The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-03
THE SENATE.

Prayer was offered by Rev. E. E.
Strong, d. D., of Newton.
Edward F. Tracy and others petit
toned that the term of office of the
mayor of Boston be one year.
A bill was reported, giving $4,000 for
channel from Vineyard Sound to Lake
Anthony.
Senator Putnam of Lowell seized the
opportunity afforded by the third read
ing of the bill making appropriation
for salaries and expenses of the civil
service commissioners, to express his
sentiments as to that body
The senator expressed his Judgment
that there were altogether too many
commissions in Massachusetts, THE
first time the farmers of the state have
breathed easy since the cattle commits
sion was established" said he, was
last year, when We cut off their ap-
preparation. If every commission
could be done away with, we would get
along much better and save 81, O0O, 600
of money" He went on to tell the story
of Miss Brennan, now an assistant in
the office of the state aid clerk of Low
ell. The civil service commissioners
asked the clerk to discharge her. She
asked for an examination and was ex-
am1ned with others. All failed. Then
the senator went to the state house
and asked the chief examiner if she
could have non-competitive examina-
ton. The examiner said she could
not. He then determined to appeal to
the board itself, and knowing it would
be all up with him if he did not see
the members before the examiner did
he waited an hour and a half until
they met. They said she could be ex-
amined, though the chief examiner
made objection, and when they so de-
clded, the examiner whirled on his
heel, as If to say: well, if she gets
by me, I'll let her do it," He subjected
her to questions which no senator pres
ent could have answered
I gave it up then" said Senator
Putnam, but the common council
took it up, knowing she was an or
phan with blind mother to support
and they created the office of assistant
superintendent of state aid, with a
salary of $500, and she was appointed
to it and has performed her duties with
perfect satisfaction. The civil sery-
ice board has requested the mayor to
discharge her and appoint somebody
from the civil service list, but he has
refused 9
his respects to the administration OF
civil service laws generally. He told
of police applicant in Lowell who got
So 7-10 in his mental examination and
20 in his physical. He stood 5 feet II
inches and weighed 1872 pounds, but he
was only able through want of prac-
tice to lift himself on horizontal bar
and put his foot over four times In
succession, and could only jump feet
hWh1t of a. eAvrsa i'm Ant
asked the senator. There are police
men in Boston who couldn't take off
their shoes and jump over them. A
letter carrier applicant in Lowell was
asked what river rNn through the
northeastern part of Alaska. Was he
expected to deliver letters in that far
away part of Alaska? Was he to rise
in the morning, eat his breakfast and
then kiss his wife and babies and start
for Alaska to deliver mail? He was
asked to do work in multiplication OF
decimals which no senator here could
do. What had that to do with letter
carrying, anyway?
This examination does more to drive
men to the pick and shovel, and | think
to drink, than anything ] know of, be.
cause they are unable to get work
Think of the 800 men who have had
to stand outside the state house every
liCN 1AlN thCii W LIZ lCSlSteTcd LOT Ia
Dor service in Boston. / know a mar
who paid young fellow IS to stand
In line from o'clock Sunday night tC
s o'clock Monday morning and hold q
place for him. Officials about the state
house tell me that these applicants
would come in here with their cheeks
and ears frozen from exposure while
they waited all night to get registered
| think that it would be a good plar
for some of those men who are stonine
factories in Marlboro to save thell
ammunition and come up here and fire
few at the men who are voting
salaries to so many of these commits
SionerS.
IF we should do away with some OF
them we could save $1,000O00 and then
exempt these factories from their cor
poration tax so that they could pay
higher wages. / think ii is time for
the working class to drop politics and
unite together to kill off some of those
commissions. Here is the cattle COM
mission, which during the last year
with no appropriation, has been sitting
like hawk on a limb, watching for
its prey, and during this week the gip-
sy moth men have been sitting over
in the gallery, waiting for their appro-
priation. ] don't blame them. The state
house Is three times as big as 1t was
when we began the work of enlarge
ment, and yet there are three commits
sions located outside. for lack OF room.