Evening journal., 1898-01-27
CHARGES BY BAILEY
Civil Service Clerk Gives
Startling Testimony.
PRESIDENT PROCTOR ANSWERS HIN.
Refers to Previous Accusations of Intin-
idation-says That the Letter to AIr.
Roosevelt Had Been Passed
Around to Senators.

WASHINGTON. Jan. BE. D. Bal
ley, chief clerk of the examiners office,
civil service commission, submitted
some sensational testimony at the ses-
sion of the senate civil service investi-
eating committee. IL was sequel to
charges he made Monday Of intimida-
ton and interference by the commission
with his testimony. He called attention
70 the bitter attack made on him by
President Proctor Of the commission.
He introduced letter written by him
self to Mr.. Roosevelt which made some
startling charges. The communication
in part Is as follows:
"The business Of the commission is in
the greatest confusion and is becoming
more and more defnoralized for want of
Intelligent management. acquisitions
remain unacted on for months, and
many complaints are made by the de-
partments of delays and annoyances
detrimental TO the service. In such
cases temporary appointments were au-
thorized and after 80 days made per-
manent, although no rule exists permit
ting such actions. These acquisitions
probably cover several hundred places.
"The engineer service at large has
made acquisitions to fill hundreds of
places, and no provision has yet been
made TO meet the demands. A number
of appointments in the subtreasury at
New York have been made since the
classification without examination.
NO attempt has been made to meet
the needs of the ordnance department,
and Irregularities and questionable ap-
pointments have been so numerous that
the rules have almost lost their force,
and the alleged law of necessity IS reg
nant and want of uniformity exists
In all the business of the commission,
and the greatest uncertainty prevails.
THE present condition is thoroughly
alarming. Disaster can be averted only
by immediate remedial action, and at
least three changes In the office should
be made at once, not for political rea-
sons, but in the interest of the service" I"
President Proctor Of the commission
then took the stand and made a state
ment to the committee regarding the
charges that he and the commission
had sought to intimldate Witness Bal
ley. He said that when he had spoken
TO Mr.. Bailey and told him that hither-
to no one had been subpenaed by the
chairmanof the committee but those who
were antagonistic to the commission he
had then In his possession a duplicate
copy of the communication to Mr..
Roosevelt. 1t was furnished him by a
United States senator, and he did not
know its author until the first testi-
mOny Of Mr.. Bailey, when he suspected
him. He had known for some time that
the paper had been passed among SEN
ators and made the basis for an attack
on the civil service
He told Mr.. Bailey that he supposed
| the latter had been subpenaed at the
instance Of some senator who had seer
the paper, and that after the complaints
We're all In he would ask the commit
tee TO summon people who had long ex.
perience in important positions in re.
lation TO the operation of the civil serv.
ice, not persons who had been denoted
or remoted or disappointed, but those
who could speak OF the broader prin.
ciples Of the law.
He had stated that he had wished
any one having a knowledge OF wrong.
doing in the commission would state
all the facts, but there was a line to bs
J drawn between that and a subordinate
criticising the administration of the
commission, the departments and tn,
president, and making suggestions
What Chief Examiner Serven had saiC
10 Mr.. Bailey had no reference to hi
testimony, but was in line with instruc
tions that had several times been given
that while Mr.. Serven was in the cit,
papers from his Office must not be sen
down to the commissioners without hi
signature.
Despite these orders, given severa
times in the past year. papers had com
down from Mr.. Bailey. Whatever MI
Serven said was in response to Mr.. Bal
ley's questions. He thought the criti
cisms were not pertinent. as Mr.. Bale.
saw only the minutes and not the cor
respondence and other information
Senator Pritchard then stated that tn
fact that Mr.. Bailey was witness jus
titled him in making any suggestion
at the instance Of the committee.