New-York tribune., 1902-12-04
JUSTICE ATTACKS A LAW.
DECLARES CIVIL SERVICE RULES HAM
PER DEPARTMENTS.
HINsDAIE REFUSES TO JOIN REFORM AS
SoCIATIONHOLDS 1T RESPONSIBLE
FOR INDoRsING ABUSES

FOR INDORSING ABUSES
Justice HinsdaIe the dean of the justices OF
the Court of Special Sessions. sent a letter to
the Civil Service Reform Association last night
in reply to an invitation to him to become
member OF the organization.
The letter, Justice Hinsdale explained. has the
approval of the entire bench and is self-ex-
planatory Justice Mayer was sitting IN the
Children's Court at the time the letter was
written but five other justices declared that he.
too approves of the letter.
After declining to become member or the
association the justice says;
As 7 understand by your letter and from the
general reputation of your association, you are
believed to be indOrsers and hackers of the gen
eraI scheme under which the Civil Service law
is administered. You will excuse me II
say plainly and frankly that from experience
OF several years. am forced to conclude that II
is a great detriment to the proper administra-
tion of the departments of this city i say of
the departments of this city not from any per
sonal knowledge of the experience of other de-
partments, but because l infer that the diff
culties the Court of Special Sessions has had
to deal with must pertain to every other de-
partment.
So far as the Court of Special Sessions is con-
cerned, there are six judges here now who have
long desired efficient organization For sew
eral years past we have been thwarted and en-
barraSsed in efforts to intoleTable degree
by the Civil Service law, as administered by the
Civil Service Commission. A few specifications
QlUlCulIy
tory workings of the system:
In the matter of men to serve subpoanas
throughout the boroughs of The Bronx and
Manhattan, II should be accepted without dis
sent that young men, active and vigorous, who
get around in all kinds of weather, can
climb to the tops of buildings when necessary for
the purpose of serving our papers, are the class
of men that need. Under the Civil Service
law, when requisition is made for candidates
we have received a return of only three names
and under the law, which gives preference to
those who have served in the Civil War. those
names have been quite generally old veterans,
absolutely valueless and incompetent to render
the service that We require.
The justice then cites the difficulty in obtain
ing a deputy clerk for the Children's Court
The justices selected competent man. being
advised by the commission that he would be
placed on the exempt list. The commission re-
fused to do this. but subsequently did so. but
refused to certify the clerks salary. and
quired the justice to reappoint him, SO that he
might get his pay regularly. The justice says
he is advised that this clerk has drawn no pay
since MS appointment, has had TO borrow money
to live, and probably will have TO the city
to get the money due him.
The Justice also quotes the case of Miss Ada
Eliot. who selected to become the success
sor Of Mrs. Foster a probation officer. The
Civil Service Commission. he said. said she
would be put the exempt list, but later 1t re-
fused to allow this To be done. Then he con-
ttnues:
The duty of such probation officer with refer
to females is that Is strictly confidential
with the members OF the court, and no Civil Service
Commission is competent TO pass Upon such a ques-
ton for We understand II was the active oppo-
stion Of representatives Of your organization that
mainly responsible in defeating US in our appn-
cation have Miss Eliot placed the exempt list
As said at the outset, your association is not
responsible for the administration Of the law. but
IS understood to stand as sponsor for many of the
bad provisions OF the law. and the rules they
now stand The law and the administration Of II
impractcabe, and tends to thwart and defeat every
honest effort TO give good administration 10 de-
partment in this city. 1t 10 represent the
quate appreciation of the requirements Of depart
ment in order to make such department efficient
In my experience the most practicable and
mon sense law was the known the BLACK
Civil Service law which provided for the ex-
amnati and rating of candidates by the commits
sion, but which. as recall il, required the whole
list OF eligible candidates in any class to be
TO the appointing power who could examine them
again and make a selection Of the one best suited
TO the requirements Of his department Governor
Black credited with having said that he signed
the law for the purpose OF taking the starch
out OF the Civil Service law. At the present time
the starch should be taken Of the law that
heads of departments have a little something
10 say touching whom they employ.
The present laws administered thwart and
Feat any effort to have good organization of a
department. The whole system now administered
In It's practical results Is system OF How not to
do It. The law and it's administration taken to-
gether In its results most embarrassing good
government.