New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-19
NEWS OF BROOKLYN.
CITY OFFICERS ATTACKED
THE CIVIL SERVICE REFORM AssocIA-
TON ELECTS OFFICERS.
MAYOR wURsTER FIRE COMMISSIONER BRYANT
AND CONTROLLER PALMER RECEIVE AT
rENrIoN. AND ARE SAID TO HAVE

TENTIoN. AND ARE SAID TO HAVE
EvArED THE LAW.
rb. c,vi, Service Reform Association. Of Brook
lvn held its annual meeting last night at Historicai
Hall elected officers and listened 10 brief adoress
BY its president. William G. Low, ana a report
nv its secretary Charles Edwards Woodbridge.
The only feature Of Mr. Lows brief address that
4. osn.,ia,,v noteworthy is a mild criticism OF
Mavor Wurster and ex-Park Commissioner Wood
run for alleged evasions Of the Civil Service laws
Mayor Wurster seems to be blamed because nc
did not prevent Mr.. Woodruff from having a large
number Of employees In Forest PARK without re-
gard 10 the Civil Service laws.
The following officers were elected for the en-
suing year: President. William G. Low vice-presi-
dents. the Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott the Rev. Dr.
Reese F. Alsop. Ethan Allen Doty g. NJ Nichois'
Edwin Packard. William Potts. Edward NJ Shep-
ard, Alfred T. White
Executive Committee-E. X. Alden. j. w. Chad
wick. Charles Claghorn Alexander Forman. j..
Warren Greene Franklin W. Hooper. c. II. Lever
more. Frank Lyman. ex-Mayor Charies A.
Schieren, Frederick Il. Schenck. Henry sanger
Snow. s. Perry Sturgis. Charles Z. Woodbridge
Henry Yonge.
Mr. Woodbridge. the secretary. in his report.
reviewed the effects OF the Civil Service In city,
State and nation in the last year. and referring
in detail to the enforcement of Civil Service regu-
lations in Brooklyn took occasion TO critcise Sc
verey a number Of the city officials. He attacked
former Park Commissioner Woodruff. accusing
him of appointing for political purposes.
Fire Commissioner Bryant is criticised in the
report for appointing twenty-nine temporary f1re-
men in the absence Of an eligible list. and refus-
ing to retire them until compelled TO do so by the
courts. The report says that bill is now pending
designed to legalize their appointments, and that
although the bill is likely to be declared unconsti
tutional "the incident In itself is not entirely
credtable."
Controller Palmer is bitterly attacked, and one
sentence of the report says that the Controler
"has continued TO attack the reform wherever pos
sibe and thus impair the efficiency of the public
service"
The report does not underestimate the attempts
made by most of the offceholders to uphold the
Civil Service
With reference to the places in Schedule af-
fec,ed by the decision OF Judge Keogh. which de-
cision has for the last two months deprived nearly
two hundred city employees Of their pay, Mr. Wood
BRIDGES report says
"If the decision Of Justice Keogh is affirmed, a
radical revision Of Schedule must follow, but 1t
will be easy for those who now hold their off1ces
without warrant. and who are fit TO remain 70
qualify in the legal manner, taking their chances
with other citizens but possessing distinct ad-
vantage in the examinations because OF the expert
ence that they have had The competitive rules
would be extended not only TO these higher sub
ordinate positions. but to the county employees the
employees of the Board Of Elections, the Bridge and
system of examinations in conflict with the sys-
tenn now in operation might easily be arranged. as
II has been In Rochester and Is about 10 De III
New-York and Buffalo"
One of the probably unintentonal evasons OF the
recommendation with reference to the point raised
not long ago by Hubert q. Taylor County Treas
urer, who said that his bondsmen would not stay
his bond unless the treasurer had something 10
say about the selection of his subordinates. who
handle the funds Of Kings County for which Mr..
Taylor and his bondsmen are responsible go
Another feature of the report which Will cause
criticism the part Of the friends of City Works
Commissioner Willis is the way in which MT. VIII
Isis administration is put in an unfavorabe light In
comparison with that of ex-Commissioner white
Mr. WiIliss friends assert that his record as Com
missioner has never been excelled. and they say
they can produce the figures TO prove 1t.