Chief Clerk:

Miss Ann V. Burke.........................................................Baltimore..
Stenographers:

Mrs. Ella S. Gray............................................................Baltimore
Miaa Florence M.C. Hartmaier.......................................Baltiinore

The Governor, without Senate confirmation, appoints one State Em-
ployment Commissioner for a term of six years from October 1, 1920.
(Ch. 41,1920.)

The State Employment Commissioner is charged with putting into
effect and administering the Merit System Law of the State. The law
gives the Commissioner general control of employment and personnel
matters so far as the classified service is concerned. On September 30,
1921, the end of the first fiscal year of the Commission, of a total num-
ber of 2)892 employees in the State service, 1,636 were included in the
classified service.

* The Merit System Law provides that the Commissioner shall classify
positions in the classified service, pass upon the qualifications of appli-
cants, and certify eligibles when vacancies are to be filled, recommend
minimum and maximum salary ranges with intermediate salary rates .
for each class of position, pass upon transfers, promotions, reinstate-
ments, leaves of absence, ana other actions affecting the status of clas-
sified employees, provide for the removal of employees and hold hear-
ings when charges are filed by an appointing authority or a citizen,
prescribe the standard of performance and the form and scope of the
personnel records that appointing authorities keep, and investigate the
efficiency of employees in the classified service, and make recommen-
dations for increased efficiency and economy. The Commissioner is
also required to check payrolls in advance of the payment of salaries
to employees in the classified service, and certify to the legality of
the employment of such employees.

Tile' classification of positions and the rules made by the Com-
missioner, and approved by the Governor, to carry out the provision of
the law, become effective February 1, 1921, and subsequently, appoint-
ments, removals, promotions, lay offs, reinstatements, suspensions,
leaves of absence, or change in class can be legally made only as pro-
vided in the Law and the Rules.

During the first year the Commission conducted 90 different ex-
aminations covering 61 different classes of positions. Eligible lists
were established resulting from these examinations, from which ap-
pointments were made to vacancies in the various departments. A total
number of 1,776 persons participated in the examinations. Two hun-
dred and thirty-seven appointments were made from eligible lists re-
sulting from examinations, and 135 temporary appointments to classes
for which eligible lists did not exist were authorized by the Commissioner
of the State, and to reduce the expense and loss of time to competitors
to a minimum, all examinations have been scheduled to be held at
Annapolis, Baltimore, Cumberland, Frederick, and Salisbury.

Three promotional examinations were held during the year, with
twelve appointments made from the employment lists, resulting there-
from.

Twenty-four cases came before the Commission for a hearing in the
matter of suspension from the State service or removal of names im-
properly included on the employment lists. The charges in each case
were sustained. Fourteen requests to reconsider resignations were re-
ceived during the year by the Commission, of which twelve were al-
lowed and two refused.