the efficiency of employees, the methods of administration, and “the nature, tenure, and compensation of all offices and places in the civil service of the State."

By the provisions of this section the State civil service commission, in addition to its functions with reference to the personnel of the service, will also exercise the functions of a supervisory board in questions of administrative method.

At this time there is felt the need of a body of competent persons whose duty it shall be to keep in touch on the one hand with the advance in business methods outside the government service and on the other hand with the methods in use within the service, with a view at all times to eliminate waste, conserve energy, and formulate plans for increased efficiency. To be of the greatest value such a body must be permanent. It must be intimately acquainted with the conditions existing in the service, conditions which are often of long duration and not easy of modification, and it must have the power to enforce performance in accordance with its findings on the part of unduly conservative executive officers.

A county and a park civil-service law for the State of Illinois were also enacted by the same legislature, in each of which are included provisions similar to those in the State law mentioned above. The operation in Illinois of these additions of administrative methods to civil-service principles will be watched with interest by all who are concerned in the continued advance of the merit system.

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONS.

On June 7 and 8, 1911, the National Assembly of Civil Service Commissions, composed of representatives of the various commissions,

Federal, State, and municipal, throughout the country, was held at Madison, Wis., for the purpose of discussing matters of common interest and exchanging views and suggestions.

Resolutions were adopted expressing gratification because of extensions of the merit system to additional States and cities and a wider application of existing laws and rules; advocating still further extensions on the ground of increased efficiency and economy to be attained; testifying to the sympathy and support generally given by administrative and appointing officers; and urging that the methods and results of all civil-service commissions be given the fullest possible publicity, to the end that the workings of the system may be fully understood by the people, who are its beneficiaries.

A fuller abstract of the resolutions will be found in the appendix to this report.

OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

Two opinions of the Attorney General rendered during the year, the first declaring that jurisdiction to determine eligibility for appointment lies with the Civil Service Commission and the second defining the status of employees for transfer from the permanent to the temporary force of the Census Office under the act of July 2, 1909, were discussed in the Twenty-seventh Report of the Commission (pp. 133-135). Later opinions on matters of interest to the commission are discussed below and may be found in greater detail in the appendix of this report.

JURISDICTION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR APPOINTMENT.

This question is practically identical with that upon which the Attorney General rendered an opinion under date of August 1, 1910, and to which reference is made above. The principle was stated that the eligibility of a person for appointment was for the Civil Service Commission to determine, pursuant to the civil service statutes and regulations. (28 Op., 431, Sept. 27, 1910.)

TERM OF OFFICE OF DEPUTY MARSHALS.

On November 30, 1910, the Comptroller of the Treasury rendered a decision upon a statement of facts presented by the Department of Justice in the matter of the appointment of an office deputy marshal. Among other things, it was held by the Comptroller that the term of the office deputy marshal expired with that of his principal and that the succeeding United States marshal was authorized to appoint his successor and was not required to reappoint the old office deputy marshal. The Comptroller stated that the position, however, must be filled by appointment under the civil-service rules. In a letter to the commission, under date of January 22, 1911, the Attorney

General stated that the Department of Justice concurred in the views of the law expressed by the Comptroller and decided that the position of office deputy marshal must be filled, in accordance with the civil-service rules, from the list of eligibles prepared for such purpose. We have the honor to be, Very respectfully,

JOHN C. BLACK,

JOHN A. McILHENNY,
WILLIAM S. WASHBURN,
Commissioners.

The PRESIDENT,

The White House.

REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXAMINER.

The COMMISSION:

DECEMBER 18, 1911.

The following report is respectfully submitted of the work done under the supervision of the chief examiner during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911:

The following table shows the number of persons examined, passed, and appointed during the year:

1 Of these 761 were examined, 309 passed, and 171 appointed for educational positions in navy yards and elsewhere under the Navy Department, the examinations being held under authority of sec. 3 of civilservice Rule III.

2 Does not include 23,813 persons examined, 23,464 passed, and 10,140 appointed to noneducational (trades) positions in navy yards, held to be unclassified by the opinion of the Attorney General of July 6, 1909. Statistics for these positions were included in this table in previous reports.

In addition to the foregoing, certain examinations were held for services not in the classified service of the United States with the following results:

There were 453 different kinds of examinations held, according to title or kind of position, of which 320 were educational and 133 noneducational.

There was an increase of 21,979 in the number examined and 10,643 in the number who passed for the classified service over the year 1910, but a decrease of 3,156 in the number appointed. These figures do not include the 8,908 persons examined for and 2,490 appointed to the temporary census force during 1910, the figures for which were included in these statistics last year. The decrease in the number appointed is accounted for principally by a reduction or 2,194 in the number appointed to the post-office service.

In making comparisons of the number examined and appointed with statistics for previous years, account should be taken of the fact that tables in previous reports have included figures for noneducational or trades positions in navy yards, which have since been held by the Attorney General to be unclassified, and, accordingly, figures for such positions have been omitted from the table in this report.

RESIDENCE AND DOMICILE.

By the provisions of the act of July 2, 1909, applicants for positions in the apportioned service at Washington are required to be examined in the State or Territory in which they reside, and they are not eligible to be examined for such service unless they have been actually domiciled in such State or Territory for at least one year next preceding the examination.

The additional requirements of residence and domicile imposed by this act have now been in effect two years. The requirements have been faithfully observed and the evident purpose of Congress has been fully carried out, namely, that the States and Territories be charged only with appointments of persons who are actually domiciled, in each case, in the State or Territory claimed.

EXAMINATIONS OF UNUSUAL REQUIREMENTS.

Among the positions for which examinations of unusual requirements were held during the year, mention may be made of the following, the annual salary of the position being indicated in each case: Professor of chemistry, Public-Health and Marine Hospital Service, $4,500; law examiner, Bureau of Mines, $3,600; mining engineer, Bureau of Mines, $3,600; assistant director, Office of Public Roads, $3,000; engineer-physicist, Bureau of Standards, $3,000; examiner of accounts, Interstate Commerce Commission, $3,000; hydroelectrical engineer, Forest Service, $3,000; soil scientist, Department of Agriculture, $3,000; agronomist in rice investigations, Department of Agriculture, $2,500; cashier, subtreasury service, Philadelphia, Pa., $2,500; chemical engineer in forest products, Forest Service, $2,500; chemist in forest products, Forest Service, $2,500; engineer in forest products, Forest Service, $2,500; examiner of cutlery, customhouse, New York City, $2,500; agronomist in grain investigations, Department of Agriculture, $2,400; forest pathologist, Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture, $2,400; superintedent Lighthouse Service, $2,400. As in other examinations, care was taken to have the examination in each case a thorough and practical test of the qualifications to perform properly the work to be done. In many instances more than one appointment was made from the eligibles resulting from the different examinations mentioned.