New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-02-28
BLOW AT THE FOLLOWERS.
MAYOR LOWS BILL CAUSES TAMMANY
MEN IN OFFICE TO QUAKE.
HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AGREE WITH
THE MAYOR THAT REoRGANIzA-
TON IS NECESSARY.

The Tammany followers in the city admins
tration had fit Of the cold chills yesterday
after reading the text Of the bill introduced oy
Senator Stranahan. giving the Board or Esu-
mate power to reorganize the departments
The attitude of perhaps the greater number or
these followers has been so scornful and destruc-
tive of discipline that they received scant meas
ure of sympathy yesterday when they realized
that Mayor Low and his department heads were
determined if possible, to do away with the
skilfully planned put up Jobs bequeathed
them by the Van Wyck administration
Friends OF the Mayor made no attempt TO
conceal the fact that the bill Is far reaching In
it's possible effects. The Mayor is supported
in his position by Controller Grout, Borough
President Cantor and, in fact all the more i'm
portrait heads of departments.
The two bills approved by the Mayor have
been introduced in the Senate by Mr.. Strana-
han, and in the Assembly by Mr.. Kelsey. The
measures, If adopted. will enable the Mayor,
through the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment, upon the recommendation of the Mayor.
or any Borough President. or any head OF de-
partment, bureau, office or board or commits
sion of the city OF New-York, or OF any Of the
counties embraced therein, to create new posi-
lions. to consolidate existing positions. to read
just titles. and increase or decrease salaries in
any of said Offices departments. bureaus. boards
When asked yesterday if it was the intention
of the heads of departments to sweep the Tam
many men out of office, the Mayor said:
"Assuredly not. The main object of the pro-
posed bill is to regulate the Civil Service. The
bills give the Board of Estimate the power 1t
had prior to January l, and will afford oppor-
tunity to regulate the Civil Service. We cannot
do very much with the Civil Service positions
until the Civil Service itself is regulated AS
1t is now, there are about many different Of
hces as there are of1ceholders. We wish to have
fewer different offices and consolidate the en-
ployes under these heads.
Take my own office, for example. I do not
intend changing It in any way, but will keep
every one there. AS it stands at present, there
is danger of a deadlock between two bodies
and II the bills approved it will give all
power TO one body, SO that deadlock will be
prevented. Before this the heads of depart
ments had the supreme power In changing
their employees, but now it rests with other
viii this bill allow the increase OF employees
IN the exempt class?" he was asked.
, That remains to be seen" he replied. until
the law works itself out. You know as much
about 1t as I do
The Mayor would not commit himself either
one way or another the bills, but gave the
general impression that there was no intention
to make clean sweep" as has been intimated.
but merely to take away the hold up powers
or the Board of Aldermen. vest the entire fix
Ing and grading of salaries in the Board OF
Estimate. and make some provision whereby
the Civil Service can be regulated
Controller Grout when asked about the BILL
said:
II am inclined to favor the measure, although
I think can reorganize this department with
out It There isn't any doubt about the dis
torted and unbusinesslike condition of the rules
OF the State and Municipal Civil Service COM
missions. am informed that they did not work
In harmony while Mayor Van wyck was in Of
fee, and was told the other day that Mr. Van
Wyck never recognized the existence OF the
State commission. Working different sys-
TENS as the two commissions doubtless did
at times. 1t is wonder that things got mixed
in this city, where both commissions have juris-
diction in different offices. 1t seems to me en-
trely fitting that something should be done to
get the city departments down to correct
working basis at the earliest possible date. The
Mayor has given with clearness his reasons for
Borough President Cantor favors the amend
ment- He said:
"They absolutely necessary to revise the
Budget carefully and to reorganize the Civil
Service The aldermen should not complain
They have never before had the power which
the revised charter gives them. and they can
wait till the next Budget comes TO exercise that
power Conditions in the departments are in
tolerable at present. and there must be an I'm
mediate Redistribution. If we have to wait till
the aldermen act on reorganization OF the
Civil Service, 1t would be impossible TO close
the Budget by May l..
There is no doubt that the aldermen will re-
sent what some of them think is an infringe
ment of their prerogatives Some time ago the
Board of Estimate sent the Board OF Aldermen
q schedule of salaries for concurrent action.
The schedule is still slumbering IN the COM
mittee Salaries and Offices.
In several of the city departments there are
clerks who drawing larger salaries than
their Immediate superfors in rank and ability.
They were boosted to their eminence by po-
litical influences. This is notably the case IN
the office of the Commissioners of Accounts.
where twenty thirty of John F. CarrollS
political friends are barricaded by existing
rules.
This action of Mayor Low is as righteous an
attempt to benefit the city of New-York as has
ever been made" said Colonel Willis L. Ogden.
president of the Civil Service Commission, last
night to Tribune reporter who saw him at his
home, No % Pierrepont-st Brooklyn II can
say no more than that heartily approve of the
action. The Civil Service in this city in
chaotic condition when the present administra-
ton came into power, and, although we have
been striving to get IL into some sort of shape
have been unable to do Sc under present
conditions. / have frequently talked with
Mayor Low this subject, but was not aware
that he proposed to amend the city charter.
So far as L know, none OF the members of the
Civil Service Commission were consulted about
these bills. To-day 1 have not seen any of the
members of the board. but if I know their tenn
per, and 1 think do, they will all Join me In
approving of this action.
For the last four years the city has been ia
the hands of men who did not for its in
terests, but simply wished to get as much out of
II for themselves and their friends as possible
During the last few months of the administra-
tion they crowded the departments with useless
men. and we found things literally upside down.
I'VE find extraordinary conditions coming on
the heels of an administration that cared moth
ing for the city. The Civil Service Commission
finds itself confronted with appalling task
We cannot get a janitor to ring bell In pub
lie school because he has not been specially
designated as q bellringer. Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel McKeen tells me that he cannot get
a clerk to mail a letter because that clerk has
not been designated as a messenger.
These amendments to the charter IL they
pass Will be of the greatest help to in getting