The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-04
A BAD CIVIL SERVICE Law
md BAD ADMINISTRATION, SAYS
JUSTICE HINSDALE.
Other Justices say Amen - Instances
Given OF Per,erse workings OF the
Law, the Regulations, the Connis.
sion and the Extralegal Advisers.

sion and the Extralegal Advisers.
Presiding Justice Hinsdale Of the Court
Of Special Sessions has written to f, B.
Abbott Of the Civil Service Reform Associ-
alton letter declining an invitation to join.
The letter is a blast against the Civil Ser
vice law itself. the regulations" under it
and the local administration Of II. JUS
tice Hinsdale says:
As underst and by your letter and from the
general reputation OF your ASSOCIATION, you
are believed to be indorsers and hackers OF
the general scheme under which the Civil
Service law In now administered iou will
from an experiences OF several years | am
forced TO the conclusion that isa great detI /
ment to the proper administration Of the de-
The law and the regulation, seem to be
framed upon the theory that the appotnting
power IL either incompetent or dishonest II,
subordinate.. and 40 the Law has practically
taken away from the appointing power ALMOST
proposition that all virtue and integrity
In the mi after OF appointment is vested IN the
Civil Service Commission and has gone ont OF
the heads OF departments u proposition
that challenge as false .
so far as the Court Of Special Sessions Ia
ions desired an efficient ,orcsnnation For
several wears last past we have been thwarted
and embarrassed in our efforts 70 an intoler-
rn,nis,ered b. tire Civil service Conn ission.
4 fcwspoc cations of this difficulty will illus
trate the unsatisfactory workings of the
system
Justice Hinsda!e goes Oh to relate that his
court wants for subpoena servers young
and vigorous men who can go anywhere
in all weathers. but that all the court can
get from the Civil Service Commissioners
is a choice among Civil War veterans In
capacitated for the service IN" war was
over thirty-seven years ago; and, when
these incompetents are got rid OF. some
more Of the same kind They have prac-
tically had 10 evade the law 10y getting
young men employed il other departments
transferred 10 do the work.
The Childrens Court he says, furnishes
another instance. The act creating II
named the clerk of the court, thus Fastening
upon us a clerk without experience and one
IN our judgment incompetent to n. IN" place.
he had ability to draw the salary which
he did for eight months without rendering
any service TO the court or 10 the city.
The court had 20 have competent deputy
clerk. took pains TO select one, were adj
vised by the Civil Service Commission that
he would be put on the exempt list; then
that he wouldn't; finally in October last
that he would; then, that he must be re-
appointed ION Oct pa to get on the exempt
list under this last ruling; and now, that
he cant have any pay for the time he was
excluded from the exempt list by the error
OF the commission. He has been doing
the work without salary since aug anu
living on borrowed money.
Mrs Ada Eliot was appointed probation
officer The commission first said that
sba could oo ON ,ha exemn, LIST and then
refused to put her on. Her duties are con-
fidertial and no IiVlI Service COMMISSION
il fit to pass on her qualltlcations. The
Justices understand that IL was the inter-
faronca ~ tha civil Seryica Reform As
';as;e. ", haId 80 har anno;n, n,ant
sos.aion .naL nesu up uy' eppi -,nr,a
Inc JUSTICES OF oPeclu oeeeioiS "aAVeu
20 have the salaries OF three men OF seven
and two nv s,sO The Board OF Estimate
agreed The commission said the men
mis-, firs, nass an examin Al ion. " jch might
est them thar iobs ,J,lstice Hinsdale
ssr..
your assocAion ubus, ,.oou 70 ,.a ~ az
end tbe r'iee ne tbav now stand The
law and the administration OF il i impract
cable and tends to thwart and defeat every
honest effort 10 give good adIninl,tration
70 department N TINS ciy \ seer, 10
sspnesei, 'hr ,,e,. MI. nnnrsciaviop ~ thc
rsnri,emer,H ~ = depa tent in order 10
make such department. enN Cient
In my experience the most practicable and
common sense law was the one Known as ne
binck 'Nll SEW" wv M,' ~ ooppd;datss
In g II IL