New-York tribune., 1902-12-02
OGDEN'.S BOARD ATTACKED.
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION CALLED N
EFFICIENT BY REFORM ASSOCIATION,

The Civil Service Reform Association yesterday
surprised Mayor Low by sending 10 MN an opeh
letter attacking the Municipal ClVll service Colh
mission. The Mayor was not Tiling 10 talk about
IT Late in the afternoon it was said at MS ONCE
that he might issue statement on the soo3ec' ~
day. ,
The attack of the reform association begins
with tbe statement that whether regard be mad
70 the character or 10 the Of the work the IN
efficiency of the commission is Marked anu II
continues for little way in this strain:
The cost Of the federal service during the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1902 for eacl person s n
solidation, the cost per person examine&6 & N re~t
York and Brooklyn was "a a Incer Ine b pi e. 7s
OF course the corresponding cost was even greaser
under the administration of its immediate preoe-
This increased expense could not be mattel Of
hostile criticism if there were corresponding g
or even measurable increase in the etIcie[cy eG oi
the administration compared with Inc, me ers in
1887 The very opposite is the fact
Further on attack tells Of appeals entertained
by the commission in cases where applicants Tor
positions had failed to get good places On lhe
eligible lists It is declared that more than l,25o
such appeals were entertained between February IL
and November / and that more than 700 OF them
were granted. Less than fifty Of such reranngs' 1t
isxalleged "prejudiced more than l4oo canoldele'
already on the eligible lists An examination p9
agents Of the association is alleged to have as
closed that many OF the reratings were mace on
frivolous grounds and the letter 70 the Mayor says
this point:
Where rerating is proper because OF fncornpete1nt
or careless examiners. the remedy IS OBVIOUS me
remedy is no less obvious when the ieraIng ~
made by the commission itself upon such IrlVoious
grounds as those We have cited. and we nave not
exhausted the instances. Such reratlng is NOT ony
an abuse in itself; it is an injustice TO az calo.
dates who are not rerated. Naturally, they at
tribute the result TO influence" ana wny not
when the results attained precisely those Whlcn
Influence" would attempt to secure, and, II d
civl service commission we're open TO inhuehee'
would secure?
The letter says the commission has largely lost
the confidence Of the public and the association
keeping watch of the Civil Service administration
is moved to perform painful duty and write a9ont
il. The letter does not suggest thal II Wouo pe
wise TO reorgauZe the commission IN 1act, IL ooss
not contain any recommendation.
Colonel Ogden the head of the commission, De
clined TO make any reply TO the letter yesterday.
He said II had been sent to the Mayor, ana the
commission had been ignored. Therefore II was
for the Mayor. not the commission. TO reply 10 II
If the Mayor sent it to the commission. ne saio
the commission would consider II at the regular
meeting tomorrow. and might make some state
r1ent to the Mayor. but he felt sure that the COM
associa ton. The secretary of the association. ne
said. had called him in the morning. ano nao a
talked pleasantly without giving mint OF h the
letter to the Mayor that was 10 appear IA 'ii'
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