New-York tribune., 1905-06-12
EVADING CIVIL SERVICE.
City Employees Paying High Price
TO Become Enempt Ffremen.

Hundreds OF city employees hope to enjoy the i'm
rn,nity from molestation accorded by Civil Service
-,,les to veterans Of the Civil War by becoming
exeunpt hremen. During the past two years. and
osneciaIly during the past six weeks. hundreds Of
,en city employees for the most part, have been
,osning the volunteer fire companies in Staten
JsIand and Queens. They hope that when the city
,,,sters out the volunteer companies to extend the
oss department they VIII be discharged as exempt
s-ernen, and. such. enjoy ell the rights OF war
veterans Incidental TO this wholesale Joining of
FIRE departments. runors of graft through syndicate
workings are afoat and, while such rumor is
extremely difficult to prove, II is said that num-
her OF applicants for admission have been told the
ooupaaies' membership rolls would be found full
unless they first saw those who control the situ
ston After seeing the powers that be, IL is de-
cIared nothing stands in the way of election 10
membership the restrictions regarding the
rleroent of men for the various grades being
tirev dsregarded- Those compelled to pay from
sqs 10 500 to the syndicate for the privilege of
feing allowed TO join the volunteer companies count
q a cheap price for insuring themselves against
removal from their city Jobs.
When it noticed that were joining the
yoluuteer companies by the scores and even by the
hundreds. the initiation fee was raised from a
fev dollars $loo. The city pays $500 yearly TO
vounteer hose companies for their support 81 900
hook and ladder companies and S1.2Oo to steamer
companies.
when the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
-psnt was recently asked for a sufficient appro-
ndation TO enable Commissioner Hayes TO
tend the paid Fire Department 70 Queens and
Richmond word passed around among city
employees that the time to "get in out OF the wet'
had arrived and there noticeable increase
IN tho applications for membership IN fire COM
panisS. The plan wss to become exempt fremen IN
few months instead Of performing FIVE years
hard service before being discharged.
When the Board Of Estimate reduced the appro-
uriation asked for to the sum Of 100000 for SAL
aries and $4,000 for maintenance, and 1t
nounced that Staten Island and the Rockaways
would be recognized first, since there not
sufficient money to abolish the volunteer depart
rnents throughout the two borougns. recruiting
and the Rockaways. and It then that the al
legged grating syndicate formed.
The place Of the applicants residence makes little
q different borough One Queens Borough man. for
Instance, who works in the Office Of Manhattan's
Borough President. has Joined Staten Island fire
company Many Manhattan men are the
rolls Of the Richmond fire companies
Il had been generally supposed that the compile
MES forty in truck companies, and on. Tho
rush TO secure immunity from molestation under
the Civil Service laws has produced such sharp
competition to Join the fire companies that the
supposed limit is reported to have been largely
exceeded in many companies. Those legally holding
membership in the volunteer tre departments VIII
become exempt f1remen when mustered out. The
legal status of members elected in excess OF tho
prescribed compliments Is question yet % be set
ing recognized exempt fremen because OF the
flegalty Of their election. Many OF the volunteer
months it is said. and city employees or prospective
city employees IN the volunteer companies. II the
rolls full, will have the same legal status es
regards tenure Of office as veterans OF the CIVIL