Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-26
Clvil service Inye.l,sa.son.

NFw YoRK, May 25- The Federal
Senatorial Civil Service Investigating
Committee resumed hearing in regard to
the administration OF the Civil servi ,e
law in the New York custom-house this
morning. Senator Spooner announced
that Senator Hale, the chairman, agreed
with him that under the Senate resolu-
ton appointing the committee, 1t was
only empowered to investigate the work
ings of the Civil Service law under the
present administration, and could not go
back to previous administrations.
d. E. Moore, assistant appraiser and a
member of Tammany Hall, testified that
Appraiser McMullin went to Washington
to see the Secretary of the Treasury. Nc
Mullin told him that the Secretary Of the
Treasury gave him list OF the men to b Il
removed. Although he was told that the
men were good and efficient, the Secre
tary insisted on their removal. Witness
had conversation with Assistant Secre
tary Maynard in February, s1sS7, in
which be told Maynard that if he was
r1iug 10 remove the men for being
Republicans, he twitness) was with him
every time, bnt ii on charges, he wanted
to know something about it.
Lewis McMullin, appraiser, testified
that D. Sherrer and others who we're re
moved were competent men. When
asked why he recommended their re-
moval, he said it was because Secretary
Maynard had suggested TO him be should
do 30. He knew OF no cause for their
removal. Letters from Secretary Fair
child, notifying McMullin OF the removal
Of Sherrer and three others, and suggest.
ing that he recommend the reinstate
ment Of McElrea, who had been dis
charged for drunkenness, were read.
Witness adopted the suggestion and he
was reappointed. Subsequently, Civil
Service Commissioner Oberly gave no.
tice that the reappointment was illegal,
as no recertificate OF eligibility had been
given by the Civil Service Board. a
certificate was afterwards obtained under
the rule permitting the board to grant
such certificate without examination
when reinstatement was to be made
within year OF removal.
Senator Blackburn then took the wit
ness in hand. He asked him il he had
come before the committee prepared to
answer all questionsl and with his letters
and records arranged so they could be
conveniently referred to? He said he ex.
pcClou nc WOUtu Dc TtqulTeu To answer
questions and produce letters. He had
40 ground on which to form an opinion
as to the influence that caused MeE,lear's
Reinstatement. Witness said he was a
Democrat in a third generation OF Demo
Gratis. He said in conclusion that Assist
ant Secretary Maynard End he had a
conversation about the number of
Democrats in the Appraisers depart
ment. AT present from forty to fifty per
cent. Of those in the department. are
Democrats. In 1885 there we're no
Democrats except himself in the depart
ment.
John A. Sherrer, ex-examiner of sug-
ars, testified that he wrote to Secretary
Fairchild asking il there were any
charges against him, but received no
answer.
Ex-Storekeeper Hotchkiss, Repuh-
lican who was removed February last,
testified that Collector Magone told him
there was no complaint against him, but
there were too many storekeepers. A
number of storekeepers have been ap-
pointed since and they were Democrats.