New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-28
THE COMMISSIONS SECRETARY
WV CIVIL SERVICE METHODS WERE Noi
FOLLOWED IN SELECTING HIM.
GEOGRAPHICALLY IT MIGHT HAVE nHN''
y,c,,r THING. BUT THERE WERE PRA'-
rrcAL oBJEcrIoNs-THE sEcfN-
TARY's SALARY.

TARY's SALARY.
The Civil Service Commissioners na,t o had oc-
,ectad 10 some criticism because ""e'' w. ooratarv
"a sion n few weeks ago to select "e" ,d last
70 succeed William J. ID. Camppeii WIN ,o,r as
,u thev did not proceed on what are MI" .,.,,o
49,, @ ,.,oo rr,ncnIes: that is hold conpe'
,.,ior make ND an eligible list ana the'' ',"A.
,her selection from the three names sta''ue go,
,bereon II Is pointed out that III III -
could the Commissioners have given "o' 49,. adr,n.
evidence Of their faith in the system 'ney av.
,..m. ,h.t tbev would have set most excehe"' g.
'S''' -. ~, community at large, and especially
n,r ,boee officials who do not have hlgh op'''''''
=. .ho civil Service doctrine, especially WIZ" "
branch, directly home to them; ana '"a' ~ 80,
tho course suggested they would nave pau 49,,
heed 10 the section Of the revised Cohs'''u'o 49,
nrovides that appointments and proho'o ,,,,.s
Civil Service OF the State and OF all eiV.
thereof including cities and villages. snail oe H.
,,a -, merit and fitness 10 be ascertained' so
for nc practicable by examinations which, 50 Ia" 10
practicable shall be competitive.
II Is only fair say that some al ieas' Vi '',e
r,ss,onsrs realize that there has been iach y.
logical consistency In their proceeding anu au"
that the criticisms referred TO are not "ienou' !
6cation A man familiar with the leelhss =, '''o
Commissioners on the subject oiiereu '
ton OF the matter yesterday: ,,~z-
LAS understand 1t. some OF the Conlh's'o"e''
favored filling the vacancy In the once Oh seo.e.
nv means of a competitive examination anu ~ 10
generally admitted that that would have Deen 'heo
retcaly. the proper method OF PROCEDURE, pa. A..
were certain practical objections In the way thd'
,ha cover, ,nb,,c does not understand There were
a number Of applicants for the office, and there
would doubtless have more II the salary OF 'he
secretary had been increased. as there was P'o'
pect at one time that II would be.
There Is a strong feeling in some minds that 'ne
secretary Of the Commission is in position OF re-
spon s,bity equal to that OF the Deputy Commissioner
in any of the city departments. and that ne salary
ought to correspond Now some OF the deputies get
as much as $4,000 year. and. considering 'he h',-
portance of the duties OF the secretary OF the 'N'i
Service Commission II is evident that salary OF
5000 or $500 at any rate would not be too much'
7, "a trovn that MAYOR Wurster In favor OF an
increase Of the present salary of $500 so was Mayor
Scheren for that matter. but he DID not IKE sec
rotary Campbell and refused to sanction the actioh
of the Commissioners when they undertook 10 give
Campbell an advance.
"Irowever the sum asked for by the Commission
last vear-si6 OoO-was ruthlessly cut down by 'he
Board Of Estimate TO $500 and the amount allowed
for the secretary's salary was only SOD Inere
were those who claimed that the Commission could
DO as pleased with the lump sum placed at ITS as
than ESQ II so disposed but on account OF other
expenses incurred ana the limited amount OF me me
appropration It was decided that no Increase could
be permitted AS n matter OF fact, the COMMISSION
had been able to meet all o. its expense ias,
nsderabe amount for expenses in connection with
examinations having been held over. and that IS one
OF the reasons why the Legislature mas been ASKED
to pass a bill giving the Commission $1,000 extra
We'll as was saying. there would nave Deen
number OF persons to take the examination II one
had been ordered. and some OF the Cornmissohers
are such earnest believers in Civil Service Reform
that they were In favor OF taking that course; no
matter what the consequences might pe Inc
practical objections TO such an examination we ar
that there or two men exceptlont.y wen
qualified TO pass H. 60 that all Others would be AZ
ma rked disadvantage. one OF these was the former
lfr oar hell. n
would have entered the examination or NOT, but az
he would not have made any effort TO get back par
iicuarly he had long sought TO nave the saiary
increased and had not succeeded -
animation as would have been given. was the as
sistant secretary. Elmer + Johnson, VINO wa: one OK
the applicants for the once OF secretary, AZ
that he should be promoted. and ne nad consiieraVe
political influence brought to bear IN ms osnaii;
the office the Civil Service law and other matters
that a secretary must know. he would nave mace
the best record examination and secured me nign
est rating Now. supposing that both canpoeil ana
Johnson had gone into examination and mad come
out far ahead ~ all the other applicants, while the
Commissioners would have been at perfect merry
on The list there would have been something arbi.
trary in passing these two by and taking the third
man. who In fact might have been oD)ecuohaoie vi
Some Of the Commissioners firmly convinced
that Johnson not the right man for secretary OF
Commission, and would not nave accepted MN III
no had been head and shoulders above all other can
dllaos In spite OF all objections. however some OF
Them are such thorough believers In the law they
administcr that they were willing to take the risk.
but the conservative feeling prevailed and no ex-
animation was held That so FAR as nave pesn
In the Commission. That all the members are satls.
fled with the outcome there is good reason to DOUBT
WILLIS Not SUSTAINED.