Case ID: ad_63/html/0243-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Laughlin, J.: .", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

The People of the State of New York ex rel. William H. Mesick, Appellant, v. John J. Scannell, Fire Commissioner of the City of New York, and Others, Respondents.
    
      Civil service — mandamus by a veteran to compel a requisition by the appointing power and the return of his name by the civil service commission, when it will be denied — that the position has been filled by another incumbent is not a reason for its denial — when the incumbent should be made a party.
    
    A veteran deprived of any right to preference in appointment or promotion has a remedy by mandamus, and it is not a sufficient answer to show that the position in question has been filled by the appointment of another incumbent. It is necessary in such cases, however, to make the incumbent, if his appointment was permanent, a party to the mandamus proceeding.
    
      
      Semble, that if the incumbent’s appointment is temporary only, it is not necessary to make him a party.
    An honorably discharged soldier of the Civil war, employed as a wheelwright in the repair shops of the New York fire department, filed with the municipal civil service commission an application for the position of foreman in such repair shops, which was then vacant, and, after passing satisfactorily an examination limited to his physical capacity, was placed on the eligible list. He then instituted a proceeding to compel the fire commissioner- to make requisition on the municipal civil service commission to certify to him the veteran’s name as the only person on the eligible list qualified for the position, and to compel the municipal civil- service commission to so certify, and to com-' pel the fire commissioner thereupon to appoint the veteran foreman of repair shops. After the proceeding was commenced the fire commissioner requested the municipal civil service commission to examine, for permanent appointment to the position of foreman of the repair shops, á machinist who was temporarily acting as foreman, and who was not a veteran and had not made a formal application to the municipal civil service commission to be examined for the position. The machinist passed the examination and was appointed.
    
      Held, that, the placing of the vet-eranfs name on the eligible list did not give him an absolute right to the position of foreman of the re; air shops;
    That he was entitled to preference -only when he was fitted for the office and that his fitness .should be determined by the appointing power and not by the court — at least, where, as in the present case, it had not been determined by t.he municipal civil service commission;
    ' That the fire commissioner had the right either to call upon the municipal civil service commission for an eligible list, or to call for an examination of an employee of the department, for the purpose of making a transfer under rule 67 of the municipal civil service rules;
    That, inasmuch-as the veteran was not entitled to the office as a matter of right regardless of fitness, it must be presumed that the fire commissioner had acted in good faith in proceeding, tinder rule 67, to fill the vacancy.
    
      Semble, that the fire commissioner could be compelled by mandamus to make a . permanent appointment.
    Appeal by the relator, William H. Mesick, from a judgment of the Supreme Court in favor of the defendants, entered in the office of the clerk of the county of New York on the 4th day of March, 1901, upon the decision of the court rendered after a tidal at the New York Trial Term, a jury having been waived, dismissing an alternative writ of mandamus upon the merits. ■
    On the 28th day of April, 1897, the foreman of repair shops of the New York fire department resigned his position. The place was not filled, except by temporary appointments, until after the commencement of this proceeding. There were employed in said repair shop about seventy-nine men, consisting, chiefly of machinists, blacksmiths, steamfitters, coppersmiths, hose repairers, painters, wheelwrights, harnessmakers and their assistants. Thirty-one of the positions are classified as ironworkers and eight as woodworkers; five of the woodworkers are wheelwrights and three carpenters. The relator is a wheelwright, and had been employed in this shop as such for several years, and presumably that employment continues. The repair shops, are in charge of an officer of the uniformed force called “ Chief of Construction and Repairs to Apparatus.” Under him is the foreman of the repair shops and under the latter are several foremen of tlieir respective trades and the workmen. The relator is an honorably discharged soldier of the Civil war.
    On the 14th day of March, 1898, while the position of foreman of the repair shops was still filled by temporary appointment, the relator filed with the municipal civil service commission an application for the position of foreman of such repair shops. Without his being responsible for the delay, he was not examined on the application until the 24th"day of January, 1899. The examination was limited to relator’s physical capacity, and he passed satisfactorily and was placed on the eligible list for appointment to the position of foreman. By filing another application on the 20th day of July, 1899, and subsequently passing another similar examination, he preserved his right to remain on the eligible list. The position of foreman of shops and all subordinate positions are classified in schedule “ G,” known as the “ labor schedule.” It was not the practice to hold a separate examination for the position of foreman of any particular branch of the service, but in the appendix to schedule “ G,” under the general classification “ Foreman of Laborers,” was included foremen in all branches. The relator was placed seventh on the eligible list of foremen, the names of six other veterans being-placed ahead of his; but it appears that his. application was filed prior to all the others except one which was filed the same day. Under section 17 of the State Civil Service Law and municipal civil service rules 62 and 63, his name should have been placed first or second on the list. The relator, however, is the only one of these veterans who applied to the municipal civil service commission to be examined for this particular position. The relator demanded that the. fire commissioner apply to the municipal civil service commission for an'eligible list for the position in question. This proceeding was commenced on the 22d day of July, 1899, to compel the fire commissioner to make requisition on the municipal civil service commission to certify to him the name of the relator as the only person on the eligible list qualified for the place in question,' and to compel the municipal civil service commission to so certify, and to compel the fire commissioner thereupon to appoint the relator foreman of repair shops.
    When this proceeding was commenced, Edward J. Moore, who. had been employed in the shops as a machinist for twelve years, was acting as foreman temporarily. He was not a veteran and had riot made a formal application to the municipal civil service commission to be examined for the position. After the commencement of this proceeding the fire commissioner requested the municipal civil service commission to examine Moore for permanent appointment. He passed the examination and was formally appointed foreman of the repair shops on the 18th' day of October, 1899. Rule 67 of the municipal civil service rules', which relates to transfers from one position in schedule “ Gr ” to another, prohibits such transfer until after the applicant has served one year and provides that such transfer shall then be made only upon his passing an examination equivalent to that required for the position to which- he is transferred. When the relator first applied to the civil service commission he deriianded an examination for a transfer under this rule; but, on being informed that it was the custom of the commission, although there was no rule to that effect, to make such examination only on the request of the appointing power, he filed an original application the same as if he were not employed in a position classified in the same schedule.. It does'not appear whether either Moore or the relator passed a civil service examination or any examination at the' time of their original employment in these shops.
    
      Seamam, Miller, for the appellant.
    
      William JB. GroweTl, for the respondent.
   Laughlin, J.: .

Where a veteran is deprived of any right to preference in appointment or promotion the statute now gives him a remedy by ■ man-clam us, and it is no longer an answer to show that his position has been filled by the appointment of another. (Laws of 1899, chap. 370, § 20; People ex rel. Cochrane v. Tracy, 35 App. Div. 265, 269; People ex rel. Tate v. Dalton, 158 N. Y. 204, 213.) It is .necessary in such cases, however, to make the incumbent a party in ■order that he may have his day in court. (People ex rel. Ballou v. Wendell, 57 Hun, 362; People ex rel. Hoyt v. Trustees, 19 App. Div. 567.) When this proceeding was instituted, Moore’s ■appointment being temporary only, it was doubtless unnecessary to make him a party, for he could not hold the office longer than until a permanent appointment was made.

A final order for a peremptory writ of mandamus in accordance with the alternative writ would not have been warranted. The effect of awarding such an order in these circumstances would be to make the municipal civil service commission the appointing power and to deprive the fire commissioner, in whom the statute has vested the power of appointment, of the exercise of any judgment or discretion. This would be an invasion of his constitutional rights and would be in violation of the fundamental law. (People ex rel. Balcom v. Mosher, 163 N. Y. 32; People ex. rel. Hoffman v. Rupp, 90 Hun, 145.)

The relator is undoubtedly an experienced competent wheelwright and is physically able to perform the duties of foreman of repair shops. It does not follow, however, that he is either competent or as competent as Moore to take charge of this large number of men and to direct and superintend the important work performed in these shops requiring skill and experience in various trades. Manifestly it was not the intention of the framers of the civil service article of the Constitution or of the Legislature in enacting laws to carry the same into effect to compel the promotion of a veteran without regard to his fitness mentally and by experience for .the office. He is entitled to preference only when he is fitted for the office, and his fitness is to be determined by the appointing power and not by the court, at least where, as here, it has not been determined by the civil service commission. (People ex rel. Balcom v. Mosher, supra ; Matter of Keymer, 148 N. Y. 219; People ex rel. Milliken v. Alms House Commissioners, 65 Hun, 169 ; People ex rel. Ballou v. Wendell, 57 id. 362; People ex rel. Lockwood v. Sara toga Springs, 54 id. 16; People ex rel. Snyder v. Summers, 30 N. Y. St. Repr. 614; People ex rel. Hall v. Village of Little Falls, 29 id. 723; Walsh v. City of Albany, 32 App. Div. 128; Carmody v. City of Mt. Vernon, 3 id. 347.) The statute, while providing in cases where a veteran is removed from office that the burden is on the official to show just cause for such, removal, contains no provision with reference to the burden of proof in a case like this. The burden, therefore, must rest on the party who makes application to the court to show that his constitutional or statutory rights have been disregarded. It. was, therefore, incumbent upon the relator before being entitled to the peremptory writ as prayed for to show that he was entitled to the office of foreman of repair shops as matter of right. This, as we have shown, he failed to do. (Cases cited.) He has not even alleged fitness, but has proceeded upon the erroneous theory that being on the eligible list gave him an absolute right to the office. The. prayer of his petition and the alternative writ were too broad. Undoubtedly the office should have been filled from a civil service list' if a new man were to be appointed; but it would seem- that the appointing power, being ■ restricted by no rule or regulation, had the right either to call upon the municipal co .mission for an eligible list or .to call for an examination of an employee of the department for the purpose of making a transfer under rule 67. The fire commissioner could have been compelled by mandamus to make a permanent appointment and to that end he could have been directed to 'perform his duty of either making an application for a transfer under rule 67 or for an eligible list from which to make the appointment. Had the prayer for relief been limited to these things, or had the relator requested the court to amend the alternative writ, a peremptory writ might have been issued. If this-had been doné it would have been the duty of the commissioner to have, certified the relator to the fire commissioner for appointment. He would then have been regularly before the commissioner and entitled to have his qualifications and his right to preference properly considered under the law. But inasmuch as he was not entitled to the office as a matter of right, regardless of fitness, it must be presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that the fire commissioner has acted in good faith in proceeding under rule 67 and terminating the vacancy by the appointment of Moore..

In our opinion, therefore, the learned trial judge properly dismissed the writ, and the judgment should be affirmed, with costs.

Yan Brunt, P. J., Patterson and O’Brien, JJ., concurred; Ingraham, J., concurred in result.

Writ dismissed and judgment affirmed, with costs.