The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-06
MANY WANT TO
Be SHIPPING
COMMISSIONER
Aspirants for Federal
Recognition.
A CONTEST Is IMPENDING
WIN. NJ. GWIN, INCUMBENT, A
GOOD GOLD DEMOCRAT.
Senator Perkins Favors the Candi-
dacy of Ex-Harbor Commits
sioner Charles F.
Bassett-
A CONTEST Is IMPENDING
WIN. NJ. GWIN, INCUMBENT, A
GOOD GOLD DEMOCRAT.

The late decision regarding places
hat are exempt from civil service reg
ulation opens to the appointive power
the right to fill several good Federal
offices in California.
Before the recent order was promul-
gated at Washington many of the pol
iticians entertained the view that the
Office Of United States Shipping Com
missioner was not embraced in the
civil service list. The late decision
makes It clear that ii is not so en-
braced, although a formal declaration
to that effect by the Civil Service Com
mission may be required in advance OF
changes
The office of Deputy Naval officer and
that of chief deputy United States
Marshal are no longer embraced in the
civil service list, but there are no in
dications of immediate change in
either quarter Mr. Parrish, the chief
deputy under Marshal Shine, served
under Marshals Long and Baldwin. E.
W. Maslin, the chief deputy under
Naval officer John P. Irish, is capable
ard appears to have a firm hold on his
position.
The incumbent of the office of United
States Shipping Commissioner, San
Francisco. is William NJ. Gwin. He Sc
cured the place during President
CIeveland's administration through
the friendly influences of Senator Lee
land Stanford and Justice Field of the
United States Supreme Court. Mr..
Gwin is known as a gold Democrat,
and his friends and supporters contend
that California was saved to Mckinley
by the liberal support which Demo-
Gratis gave to sound money principles
They mention further that Mr.. Gwin
has ably and honestly administered
the affairs of the office and that his
removal would be contrary to good
politics and fair dealing.
The office formerly paid $4,000 or $4,000
a year, but few years ago the com
pensation was reduced. 1t is now worth
$4,000 per annum. The office was at
tractive enough year ago to- enlist the
aspirations of Paris Kilburn, and he
obtained the Endorsement of many
leading Republicans for the place. In
the political changes, or readjustments,
brought about by the election of Henry
r.. Gage as Governor and a Repu blican
legislature Mr.. Kilburn was slated for
Board Of Harbor Commissioners. There
is no doubt that the public service was
hettered by Mr.. Kilburn's appointment,
since he succeeded Z. S. Colnon of
stockton. A change from Colnon 70
any other person was bound to be a
change for the better
Mr.. Kilburn gracefully switched from
Shipping Commissioner to Harbor Com
missioner, because tidings from Wash
ington did not give assurance of his
immediate success in obtaining the
Federal position. After the change of
base ex-Harbor Commissioner Charles
F. Bassett, who discovered Markham,
was brought out as a candidate for the
Office of Shipping Commissioner to fill
the vacancy caused by the transfer of
Mr.. Kilburn's aspirations elsewhere.
The Markham discovered by Bassett
was not the Man With the Hoe" but
the man with the magnetic hand"
The magnetic Markham was elected
Governor of California TO serve the
people, but preferred TO serve instead
Dan Burns and Nose Gunst, and is re-
membered now only TO be pitied He is
alone at present in his obscurity, but is
expecting company.
United States Senator Perkins is said
to be in sympathy with the desire Of
Mr.. Bassett to be appointed Shipping
Commissioner, and in this respect Mr..
KHburn is believed to be heartily in
accord with the Senator. There are
other aspirants to the number of ten
or twelve, and no doubt among them
Congressman Eugene F. Loud has a ia
vorite. The fight for the position bids
fair to become quite interesting. Mr.
Gwin will not relinquish the place with
out a struggle. He is comfortably en-
sconced in the chair and is not without
friends in high places who would be
pleased to see his name permanently
inscribed on the Federal pay roll