New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-04-28
METZ TO GRAND JURY
ON MELODYS DISMISSAL.
Question of Dislopalty - Other
SubOrdinates Threatened.

Controller Metz was summoned before the grand
jury yesterday answer questions IN cohnecuoh
with the dismissal from office. just before the
March primaries, of William E Melody, Deputy
collector of assessments and arrears. It Is
violation of the Civil Service law for an official to
dismiss subordinate for purely political reasons
and the friends of ex-Sherih Melody stouty main
tain that Melody dropped because he joined IN
a against Senator McCarren. the Controllers
friend and leader of the Kings County Democracy
It is understood that the Controller told the grand
jury that Mr.. Melody not removed for political
reasons disloyaty to him as head of the
Finance Department.
What is of greater consequence to the fifty OF
sixty removable auditors expert accountants and
examiners is the fact that Controller Metz is go
ing to give the department the most sensational
shaking up in its history, and that about half MS
present staff will walk the plank.
The Controller refused yesterday to discuss what
happened while he was before the grand jury. but
he exceedingly frank and outspoken about his
policy concerning men in the Finance Department
who to have assumed that Mr.. Metz Will
leave the Finance Department. and that he
will be succeeded by Borough President Coer OF
Brooklyn.
Il will say this for the information of the public
at large" said the Controller. Every man in this
office who is dsloyaI will not be permitted
10 remain in the Office. That includes men in the
Civil Service well the exempt class. AS
Controller, my subordinates owe me allegiance
first That does not seem TO be the view or some
of them. From the attitude they take 1t seems
that they training with certain man in
Brooklyn because they believe that he going TO
come back to the office Controller L won
stand for that kind of dsloyalty. You cannot ap
preciate the spy system which exists among GER
tain men in this department who are making daily
reports to that aforesaid gentleman in Brooklyn.
And every one of them will go as soon as am
convinced they guilty.
Controller Metz told the grand jury, it is said,
that what happened to Melody was going to hap
pen day week TO about twenty high
priced officials in his Office.
The attention of the grand jury was drawn to the
Melody affair by letter the signer of which has not
been made known.
In the Finance Department it IS well known that
there about half dozen who were re-
duced in pay when Controller Metz took charge of
the office. When Mr.. Coler Controller he made
secret OF the fact that he believed IN paying
high salaries for certain work and he appointed
expert accountants SIS a day. Controller Grout
continued some of these at the same wages
but Controller Metz cut them down TO wages paid
for similar work to other employees in the Finance
Department For the last two years the Coler men
in the Finance Department have been saying what
a bad thing it for Metz TO cut down the expert
accountants These have conducted ag-
gressive propaganda for the last year. with the
result that Controller Metz is not able TO get
things done he orders them done.
The Legislature has appointed a commission to
investigate the city departments, and one OF the
first on the list IS the Finance Department. When
he this coming three weeks ago the Controller
summoned his heads of departments and told them
that the work OF every bureau and division would
have to be put modern business basis. and
that he wanted the work to be begun at once on
Tuesday of last week, after satisfying himself that
his orders were not being obeyed, he sent for the
heads Of departments again and told them that he
convinced that some of them
ious to get in right with who would
succeed him IN eighteen months than they were 10
put the business Of the office upt foot
ing He gave notice that he would discharge any
who did not implicitly carry out his orders to
brace things up.
Some Of the men present admitted that they were
more anxious TO please the people who would name
the next Controller than they TO work reforms
a this time There Is doubt whatever that the
COler men have worked up intrigue against the
Controller among his own subordinates. There is
doubt that many of them have had promised
them distinguished consideration January l. 1910
If they will do their best to discredt Mr. Metz.
The Controller has many loyal men under him. and
the inside strife between the Coler and the
Out-and-out Metz men in the Finance Department
approXimates a certain famous definition of