New-York tribune., 1902-02-01
LOW AFTER A QUEER BOARD
sEALERs AND INSPECTORS OF WEIGHTS
AND MEASURES A GROTESQUE
LEGACY FROM VAN WICK.

The queer ways Of the Sealers and Inspectors
Of Weights and Measures bureau without any
head, drawing aggregate salaries of $4,000 a
year, without proper certifcation of their pay
rolls. is engaging the attention Of the Mayors
office and of Secretary McAneny of the Civil
Service Commission.
The records of the Corporation Counsel's office
show that while the twenty men making up the
force have been drawing pay regularly, the city
has recovered only six or seven penalties Of 500
each in the last twelve months.
More grotesque than anything else however
is the fact that while Mayor Van Wyck ap-
pointed the twenty under authority of a resolu-
tion of the Council May Il, 1898 he never
would certify their salaries. That was left for
City Clerk Scully to attend to. and Mr.. Scully
was too wary to be caught certifying salary ac-
counts without personal knowledge of the ser
vice rendered Regularly he drew his pen
through the wording of the affidavit at
the bottom Of the payroll month by month
which made the cortifer say that the men had
performed the service for which they to
be paid All that Mr.. scully certified was that
their positions were created according to law.
This incomplete certifcation of the payrolls is
the feature of the case which is engaging the
attention of the Civil Service Commission. AS
2 result Of an investigation which the Mayors
office is making of the matter it is likely that
the entire board Will be wiped out and then
organized with competent man in charge At
present the sealers and inspectors supposed
to report every morning at o'clock at the office
of City Clerk Scuy but few of them have been
doing it. After reporting they at liberty to
roam about they will They have regular
headquarters, and none of them have desks.
The sealers have testing scales and measures
at their respective homes owned by the city, and
costing about 5000 apiece.
The sealerS and inspectors were appointed by
Council districts, according to the ordinance.
Now that the old Council districts are abo-
ished. II is a question whether the Seaers and
inspectors have any legal standing. The Mayor
appointed sealer and inspector from each dis
tr1ct. The inspectors supposed 10 visit al
least once year every mercantile establish
ment in his partculaTs district. Each inspector
is equipped with a NyardStiCk and standard
weight They forbidden to charge any fee
Tor their inspection. but or two Of the in
spectors in this borough have contracted the
storekeeper has been under susr icion for any
length of time Of having crooked scales. The
bureau is in the Civil Service. When first ap-
pointed 1t was filled with Tammany heelers. but
afterWard Ii was put into the competitive class,
with beneficial results
The principal objection to the bureau now is
that 1t does not produce results commensurate
with its costliness, and that there is no one in
authority over the men. They are absolutely
trolers office to get their checks, they go
through the formality of swearing that they
nave rendered honest service for the money
they receive. 1t is a matter of their judg-
ment, however In this respect they are on a
dlherent basis from any other bureau.