New-York tribune., 1906-06-13
MR. METZ AND .MONKEY.SHINES.

Controller Metz seems TO be unduly hard on
! the reformers who will not give him enough
patronage TO suit his imperious desires He
| complains loudly because certain exempt places
were not created for him. so that he could ap-
! point men at his own sweet will and remove
/ them without going, he says through lot
of monkey Shines" He should consider the
! situation from the refOrners' point of view.
/ Perhaps they felt that Of all men in the city
government he was best fitted to "go through
a lot of mOnkey-shines" Perhaps they had
seen him engaged in that activity and thought
they We're doing him a service in giving him
an excuse TO keep IL up and indulge according
! 10 his habit In loud and profane abuse of all
who differ from him. Perhaps they wisheG'
unselfishly TO divert to themselves for little
the vituperatiOn which the other members of
the Board of Estimate have commonly to en-
dure. Then they may have thought that the
Controllers use of existing exemptions scarce
ly invited their consent to more. He has al
ready 143 such places out of total roll of
something like 800. No other department has
anything like such proportion of exemptions,
and they have been used most patiently for
political purposes, Notwithstanding the inhibi-
ton of the law which condemns appointments
TO exempt as well as TO competitive places for
political reasons Mr.. Metz by appointing as
his deputy J. II. McCoOey. who had been re-
moved from the Civil Service Commission by
Mayor Mcclellan for violating the law. and by
making ]. j. Murphy an examining inspector
after Tenement House Commissioner Butler
had dismissed him from that department, gave
refOrmers something to think about when they
found McCo0ey, violator of the Civil Service
law, pleading in the name of his chief for
| freedom from the Civil Service law and for
more exempt examining inspectOrships to be
filled by more Murphys Mr.. Metz ought TO
consider the reasons for the "bellyaches' of the
reformers before he denOunces them for daring
10 have pains "in their midst or elsewhere
Mr. Metz makes statement in his com
plaint which demands serious consideration
for his error is one which strangely persists
with other Officeholders who ought to know the
law. Apparently his chief ground for seeking
additional exemptions of examining inspectors
of whom he already has eighteen in the ex-
empt class. as well as many competitive exam
liners and inspectors is not the impra ctica biliy
OF competition, but his objection to the legal
tenure of persons in the competitive class. He
complains that he cannot remove them If they
do not properly attend to their business. and
! that If he does not like their ways he is
] forced to prefer charges and go through a
lot of monkey shines" As the constitution
commands competition where practicable diff
J ficulty of removal. even If IL existed, would
4 not justify exemption TO evade the law fixing
/ the tenure Of competitive places But as
matter Of fact, the difficulty does not exist
Except for veterans and exempt firemen, who
4 have special protection in the exempt as well
as in the competitive class, and for teachers.
! hremen and policemen, the only Limitation upon
removal Of city employees is that contained in
Section 1,543 OF the New York charter This
J requires that no regular clerk or head of a
bureau or person in the competitive class shall
be removed until lie has been allowed to make
an explanation. and Il record OF the reason for
! removal must be filed. No trial is required the
I appointing officer is the sole judge OF the suf
hciency Of the complaint and the reasonable.
ness of the excuse, and there IS no appeal Ia
the courts NJ. Metz, e ne is dissatisfied with
an clHp.oye. mas merely TO do what he would
probably do in his own factory-inform tile
ceihqueht of his dissatisfaction, give him a fair
chahce % be heard IN defence or excuse and if
unc"hVihced discharge him. making a record
or the cause. He 81 forbidden to dismiss n
subordinate for political reasons but If he de
ciccS, after giving a chance for exclamation
'ihl the subordinate is lazy disobedient in
soient incompetent, OF has failed TO come III
10 Els requirements in single instance. from
ihaI decision There Is no appeal
Il Win such complete power of removal OF