COMMITTEE ON THE EXECUTIVE, MILITIA AND CIVIL OFFICERS APPENDIX TO PROCEEDINGS

LETTER OF&nbspAMERICAN VETERANS COMMITTEE,&nbspTOWN OF MONTCLAIR CHAPTER

215 Montclair Ave.&nbspMontclair, N. J.&nbsp

July 9, 1947.

&nbspMrs. Maxwell Barus,&nbsp75 Llewellyn Rd.,&nbspUp. Montclair, N. J.
Dear Mrs. Barus:

The Town of Montclair Chapter of the AVC would like to offer, for your consideration, its views on veterans’ preference in New Jersey civil service.

It is understood that there is a move on foot, by certain veterans’ groups, to provide for the iron-clad permanence of veterans’ civil service preferences by their adoption in the proposed new Constituition for this State. We believe that this is a matter for legislation alone. It is not the kind of program to be permitted to worm its way into as sacred a document as the Constitution of the United States or of any state in the Union.

This chapter of the AVC has vigorously opposed, and continues to oppose, the type of veterans’ preference now in force in New Jersey civil service. The preferences which are already in effect are so disproportionate in favor of veterans as to endanger seriously the quality of municipal and state employees who serve, and are in the future to serve, in a public capacity. We are in favor of state recognition of veterans’ rights, but believe they should be kept in proper balance with civic responsibility.

The drastic potential effect of the present civil service preferences is appreciated by only a few of the citizens of the State. To cite an extreme example: suppose, in a civil service examination, three non-veterans pass with 95’s, three veterans pass with 80’s, and three disabled veterans pass with 70’s. The State or town, under the state law, must select one of the three top men. Under this state law, a disabled veteran automatically goes to the top of the list, so that one of the three men with a grade of 70 gets the job. Similarly, if there were no disabled veterans competing, the veterans who pass the test would all go to the top of the list. The effect of civil service on the veterans is that his abilities are almost discredited by this arbitrary emphasis on his war status; the effect upon the public administration is that the merit system is virtually destroyed or materially weakened, resulting in poorer public service.

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