New-York tribune., 1897-01-25
REPLYING TO A. GRUBER.
ASSOCIATION CALLS ATTENTION TO
HIS MEASUREMENTS


George McAneny. secretary OF the Civil Service
Reform Association, has sent communication TO
The Tribune regarding Abraham Gruber's attack
on the Civil Service system, part OF which fol-
lows
In the that Abraham Gruber has managed
TO spread abroad a great deal OF msinformation
about the Civil Service system OF the state ne IS
to be taken seriously His Cooper Union talk con- con.
should not be allowed to pass uncontradicted AFTER
assuring his hearers tha, he meant to gnt o nsh, ~
voice. that he meant to fight far what vi .drIs
means to his mind to fight fair is shown 10 some
First-At opening OF the speech he said: AT the
presen, time for all the places IN the hy
a Board OF Examiners composed OF civil en-
gineer an architect, builder and lawyer: Inese e
personal experience or knowledge. no attention De,
Ing paid to hs a9y az MY 10 oca aG Examnng
Board exclusive OF the examiners In the PONCE
Ss P6se the physical @
in which Is per cent OF the canddates are Te)ecteu'
are esOerts are employed to pre-
pare and mark the papers sxtyctwo o. tne NC 10
cSmpeve r Amsrn Flint being consulted in the
examinations for the hospital service. for instance;
Fish sysTT caee iee tSe eanddps
practical ability to do the work Is tested ana
second-Regarding recent examination Sc for meat ne
inspectors. he said: The questions IN this case
msy ms have had some advice from his butcher etc
questions by by s ne'ed o. the d.
vision OF sanitary inspection OF the Heath Ee
partment. and the examination consstea pf'he'pa"y
Third-Of the examinations for mechanics ne
said When who has trained rsd IN N, Sae9 Sne9
By his ability to do his work; he is asked lot OF
silly qqssstons insead nos,tions are exam
.ned in the shops Of the New;York trade schools
lonts In sSf afSa a6oa ass ssr Of
brush. or Of hammer hre tongs ana anvil. as ,ins
% abou, anything In the entire labor service Of the
city. comprising about 900 places there is no
work for which he applies and his his habits drss as TO TO
sign his application but may have IN soms s one no
it for h TeaSrsd sood tsi @
without the help OF pull from any work Uns ana sol
Fourth-He read half dozen questions, evi-
IDENTIFY cued at some pains from the tnousands Gs
Of government @ or features Of nearby seographyi
to settle a mans chance OF earning living"
The case is rare in which % 0f 5 ns cens so5s
in an examination. For the police force the main
IN hs tss but few in the
test. The candidates ability IN the written exam,
the list. As one list is exhausted before another
IS formed. the grading does not aftect the cnances
are al aSen frst The Whole system Of police
animation Is admirable and most fair In the
cept teachers the subject OF geography about
which so many humorously phrased questions are
quoted IS not used ~ all
Ninth-Hc dwe.t at great length on the life
tenure that exists In classified positions and the
danger of the establishment OF bureaucracy in the
extension OF the merit rules.
This is perhaps the most pernic!ous falsehood OF
the lot So far the Civil Service law is
cerned a department officer may dismiss in his dis
cretion any empoye he thinks should go. Regula-
ton IS OF the local rules provides specifically that
The power Of any officer remove Is i'm
paired by anything contained in these regulations"
Twelfh-He stated that since this agitation be.
gan" the examinations conducted by the local Board
have been much fairer' than previously.
So fair have they been that Mr.. Grubers law clerk.
after digging for days among the question papers,
failed 10 find single one to which exception could
be taken Mr. Gruber visited the Civil Service
offices few days ago to explain that the questions
he wanted not those that had been furnished
his clerk. but those in geography and the other
academic branches that were put TO the aborers.
When informed that such things did not exist. and
given further light with regard 10 the system Of
trade school tests ne departed declaring that II
all a great deal farer than he had supposed. While
Il Ia true that the examinations conducted by the
local Board fairer than they once were. II must
be added thai this the long before anything
had been heard either Of Mr. Gruber or his ridiculous
movement.