The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-10
CLERK BENJAMIN'S CLERKS.
ORDINARILY oCITE COMPETENT TO
TACKLE THE ENGLIsH LANGUAGE,

But wiser Thsy Set uut - wrte the Cou-
raor CouaeiIr Mtuutes rhsv Were Hsndi-
cspp-d-Mr. Repisrnin Costa Tell Hsw.
Joe BENJAMIN has come prominently to the
front in "Rejuvenated BrooklTn." as the city
was described By Mayor schieren In DR. Park
hurst's Cdy Tio,idn. He started In politics in
tho Dutchtown district in WilliamsburRh =
good many years ago. and was active In the
United Labor party.
BY EASY stages he abandoned the Henry
George principles. and became n full-nedged
Republican. A Republican battery bearing
his name. has figured prominently In Six
tenth ward politics for the past seven or
eight years During the bitter faction nEht
between Willis and Nathan for the control OF
the Kings County General Committee Mr..
BENJAMIN, as the leader OF the Six
teenth ward delegation. sided with Willis.
and contributed materially to the defeat OF the
Revenue Collector He got another political
boost when the Philadelphia plan Of reorRani-
cation. OF which no was one Of the early advo-
Gates. was adopted. In the late orable
Mayoralty campaign he was made chief I,e-
publican manager. and tho votes had scarce
" been counted before he appealed to Mr.
Schlcren for recognition as one Of the chief
agents in bringing about the sweeping poit-
ical revolution.
He was at once slated for a Cabinet place in
the incoming reform administration. and he
made no secret OF the fact that the Fire Com
missionership was tho place OF all others he
hankerei after. Mayor Schieren. however
disappointed Mr.. BENJAMIN and every member
OF the Sixteenth Ward battery by announcing
that Mr.. BENJAMIN could not have the Fire
Com missionershir or any other place ut his
disposal The Mayor in turning down tho
lustling Dutchtown statesman simply gave
Mr. Benjamin is too much Of a politician"
Failing in his ambition for abinet place.
Mr.. Ben amin became candidate for the city
clerkahip. aud captured II even In spite ut
Mr.. Schiercn's opposition rs well as that Of tie
independent Democratic element which had
contributed to the political revolution. Mayor
Schicren was ans ious to have Frederick Mill
dsnour made city Clerk. but Benjamii's pull
than Mayor Schieren's wishes. and Iienianin
got the place. The Office Ia regarded 80 very
i'm nottant. and has considerable patronage at
tached To- II, as well as the comfortable salary
OF 50 90 a year
:, once week at the, regular meeting OF the
spicuously before tho public. 1t is his bust
ness to call the roll. read the minutes and per
S r bSG H" ar has siE no
experience in a rdle Of this kind The first |
official cory OF the minutes which he was sup
posed to have prepared. and which he pro- !
Sented to Mayor Schieren for his approval. |
will he long REGARDED rs unique, contri- !
iains several vain struggles with the intr;
racies Of tho. EnGlsh language and |
TsSSr 5snsTsn Wa. S"y shd@Eedp hr
reading the inmates lie told his secretary to
have them rewritten NJ Zen ;dl amin an, It should
y the minutes. hut !; was his business to ,ee
hat they were In ,proper shane bc,.oro they
ltcs. II turns out, were the Ioint production OF
he new clerks who were appointed over tho
pioyees in direct Vtoistion Of The civil sprvi"e
Jules. This is what Mr.. benjamin said yester-
lay when spoken oabout tho work oil his sub
:" do not intend to dismiss the clerks who
pnde IN the miputes. viii guarantees that
he sane men will write them. They are all
competent to DO tho work. There was ren-
son for ;heIr mist axes this time ut viii not
Condemn them" Privately Mr.. EenIamir gave
reasonable explanation Of the mistake- in
would prove Il satisfactory one either To Mayer
,,chieren or the taxpayers Of regsnerated
rith their, reputation az, good fellows. Mr..
BENJAMIN has got himself involyed IN con-
Is well rs wi h the Mayor:
The new board o: Aldermen few weeks
he City Clerk Office, adopted. resolution
for the appo! n ment OF n bond and
SS sn4 OF Of s 1sRf
uecifled that the city Clerk was to make the
appointments. The Civil Service ommission-
nents shouli come under tn. usual rules re-
ntinG TO competition. and when Mr.. m"na-
min appeared before them on Thurs
lay night and asked that tho appoint
nent OF these two clerks should he made
On-competitive. he was met with direct re-
usal The Mayor as well a the Civil Service
ON m issionars. was surprised yesterday to
discover that Mr.. BENJAMIN had already filed
h. two $1,000 places by the appointment %
Walter X. Clark and Charles A. Walsh. brothers
Z Aldermen Clark and Walsh. respectively.
10Th al whom had be-n strong hackers OF Mr.
zen IN min in his fight for the City Clerkship.
In addition to his official berth, Mr. Ben Iamn
manages real estate ONCE and IL Interested
n q brewing company Rst year he made n
lear 81. OOU or so as n Commissioners for ap-
raising the value Of the Wallahout lands
hitch the rity purchased from the Govern |
lent for market PURPOSES.