The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-05-26
CIVIL SERVICE INVESTIGATION.



NEW YORK, May 2s.--The federal scnafori-
nj civil service investigating committee re
sumed It's hearing IN regard 70 the admin
istrafiau of the civil service law in the
New York custom house this morning.
senator spooner announced that senator
Hale. chairman, had agreed with him that
under the senate resolution appointing the
committee it was only empowered To In
sestigafe the workings OF the civil service
law under The present administration and
could NOS 30 back to previous admins
srafion. d. T.. Meore assistant appraiser
and member of Tammany hall, testified
that Appraiser McMuilen went 10 Washing
ton TO SEC the secretary Of the treasury
McMulen told him that the secretary Of
the treasury gave him q list of men 10 be
removed: Although be was told
thst the men were good am. and
removal The witness had conversation
with Assistant Secretary Maynard in Feb
ruary 1857 in which he told Maynard that
ii he was going to remove the men for be
ing Republicans he (witncssl was with
him every time hut il ON charges he want
ed to know something about il.
Lewis McNuiieu, appraiser. testified that
Dr. sherrcr and others who were removed
were competen; men. when asked why
he recommended their removal. he said
because secretary Maynard hal suggested
to him that he should do 81. He knew of
no cause Tor ilclr rtfsfptHs.
A letter from Mr.. Fairchild, notifying
McAailen Of the removal of sherrey and
three Others, aud suggesting tina; he rec
commended the reinstatement oi NcEirta,
who had been discharged for drunkenness,
WAS read. The witness adopted the ssig-
gesiion, aud he Was reappclnfed. snhse-
qucnily. Civil service Commissioner ober.
~ gave notice tha, the reappcintment WAS
Illegal. Hs no re-certificsie Of eligibility
bad been given hy the civil service board.
The certificate was afterwards obtained
under the rule permitting the board ~
grant a certificate without examination
when reinstatement had To be made With
In a year Of removal.
seuator Blackburn then took the witness
in hand He asked him ii be had come
before the committee prepared 10 answer
all questions aud with his letters aud rec
ortis arranged 81 they could be eonfen-
iently referred to- He faia he expected he
would he required TO answer questions
aud produce letters. He had no ground
ON which to form the opinion SIS to the in
fiuenccs that caused Mcflrca's TeinsiAte-
meut. The wiiness said he was Desnocrat
in the third generation Of Democrats He
said IN conclusion that Assistant Secretary
Maynard aad he had a general eonycEsa.
ton about the number Of Democrats in the
appraisers department. Al present from
% TO 20 per cent OF these in the department
are Defnerra.s- In iS5 there were no
Democrats except himself Ia the depart
ment.
John A. Shearer, Examiner OF sugars.
testified thai he wrote Secretary Fairchild
asking IL there were any charges against
him but received no answer.
Ex-Store keeper Hotchkiss. n representa-
tive who was removed ia February last,
testified that Collector MagoDe told him
there was 40 complaint against him but
there were IL many torc-kecisers- Several
store keepers have been appointed since
and they were Democrats.