Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-28
.LEIB IS REMOVED
BY THE PRESIDENT
ASSISTANT TREASURER IS.
DISCHARGED
William s. Lelb, Stationed in Phla.
delphia, Removed for Persistent
Violation of the Civil Ser
vice Law
Nv Associated Press.

WASHINGTON Nov. 27.-Presldent
Roosevelt today removed from office
VIM. S. Leib, assistant United States
treasurer at Philadelphia, for constant
and persistc- violation of the civil
service law While in office.
In a formal statement issued at the
White House today by President Roose-
welt, Mr.. Leibs removal is announced.
The president gave Leib a hearing last
Friday, at the request of Senators PEN
rose and Knox of Pennsylvania. Mr..
Leib submitted a long statement in an
swer to the charges made against him
and was supported In his defense by
Representative Patterson of Pennsyl-
vania.
President Roosevelt's statement,
which is in the form of letter to Mr..
Leib, is as follows:
white House, Washington, Nov. 27,
1905.
Sir. 1 have carefully considered the
papers in your case and the statements
made by you in your own behalf and by
Mr.. Cooley on behalf of the civil serv-
ice commission 1t appears to me very
clear that there has been a constant
and consistent effort on your part to
evade the provisions of the civil serv-
ice law, to hamper its workings as far
as possible and to obstruct in every
way the action Of the commission.
expect on the other hand that the COM
mission shall endeavor not to hamper
but to aid the other public servants
of the government in doing their work
successfully, and on the other hand, 1
expect in return that the other pub
lie servants shall cooperate with the
commission and aid them in their eff
forts to carry out the civil service law.
IN your case it seems to me clearly es-
tablished that you have sought con-
tinually to take advantage of every
Kind of technically in order to avoid
carrying out the law in good faith. BY
taking advantage of these technicalities
you have kept on the roll in almost con-
tlnuous positions certain of your own
relatives and at least one person whose
appointment was evidently pressed
merely for political reasons instead Of
making all proper effort to carry out
the law as it applies to appointments
within the classified service. 1t clear
ly appears that in one examination held
upon information furnished by your of
ice that there was such clear evidence
of fraud that it had to be Cancelled
Inc evidence as to the fraudulent char
acter OF the examination implicated
your sister, two persons from your own
town and one person who was at that
time serving in your office under ter
porary appointment, and Who was sub
sequently dismissed from the service
Tor swearing falsely"
The president here quotes letter
sent by Secretary Shaw to Mr.. Ieib
calling attention to irregularities and
then concludes his own letter as fol-
lows:
IL the case had at that time (when
ShaW's letter was sen) been called to
my attention my belief is that l would
nave then requested your resignation.
most certainly after receiving such n
letter to which you failed in any way
10 make any answer clearing Yourself
or traversing the facts alleged by the
secretary it was your duty so to con-
ouct your office that no possible
criticism could come upon YOU. In
stead of so conducting 1t, you have
continued exactly the methods that
previously obtained, your sister, for
instance, having been again temporar-
lily appointed last August as money
counter and Notwithstanding the fact
that this is a permanent position and
that there were two eligibles on the
register when you We're notified that
the appointment must be made from
tnese elfgibles, you in some manner CO.
cured their declnations and tbereunon
on September 27, again Temporarily
appointed your sister. and she is in Of
nee at this time so far as the records
OF the civil service commission show.
Under these circumstances of per-
slstence in wrongdoing on your part il
seems to me that there is no alternative
put TO remove you from office You
are accordingly hereby removed from
the position of assistant treasurer of
the United States. Vi
Very truly yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Hon. VIM. S. Leib, sub-treasurv
Philadelphia" ~