The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-05

mate and other city authorities to- appoint
and pay for court attendants for the police
courts. The higher courts already have
these officers. Their Offices are civil SER
vice places. There is a waiting list Of men
who have passed the examinations. They
have banded together and are known as
the Association Of Court Attendants They
want jobs and they nave engaged counsel
TO bring mandamus proceedings to get
the jobs for them. An assessment OF $50
apiece il said to have been levied for legal
services. The proceeding was brought
last spring and the Corporation Counsel
Is opposing. It In a pro lorna way. The
Board OF Magistrates is also opposing IL
technically, although practically ell the
Tammany members are heartily in favor
Of il. Magistrate Wshle said yesterday:
Officially l am opposed TO the matter,
although personally | am heartily in favor
OF IL and advocated it in my annual report
as president OF the board
II is not thought that the Supreme Court
will order the Magistrates to do what the
city Charter says they may" do. and so the
new move has been brought about. 1t is
asserted that the Tammany Magistrates
were really behind the mandamIfs proceed
ings and police court gossip has connected
the law Office associates of a certain Magis-
trate with having inspired The matter
through a firm in Brooklyn. This is part
OF what Magistrate Wahle put into his an
nual report on the matter OF u attend
ants, after saying that under present condi-
tons the Police Commissioner has control
rightfully .! the police court squad:
II follows by a parity Of reasoning that the
Magistrate should at least have equal control
over the officers in the court in which he is
presiding and that therefore our courts should
be manned by officers who will primarily
and under all circumstances obey our orders
and look TO no other source for authority or
instruction. have no facts before M which
permit me to plain Of the work Of the
sergeants, roundsmen and policemen assigned
to the Magistrates courts or which would
warrant an inference that their constant
attendance 10 the Magistrates courts. while
the Magistrates rotate. Is in any manner
detrimental to the procedure Of those courts.
but they are independent of the jurisdiction
OF the Magistrates. they come in first and
direct contact with the people who desire TO
see the Magistrates. the opportunities for
wrongdoing arising from familiarity with the
people who visit the courts and with the resi-
dents OF the vicinity are the very objects
which it was intended to obviate when the
Magistrates were directed by statue to
rotate; the same reasons apply to court
attendants.
Magistrate Wahle said nothing about
the opportunities for wrong doing" Of
court attendants appointed for political
purposes, nor did he emphasize the fact
hat such court attendants would come in
first and direct contact with the people
who desire to see the Magistrates" A
point that is being made against the scheme
is that these court attendants can he re-
moved only by the Magistrates and that
it is not likely that there will be many re-
movals when the attendants are appointed
chiefly for political reasons. 1t will not be
necessary to select them from the civil
service lists unless il is so ordered.
There is likely to be a bitter controversy
in the board of Magistrates this afternoon.
The law requires that the meeting shall
be open to the pu bic.