Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-23
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Conference Over Philadelphia
Mint Case.
LANDIS AND COOLEY
THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
TO BE SUSTAINED.
Dismissed Men to Be Restored-Today' q
Cabinet Meeting-Senator Cullom
on the Alaskan Decision.

| The President had a conference after tha
| cabinet meeting today with Commissioner
| Cooley of the civil service commission and
John II. Lands, superintendent of the mint
at Philadelphia. about the claims of the
civil service commission that the civil serv-
| ice laws as to appointments. promotions,
etc, in the mint at Philadelphia have been
| hagrantly violated. Commissioner Cooley
recently made an investigation as TO APP
| po,ntments in the mint and reported 10 the
President that from May l. 1892. until Nay
| l. 1903 the number of unclassified labor
ers in the mint increased far out of pro-
! portion to the amount of work in the un-
| classified service and that the eligible reg
! listers of the commission have been 20 a
large extent ignored. The commission re-
quested the Treasury Department to rell-
| state three watchmen and one roller, who
alleged to have been dismissed for
| political reasons.
| Briefly summed up. the facts AS found by
| Commissioner Cooley were that the three
| watchmen and the roller had been dis
| missed and their places filled by political
| appointments. These appointments We're
| on the laborers rolls. but the appointees
| were assigned to do the duty of the men
who had been dismissed The fact that
| unclassified laborerS had been put to Woik
| on duties performed by the men who had
been dismissed was so suspicious as TO
| cause a long investigation to be made.
| The President inquired from Mr.. Lands
| very carefully to the facts and listened
to what said. Mr. Lands claimed that
the watchmen were dismissed because their
| services were no longer needed lie de-
| cIared that he took the matter up with
| Director Roberts of the mint bureau. prior
| to the action and that it was agreed that
| the dismissals could safely be made. NO
political reasons entered into the dis
| misSalS, he claimed. He asserted that
| laborers had been appointed because their
| services We're needed. but that so far as
! he knew laborers We're not performing the
| duties of the classified employees who had
| been reduced.
Commission to Be Sustained.
It is understood that the President will
sustain Mr. Cooley's views and will direct
| the reinstatement of the men who were DIS
| missed He Will also follow the recommen-
dations of the civil service commission and
| direct that all positions in the mint occu-
| pied by unclassifed laborers assigned to
| classified work be treated as CLASSIFIED va
| cant positions; that as the eligible CIVIL
service registers for the mint are now de-
pleted an open competitive examination be
held to fill the vacancies. and that the resu-
| lations to appointments promotions anu
| transfers in the mint be revised SO as 10
simplify things and prevent a repetition or
| the Philadelphia offense.
II is not known whether Superintendent
| Landis is involved in the matter TO the eN-
| tent of having the President consider re-
| moving him from his position, but in many
| similar instances, where the testimony was
| clear that the civil service rules had been
! Intentionally violated the President has
quickly removed the officials.
The Cabinet Meeting.
The cabinet meeting today. like all the 9TH
| ers during the last few weeks, could hardiy
be expected to develop matters of impor-
af tpa ohc
members Those present at todays meet
ing we're Secretaries Hay and Cortelyou.
Attorney General Knox and Postmaster
General Payne. Secretary Hay did not
remain in the cabinet room over forty min
utes, and returned to the state Depart
ment Attorney General Knox likewise re-
tired early as well the Postmaster Cen
eral Until recently Mr.. Payne has gen
orally left the cabinet room among the
last of the members, staying behind 10
talk with the President about postal az
fairs Mr.. Payne said today that the Bris-
tow report would probably be handed to
him tomorrow or Monday.
Senator Cullom's Views.
Senator Cullon chairman Of the foreign
relations committee of the Senate, was with
the President some time. He talked with
the chief executive about Cuban reciproc-
ity and extended his congratulations over
the settlement of the Canadian boundary
question.
THAT was a great and important victory
for this country" said Senator Cullom, and
the President and Secretary Hay deserve
credit. 1t required courage to submit TINS
question to settlement before commission,
inaSmuch as any decision contrary 10 lhe
settlement of the country would have been
charged to the administration We have al
ways contended that there was only one
side to the contention, and in submitting
the question to a commission we at least
recognized that there was ground for claim
ing two Sides Consequently, 1t was i'm
portant that our case should be so fully and
so wisely presented that we could win. This
was done, and the administration deserves
and will receive commendation."
Charles D. Walcott, director of the geo.
logical survey and Henry Gannett of the
same institution, called on the President.
Mr. Gannett had been in the Philippines for
the census bureau, while Director Walcote
has been three months in the west, studying
irrigation and forestry. 1t was on these
topics that Mr.. Walcott talked with the
President who will discuss both subjects in
his annual message TO Congress.
Uniform for White House Messengers.
The eight messengers of the White House
force the busy men who carry communica-
tions and all kinds Of documents from the
executive ofIices.to the departments and to
high officials in all directions. have donned
blue uniforms furnished them from the
funds of the White House The uniforms
are without embellishments beyond nickel
buttons on the waistcoat and coat The
color Is dark blue. The uniforms are in
novations at the White House. Secretary
John Addison Porter. when with PRESIDENT
Mckinley. made the experiment of uniforms
with a few of the doorkeeperS of the White
House. but did not continue 1t. Secretary
Loeb believes that uniform Tor the mes
sengers will prove a good plan. and he will
watch the results
Secretary Loeb's doorkeeper will also be
provided with a uniform. The idea of uni
forms may be extended to other portions
of the White House force if the innovation
proveS to be successful.