Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-24
STUDYING THEMETHODS
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONERS
COOLEY AT HIS OFFICE.
Entering With Energy Upon the Dis
charge of His New Duties-Rela-
tons With the President.

Commissioner Alvord Cooley, who was
recently appointed to succeed Civil Service
Commissioner Foulke, arrived at the
rooms of the civil service commission today
at $50 o'clock, and at once went to work
with his course of getting thoroughly &C
uuainted with the methods of doing bust
ness in that office. Mr.. Cooley has begun
his career as a civil service commissioner
with the idea that the first thing for him
to do is to acquire thorough understand
ing of the details of the work OF the COM
mission SO that there may be no failure on
his part to appreciate the Importance OF
every question that comes up aHectlng the
civil service establishment.
Mr. Cooley was seen by Star reporter
today when in the midst of his eXamina-
ton of office methods and he talked win
the greatest interest concerning the new
work with which he mas become connected
No Changes in View.
my purpose he replied when asked
concerning the course he would take as
a civil service commissioner, Will be 10
enforce the law. Since coming here lave
seen the President, and l know that he
will stand behind the commission to the
end in the enforcement of the law L am
endeayoring to secure IA complete under
standing of the methods of the Office and
find that an extremely interesting task.
No" he replied when asked If he had
any suggestions for further extensions Vi
amendment to the law. THE law has
been enforced for SO long Il time by men
devoted to it that i am naturally very
averse to forming any opinion as TO I'M
provementS that might be introduced III
the methods of doing business until L have
had an opportunity to become more IA
miliar with the work of the commission
Harvard Graduate Of '95.
Mr. Cooley is "a young man and is enter
ing upon his new duties with tireless
energy. He graduated from Harvard in
1895 and then for two Years went to Co
lumbia Law School in New York. In 1897
he was admitted to the bar in that city and
entered upon the practice of the law
1t was during this time that he became
acquainted with Mr.. Roosevelt, then police
commissioner in New York city. Mr.. Cooley
was taking an active interest In social set
Element work in the lower part of New
York city and had occasion to see Police
Commissioner Roosevelt frequently in the
interest of that work. In 1900 and oil he
was in the New York legislature, represent
ing the second assembly district, which
comprises WeStcheSter county. That was
at a time when Governor Roosevelt was at
Albany and there the two again came in
contact Recently, when he received his
appointment from President Roosevelt, it
came 10 MIN as q complete surprise, DIS ne
had no idea that he was being considered
in that connection.
A Civil Service Reformer.
Mr. Cooley has a reputation as a civil
service reformer and in that way was es-
pecially commended to the attention of
President Roosevelt. While practicing law
in New York city he took an active in
terest in civil service reform in relation to
the city government.
The new commissioner has impressed
those who have come in contact with him
as being outspoken and candid in his meth
DDS of doing business.
Commissioner Green's Arrival.
The commission now constituted has
not yet had a meeting and cannot do so
until after July 1, when it is expected Com
missioner Green VIII arrive in the city
The commission will then arrange it's work
about as it arranged when the prede-
cessors of the present newly appointed COM
missioners were in office. This will in
volve giving each of the three commission
ers a certain branch of the work with
which he will deal in all it's details, al
though all matters in a general way are
considered by the commissioners as a