The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-09
IS ROOSEVELT A BACKSLDER9
CIVIL SERVICE PERFORMERS POINT
no SANDERS INCIDENT.
The, Have No Fears for Gov. Hughes, but
There Has Been Too Much Juggling OF
city Jobs 10 Please Them-Praise for
Woodbury. Would Revise Exempt GAS.

which was read at It's annual meeting last
night at the Hotel Aston. contained this
comment on the Archie Sanders incident:
The rress has heralded the recent removal
ofa collector OF Internal Revenue In Rochester
az indicatinG an intention on the part
NJ President Roosevelt to use the Federal
patronage for political purposes and In sup
mort OF Gov. Hughes. That support gained
by such questionable methods would not
he welcomed or approved by the Governor
can be confidently asserted in view Of his
well known principles in regard to the public
service. President Roosevelt has placed
himself on record squarely against such
p~racticrs. In 1895 he said: Removals for
~nolitical rea sons in places where the duties
are wholly non-political cannot be defended
hy any man who looks at public affairs from
the proper standpoint" He has done so
much TO carry out the principles OF civil
service reform that we should regret to be
compelled to accept the view Of the press
~ stated above.
In reference TO the case OF Fiscal Super
visor Harry H. Bender, who was merely
reprimanded by Gov, Higgins 'after the
state Civil Service Commission had found
that he had collected campaign contribu-
tons from employees in his Office, the ex-
ecutive committee said:
The association has been subjected to some
criticism for not requesting Gov. Hughes, i'm
mediately upon assuming oflce, to remove
MIR. Bender, Your committee has, however,
felt il would not be justified in so doing in the
absence Of any new charges against Mr.. Ben
der. and in view of the fact that Gov. Higgins
had made a final decision in the case after
con idering all the evidence. MIR. Bender's
term If Office will expire in June and we are
confdent-without having received or asked
for any assurance from the Governor-that
in view Of his civil service record he will not
he resppointed.
Although the views Of Gov. Hughes, who
is a member of the association, were we'll
known in regard to civil service reform,
the executive committee, following its GUS
Mr.. Hughes a letter, which brought this
reply:
AZ member Of your association who has
served upon its law COMMITTEES / am deeply
. interested in its work. | believe In the prin-
ciples OF civil service reform and shall do all
in my power to see that the civil service law
ia maintained and enforced.
A similar letter was sent to Mr.. Hearst,
but no reply came from him.
The committee reported a steady i'm
provement in the administration OF the
civil service law by the municipal com-
mission. The report says:
Inc commission II entitled 10 Vne greater
credit for the improvements mad In its
methods in view OF the fact that there has
been an undoubted tendency on the part
Of the city administration to draw the civil
service into politics and TO use the patronage
Of the unclassifed and exempt positions
as weapons in the f~actional war for the control
Of Tanmany Hall between Mayor McClellen
and Charles F. Murphy. Immediately upon
his return from Europe last summer Mayor
MrClpllan TamOyad the CnmmfaqiOnPF Of
Parks for the Borough of The Bronx and put
in one OF his own adherents, and from that
time on there has been a series OF removals
Of heads OF departments, deputies. secre-
laries, cashiers and superintendent. The
Tammany boss has not been without means
or retaliation. as he retained control Of the
patronage OF certain departments. and places
have been made for his removed adherents
under the Board OF Coroners, the City Clerk
and others.
Street Cleaning Commissioners Woodbury..
who conducted his department on the strict
est civil service lines. resigned because, as
he stated in his letter of resig nation, the
Mayor was so ~insistent on the injection OF
politics" into his department. His successor,
Commissioner Craven. has obtained the ex-
emption Of two deputy commissionerships
VIII I'll Major Woodbury.. in his desire to keep
his department clear OF politics. refused to
ask for, one Of which has been filled by the
appointment OF 4 McCarren district leader.
The executive committee reported that
there had, however, been too great a readi-
ness on the part of the municipal commits
sion to accede 10 requests for exemptions
from competition. Twice in the course
Of the year the municipal commission had
granted requests for large increases in the
number of exempt positions in the law
department, and in both cases the State
commission after an investigation re-
fused its approval on the ground that the
additional exemptions we're unnecessary.
The committee believes that this is a favor
able time TO ask the State and city commits
sions 10 undertake a complete revision OF
the exempt class with a view TO a material
reduction and the establishment OF certain
definite precedents by which future re-
quests for exemption can be Judged
Al the dinner which followed the meeting
Comptroller Metz and ex:Siayor Thomas
VI. Osborne of Auburn told some OF the
things they don't like about the civil service
system.
The Comptroller regretted that somehow
or other the notion had got around that he
u opposed TO civil service. That isn't so.
lie ia a reformer and he's pretty certain
that q good many people will appreciate
that fact before he gets out Of office.
What the Comptroller would like to have
ls the selection Of the most important men
in the city departments under the civil
service rules, but not the clerks and the
men who Ill the minor jobs. The Comp
troller believes that the latter ought to be
held responsible to the heads OF the depart.
ments and that they ought to be remove
able for ineficiency in the discretion OF
the department officials.
The Comptroller told something about the
extent Of business which his Office transacts
10 a year.
This !city.' said he, spends more in a
wear than London, Paris. Berlin, Holland.
switzerland and Denmark put together.
That sounds ridiculous, but it Is absolutely
true"
One thing that the Comptroller would
reform in the city government is the cum-
6ersome way that the city has OF acquiring
when we want property" said the
comptroller. I'VE go out with a brass band
and a circus wagon. The transaction goes
before four or five boards and by the time
We get sround to take the property IL Ia
IN the hands Of some real estate sharps.r
The Comptroller added that Brooklyn,
so far as his experience had enabled him
to Judge, had some pretty clever real
estate sharps among It's reformers.
y am going N get sorne of theae men.
too, before ] get through" the Comptroller
added. He told the civil service reformers
that nobody knows how much real estate
tho pi'y ~ NoW Work nxvpa