The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-28
METZ TO BOUNCE MORE MEN
TELLS THE GRAND JURY THEIR
DISLOYALTY rs THE CAUSE.

The whole Bunch" Of COler Men Is
Marked for DecapltAtiOn, or when the
Cnl Service law Protects Them
Ihey VIII BE Transferred Elsewhere.
Comptroller Metz was called before the
Grand Jury Of this county yesterday to
explain why he dismissed William +. Melody
from the office Of Deputy Collector Of Assess
ments and Arrears, MIR. Metz said that
the action had been taken by the Grand
Jury because Of an anonymous communica-
ton which had been sent to that body
charging that Mr.. Melody had been removed
for political reasons. Mr.. Metz minated
that the writer Of the letter wss a friend
Of Coler.
Melody is one Of the seven leaders in
Brooklyn who deserted MoCarren to 60 over
to the Murphy onners-Coler combination
and worked for the downfall Of McCarren
at the primaries last March and the unseat-
ing Of the McCarren delegates at the Demo-
cratic State convention. Metz is a McCar-
rem man. and from the moment that Melody
turned on McCarren there was never any
doubt that he would be fired by Metz.
Friends with whom Mr.. Metz talked after
the experience with the Grand Jury in
timated that the Comptroller had bluntly
admitted that he had removed Melody
because he was working with a political
clique which was seeking TO disoredit the
administration and TO hamper as much as
possible his work as head Of the finance
department.
MANY Of you are business men, Mr..
Metz Is said to have told the Grand Jurymen.
what would you do il you had men work.
ing under you who not only refused 10
obey orders but were constantly scheming
in the interests Of outsiders 10 ruin your
business | think you'd fire EN- mighty
quick, and that is what | intend doing with
the men now in the department who are
disloyal to me-not personally, mlnd-but
disloyal to me as the Comptroller and 10
the interests for which | am responsible
as the head Of the finance department.
You cannot appreciate the spy system
which exist among certain men in the
department who are making daily reports
TO a certain individual in Brooklyn whom
they would like TO see elected in my place
at the end Of my term"
Mr.. Metz makes no secret Of the fact that
1t il his purpose 10 bounce a large number
Of the men who have allied themselves
with Murphy and Coler. Before the end
Of the week he will call for the designations
not only Of subordinates but Of heads Of
several Of tho bureaus.
These men, Mr.. Metz said yesterday, !
are disloyal to the city which employs
them because they are disloyal TO the elected
head Of the department In which they work,
They are hindering my efforts to put this
department on something like q good BUSH
ness basis and they will have to &c. They
will comprise men In the civil service classes
as we'll as in the exempt class. II a man
for whose resignation ] shall ask Is pro-
tected by the civil service law and refuses
10 resign | will have him transferred 70
some other department, | intend TO have
men around me who are in sympathy with
and who will work with me and not
against me. ! want the same treatment
from the men under me as any merchant or
nan would demand from his en-
That allegiance | do not get from
q good many men in this department.
They are training with a certain gentleman
Brook yn because they believe that he
% going to come back into this office as
Comptroller. but | won't stand for that kind
II ~disloyalty and intend to get rid Of the
whole bunch
The Brooklyn individual Is, Of course,
President Coler,