New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-08

when we are in possession OF something tangible
Mr. Archibald saw the matter in the desired
LIGHT. and went away promising TO furnish to the
committee facts and cases.
Mr. Wins, Iesuming the examination OF Cap
tain 1womey, came to the subject OF the ap.
pointment of clerks. He asked; =. ,on,,.
o-Who appoints the oeputy'cierN' Al w. "
ally.
o.-Have you ever had the appointment A-sub-
ject to the rules Of the Board
O-what rules OF Board are there with regard
TO appointments by you of your subordnatesf A
Every time the Board organizes i am furnished with
a list Of employees the Board wishes to employ and
employ them.
Q-Is any rule Of the Board In regard 10 'hs''
Al regard 1t as rule. 80
O-Iias the Board ever passed resolution on iI'
No, by resolution, but by direction
o-By direction Of the Board not entered on l'e
minutes not made part Of its procecdlngsl A-No'
o-By the Board as a sort Of csucus' Al presume
So sir.
attended one in my life
o-Is it not fact IS it not the request OF the Board
but of the political majorty9 A.-NO, sir have re.
quests from majority composed OF uhc'cn' poi'i'S'
parties
n Tba. Is where there has been majority made up
nv combination is IL mott Al presume so. sir
opo YOU regard yourself responsible for the clerks
as YOU selected them yourself without poitcsi md
jorty OF the committee? A.-No' SIR
n To what extent are you notl Al would not ike
n discharge clerk without consulting the persons who
appointed him. l., o,, sor,.cs
men. whom, II you independent and entirety re-
,onsiblc YOU would not have your servicel A-Pos'
siby or two.
Dwell who thcy7 .
This was q poser" for the witness. uon
like TO saw" he faltered Mr.. WINS dld noV
press him to name them, but he said. / propose
10 show by this witness that the clerkshlps oil the
consummate humbugs in the whole city govern
mont. Then he went on to do it. with much
success He recalled to the witness the case OF
vounr Killilea nephew of Captain klllllca, VINO
was appointed at the tender age OF seventeen
The witness said be hadn't asked what his age
WAS Captain Twomey said that he had haa
moro control over his clerks in the last three
or four wears than he used to have. But there
were still cases where he had trouble CLERKS
were INDECENT and lazy. and he had 70 Keep
,tr,otorinc them with dismissal. There were
sixteen employees all told Nine OF them were
enorossng clerks who enCrossed the proceedings
If the BOARD in continuation of a custom that
bad ox;eted since 1862 He had also engaged clerks
20 mako exact copies of the old manuscript
rocords Of the Council lie had got as far as the
year 1910. -, mani,
c,n. reuort OF the proceedings in view OF the iact tat
III ~'N'
Al don't think there is the slightest necessity oi H.
OF the item Of engrossins dispensed with what
would be the saving the city Al couio get a0hs
with half the number OF clerks. ,,
.na a. vou did not have half cngrossing clerks
nj work on the old records. how many would you neeu
A.-Smply DO the routine work Of 'he ONE, 49,.
expressing three clerks, with the deputy ana m''cn'
would do the work
Captain Two,ney said he made no Investigation
of the character and antecedents of the CLERKS
but he had not to his knowledge any indicted per-
son in his employ ..o.o
Mir Ivns-Hayc you employed any person whose
picture figures in the Rogues' Gallery A'-->0V " '
knowledge - I'D
Are Won prepared to say that you have never had
such person in the employ Of the Board7 A-No' sr
q You NAV have had such person A.-PoSsloy'
The witness went on TO testify that there was
a city library and a librarian named Farrell who
hadn't any special qualifications Tor the ONCE
because the special qualifications are very Inn
tied" His principal charge was the care Of the
old records The library was only library in
name-a mere collection of books of reference
and municipal books from other cities. Many OF
tho most valuable books that should be In the city
library were in the Historical Library for safe
keeping, and Captain Twomey thought 1t would
be we'll TO deposit the valuable old records also
with the Historical Society. The librarian had an
assistant. because there were two rooms. ana one
librarian was needed for each room.
Mr. Ivins-The place is continually full OF idins poll
,cians isn't it, ANo. Sir Occasionally they are H.
n Now CaDtan Twomey Is 1t not TACT That you
have had from time time clerks who did not DO over
twenty thirty days work in the Year, Al may nave
had few. .,-
o.-Isnt it fact that they went on urs"ins Until
salarcsl Ayes.
O-I,nt it fact that have complained OF the con-
dition Of things 10 the Board AYES, sir
o-And vour complaint result in any action
A-No sir did But within the last three or four
wears member, who have appointment of clerAs
have permitted 10 control them.
Permit you That's very good Of them" (Lsugh'erJ
..well it is" said cautious Captain Twomey
The witness briefly decribcd the present cond-
ton Of the city ordinances as chaotic The
last compilation, dated 1881, he called an abor-
ton Two men had prepared it. quarrelllng all
the time.
And you are attempting TO govern New-iork
under an abortion ?" asked Mr.. WINS.
Yes sir" the answer.
Captain Twomey added that If there was TO nc
a new compilation the work should be done by a
single person. But the proper thing TO do would
be to prepare a complete municipal code.
CAPTAIN Twomey concluded by saying that the
functions of the Board of Aldermen had been much
restricted and limited and that now the CITY
Fathers" so called. had practically nothing OF
prime importance to DO.
Alfred r. Conklng, Roscoe Conklings handsome
Young nephew, who is lawyer at No 10 Broad
way said in answer 10 Mr.. Boardman that he was
an Alderman in the city of New-York during
1887 and 1888.
o.-Take the Board in 1887, when you hrst became
member How many Democrats there in the Board
and how many Republicansl A.-The president. Henry
T. Beekman was Democrat. There were twenlyiouT
Aldermen nineteen them Democrats, four NepuDicshs
and one gentleman whom think should class as an
Independent.
o-who was the Independent AIR Goetz' OF
the With belonged Mr.. O'Bricn's organization;
L. fr6c
Who were the Republicans A.-Jamcs T. Van
Pensselaer Charles L. sanford James A Cowie and Al
tired 4. COaklng
O-What in a general way was the business that came
before the Board 1872 Al consisted OF resolutions
"a f,anchisos and referred Of streets the
payiog and grading in general way.
O-Lcavinc the personal clement out Of the question
what would you about the caiore OF the Board In
..llL.a nd ndn I'll ION