The Washington times., 1901-11-11
TAMMANY'S ONE REFUGE.
The Oft-Evnded Civil Service LAW
Useful shield.


NEW YORK. Nov. 10.-Tammany Hall,
IN the two lean years that are to come,
will have as its chief defence against
the inroads of the Sheehan Democracy
| the very civil service law that it has tried
! 50 hard to evade for four years past.
| There are about 5000 municipal en-
| ployes; deducting the policemen, hremen,
| and teachers. all of whom are especially
| protected during good behavior, there are
| left about 1000 officeholders, Of whom
| less than 2.OO0 are in the exempt class. 1t
| would appear therefore. that Tammany
may be able to retain something like 90
| OOa of it's men in the city service after
/ nuary l, provided they perform their
| duties properly.
The leaders now realize that they were
shortsighted in swelling the number Of
| positions in Schedule a, the exempt class.
1t is there that the prime favorites have
been placed, not only because salaries
were high, but because no competitive ex-
| animation was required. All of these will
have to go, among them Mike" DAILY
deputy comptroller: ex-Police Inspector
McAvoy (who loses an easy berth in Mr..
Coler's office because he is a city pen
sioner), a small army of the Gilroys, the
Yorks, the McCarrens, the Days, and
relatives of Johnny" Sexton. In fact,
there are very few Tammany or Nc
I.aughlin leaders of importance who have
not been guilty Of fragrant nepotism.
January l will mark the passing of
many well-known figures: Owen and
Hertie Van Wycks wonderful account
ants; Diamond Mike Murphy, Devory's
figurehead; Coogan, Manhattan's little
heard-of President; Comptroller Coler and
his deputy, Mike" DAILY; Pat Keenan,,
city chamberlain; Maynard Boy Hol-
ahan, Dalton of Ramapo lame. "Perce"
Nagle reformed bookmaker and street
cleaning commissioner; Lantry, the
butcher who has had charge of the
correction department.; ScanneiI, w. l..
Marks friend; Clausen, who discovered
the Spate chairs; John T. Nagle, whose
statistics never become public; Ike
Fromme, the typewriter man. and
others less pernicious.
1t is the workers who will remain under
Mayor Low; the professional politicians
have been so careful to pick out Straps
for themselves that they are unprotected.
The private secretaries will suffer most
In 1897 there were only thirteen of these
"COntidcntial employees in the entire city;
their salaries aggregated 81 500. The new
charter provided for thirty-seven secre-
taries for various departments. with sal
aries aggregating SlE,6Z5. But this was
not enough Van Nyck S commissioners
found they needed more confidential
SubOrdlnateS. Ihe mayer set the example
with a secretary, two confidential clerks,
a confidential stenOSrapher, and even
confidential messenger; his appointees
took their cue promptly, and Tammany
goes out of power leaving to the heads
of the departments TO be appointed by
Mr. Low legacy of ninety-oid private
secretaries ana the like. who are paid at
the rate Of Sl5s6yj "A year. Short Work
will be made OF these sinecurGs-
1t is likely that rammany will lind it
difficult to mold the labor class together
the small army employed as street-clean-
crs and in the highways and park depart
meuts. There are more than lt,vj such,
and when they find themselves exempt
from 'Shakcd0Wus' and free in all re-
spects, so long as they perform their Gu-
ties, their allegiance 20 thc mall, ~ Is De
lieVed, Will be dissolved. This Will leave
not more than 1000 oihcehOlders on whom
Tammany can rely for contributions and
for aid at the primaries; no great advan-
tase. in view of the extensive patronage
the Sheehan Democracy viii command.
but sufficient il is believed, to keep Tam
many Hall intact The leaders, too, Will
find plenty of employment through ref
ereeShipS given by Tammany judges
A brief summary will serve to give an
idea of the problem the new administra
tion will have TO solve, in placing the
citys affairs on q business basis Salaries
alone aggregate $44. 900 900, or nearly one
half OF the total budget. The United
States Army. with 5000 men in 1890, costs
less than SlS,GJ50G9. New Eork's police
force costs two-thirds as much as the reg
u.ar army. The extraordinary salaries
paid are instanced by the fact that 446
men draw $1,000 or more-siXty-eigh of
them $4,000 or mnre-and cost the city in
the aggregate $4,000 yearly. Salaries
rapge much higher than in the Federal
service. or in business. Even including
Iaborers New Yorks employees average
uuite a little more than 81 COO a year.