New-York tribune., 1885-08-15
CUSTOM HOUSE SCHEMES.
To OVERRIDE TIE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
.uv COLLECTOR AND SURVEYOR SEEKING TO CON-
rnof THE EXAMINING BOARD.


~up COLLECTOR AND SURVEYOR SEEKING TO con-
TRoL THE EXAMINING BOARD
M. f,;ct;on at the Custom House over the
,.,a,~,t of the Collector and Surveyor to override
The Civil Service rules has created raased ID
1neasjness among employees. This was ihcreasedi Gsai
.,asscrdav when it was announced that UeneIai
II a. Williams a deputy under COLLECTOR Hedden,
had resigned as q member OF the civil cerviceo
Examining Board. This makes three yacano,eSt tba be-
that hoard which have been created SINCE ine
anpontment OF Collector Hedden. Ihe remaih,Wns
members of the Examining Board are john W. y:
COmstock. Of the Naval Onee nS TyraI asner Kane.
Charles w. Musgraye, of the surveyors Vnce.
resigned as member Of the Examining B9apd asctnr so0n
after saIvsyOr Beate stSnwooS waS another member
of the board. In filing the present sacav @ tibeu
the Collector and Surveyor nave thef % Fxayi wsy ing
paard under their control and it is runored that
another vacancy will soon be nade III lie potu, H.
which would make eRang1 IN 'B board under their
cnntrol the Collector and Survyor wonid nave no
trouble in getting their friends INTO ONCE as th
i no restriction upon removals Every man III tno
Enstn% ~ uonse could be removed and their places
t;lied by new men certified by the EXAMINING
Board If the examiners were 'oiit'c;ans wonid
honest or plant Democratic ward polucians "Hu u -
Iva able TO crcumvent the Civ Service laws AZ is
the apparent purpose to attempt such n,eunoa ~
again bringing the Custom oase amcnS ,o the old
employee The reasons Tor Generai " ti liaii nt ha
tre,nent from the Civil Service BoaTd c9ut nU. LII III
known Civil Service reformer who IL not III sno
S,nstom Honse, but who has been investigating ior
himself the work of the CoieSto'W Mr Williams and Mr.
Nusgrave both resigned from the eoard oeeausG esi
fhey believed it TO be the wish OF tner hanom ono,a'
superiors and because they iounh tne pace u4e5 e5
s"g decdedly unpleasant. If they had not resigned
1bey wouId donbtless have both Deen Ieho'u M AT rh
Office and vacancies creatTu III 90, a."U ~ e%tra nav
for that work. and are expected 10 perIorin M .neil
regular duties also. 1t frequently imposes upon
fhem = ira hours of work. and with the open nos
s;i;tu of their superior officers there is enough 10
induce any member to resign Inc eAanhets ':t n'ao %
become skilled by experience tue'T SSvcs
been frequently approved Dy the CiVh oe'S'o
Commission and once by the unanimous report oI
Congressional committee; and for tnat reason aln
sorry to the changes inale MI n", o f
course rs secure in his place, as he Is deputy Oh
Naval Officer Burt while Mr. stevens Is an assistahI
annraser appo rted by the President" c,,,
- How will the vacancies IN the BOARD oe iiiieu
That is a question which is causing some trouble
Surveyor Beatte, IN whose office Hnoeft v. mounp p
son spends much of his time seems 70 oo III ;nst
Ing to manage tho whole Custom House. ne INSISTS SIS
that he has the right to designate member OF the
Examnng Board from his office and that Colleetor
Hedden has the right 70 name TWO Ir9in nis oTr
,vh;ch would be one half the board Inc Clyu
Service Commission at Washington deny tue rght
of either Mr. Beattie or Mr. Hedden 10 nr' nnne
exaniners The Jaw provides that the eXaihherS
NOT less than three in number, shall be appointed
from those in tire public service residing III lIle
state after es nr serve OF Under That
proyision Surveyor BeatIe claims that the exah-
iner chosen from his department must De practicay
selected by him." . s,
q But is il necessary to take an examiner from
q Yes, and no. Uuder the regulations of the Civil
Service Commission the Board OF Examiners ior Tue
Custom Hous. consists OF six personS, TWO OF whom
are taken from the Collectors oihee ana one from
each department such as the Naval-Oince sur
yeyor Once and Appraisers Once Inc coninis-
sion can change its regulations IL II chooses ad III
NAV do so to escape the attempts OF Ihompspn 10
control the board. There are still three members,
whicn is enough to conduct examinations under Tue
law. The hitch, however. prevents inc Nacancles
from being filled. III the commission Vhoose men
from the Collectors Office or surveyors Ofhce not
satisfactory to those officials, all they Will nave 10
do Is to remove them anu thus make otner
yacancies.' ..L
Examining Board for the certihcation 10 nm OF
four names to fill the vacancies cau'ed ny ine re-
Inoyal of gauger. Neither has he returned inc
certificate sent to him that Adolph Louek was the
only name the eligible list Ihe eangers "n1h
Surveyor Beattie removed without complying with
the Law have appealed To- the Civil service o1h-
mission at Washington. surveyor beatte nls
nostaI a notice u his Office that he does not make
appointments applicants must Apply 70 9sh anc No,,
lector This had no effect yesterday IN diminishing
the offce-seekers who sought the surveyor. iney
are generally aware that the Surveyor Is the agent
of Thomson while the Collector acts OH Beattes
snyp at ans There are only 25O names now on
ths ei gible list for appointments in the Custom
House No name be certified more than ionr
times and if rejected the fourth time IT must he
stricken from the list. The Surveyor cacn'ates tnae
il would not take long to use IN the list oi names
now on tue eligible list. and II the rlght kihd on an
Examining Board was then at woik ~ won;d oe
easy to get appointments for Democratic WORKERS
The appointments recently MADE as olncers o. S .n1
approved by Secretary Manning are pronounced
illegal by q member Of the local Civii service
Association. and there is some talk Of asking the
President to order an investigation.