New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-05-14
CIVIL SERVICE STRIDES
QUARTER CENTURY. WORK.
Speakers at Reform association Din
ner Tell of Good Being Done.

father OF Francis n. Pendleton. corporation coun-
sci Of the city. who one Of the speakers last
night
To my mind the great benefit derived from the
Civil Service system said Mr.. Pendleton. has
been that II opened the door to every alike
rich and poor. with influence and without, by in
teIligence and application TO get into the service
and remain and rise. thus eliminating that de-
bsuching element which made such Offices the
spoils Of war The last twenty-five years I think.
have made it certas~ that the system to
stsy. and viii grow and expand with growth
Eee2.tt P. Wheeler. vice-president OF the as
sociation and Of the first opponents of Civil
Service in this state described the passage Of the
FIRST Civil Service bill at Albany. during the Gov
e-norship Of Grover Cleveland. He followed by
State Senator Ernest r. Alderman. Of New Jer-
sey, who introduced the New Jersey Civil Service
bill which became a law April 10 OF this year.
Speaking OF this bill he said:
Merit and fitness in the public service have come
Re5ubcsns s for az B6t voted for 1o this BIZ The Old
spoils system Is passing away and feel confldeTt
follow the lead Of New York. Massachusetts. Ill
fpoils system OF Jackson's day viii not work now
geo 900 positions in tie eogpetiIfTe CLASSIFIED Civil
Service OF the federal government and the payroll
worked for all hey are worth political primaries.
caucuses and conventions
Senator Alderman said that. the charge was fire.
olenty brought against Civil Service that it ere
Hted institution for the aged and infrrn, while
shers objected 70 it the ground that the exam
Elstion system gave the best chance 10 young men
Who had graduated from SCHOOL Inc real
Eysre1n Of Civil Service. he said. struck happy
medium. giving equal opportunity to al. with
out respect 10 age. but within reasonable hrnita-
.fors Political parties. he asserted, would be
stronger without the evils Of patronage. Even
-z-lrnauy. he remarked, seemed to have survived
she ordeal Of Civil Service reform
Frank L. Polk. president Of the Civil Service
Commission Of New York City, told Of some OF the
difficulties one II his position encountered one OF
-rs a-st things city official whose department IS
attacked does is 10 blame Civil Service for MS
trouble said Mr.. Polk. His belief was that in the
main the Civil Service men are all competent to do
TIE work assigned them the attacks on the ser
vice being almost wholly unjustihed de said that
~ present the examiners were having their hanos
<gfl loo and 900 and women applying Tot
r1scas for which only from 10 twenty persons
were required.
! v-fst. however. before I sit down 10 express
IRE debt OF gratitude owe 10 tais association.
said Nj Polk You are our conscience when
keeus rs IN the straight and narrow way l am
r1s5 Of this opportunity TO express Il
The last speaker introduced by Colonel Sl-as w
r- president Of the association and toastmaster.
vas Fullerton L Waldo, secretary OF the rem !
sz-lvz-ia Civil Service Reform Assoclanoh- ny /
waldo attacked severely the municipal government
II Philadelphia. and especially Henry Gay me !
I'LL Se--ice Commissioner OF that city. He was
r~ee-es with applause when he said that both me
lover and 7lprer courts had upheld the association
II al its reforms - =
Among those at the dinner were William r |
- Ts-7,-v Police Commissioner; Mrs. W H |
e-5iaffeln president Of the Woman's Auxiliary |
- ss- next 70 the POSTMASTER, r {. L Brown /
safe Civil Service Commissioner: H N sa11on,
---f-e5 States Civil Service Commissioners; Rlcnard
watson Glider and z. Ross Appleton o. the city |
commission -,
F-e~e6i,E he dinner business meeting OF the
.-,-fz-for was held, at which the annual report
- he executive committee was read and me on
res ~ the association were reelected
.----., ~s,o-t reviewed the strides ot Civil
60 ss-ca ne first Civil Service law was passed
a. his country. in 1888. Speaking Of the state
C------+ee5r- he report emphasized the need OF
800 FREQUENT meetings or the board and o.
-5z--- 7-.ef=a-- in Albany 20 supervise and d
- re executive work. Continuing, the report
said.
Ire enforoee1t Of he CYL seToe s 5aT ID ne of
5rerror Hughes toward the merit sysfl11 e ~ The
r. - forcihy expressed y rs 7e ~ BnrsIo
a. %S--enlte- S1ch unqualified inaorsenentr ~
ga ~rr771g from the chief executive q a state
- - - EeeT in force for years, has given
.5zp5 impetus TO the movement for us eA'e-'so
.-~-f--, Vas called 20 Investigations carried on
p he STATE Commission. (which resulted during
&c azr -ez- in the striking from the roster OF the
---ze n Two hundred labore-s In the department
= -fre state Engineer and other departments ana
49, -rz~es being flied from the eligible lists the
Investigations Of municipal commissions were eaiu
.so ~ have been Of great value in correcting |
s-rzes and establishing uniform STANDARDS 81 eN-
s----z-fo- throughout the state
- ~-.esL77g Of the belief held ~ some that ex-
ssrz-io-s should nor be required TOT places "lFIe
executive ability. character and integrity were To-
c-s-aa above other qualifications. statement was |
r,,--e5 from the last report of the State Commits
ei~- In which tha- body emphatically insisted tnst
cr-~7e-1rfon should be the rule and exemption the
.rcer-fon in making appointments and prorno1ons
II the Civil Service. The report adds:
F- II is difficult 10 reconcile this positive deoara-
ton ~ IT'S policy with Je fetoEa'e alloa - ~ !
DUNG thl last year. and paTticliaTIy YIN -.
granting al recent meeting, from NiLeH ora /
re 7 e-fsIa-II-e ilas declared % be
e-7rt- in the municipal courts NJ New OK NY
md f-- Ten additional auditors, who handle no |
Te-s en- s Tay yo- CIV The state commits
son has certainly laid itself open 10 very serious
C1-zsr IN thus aal !ig - ,es s f9r Itself
TIE Azeen,hivr7er who defeated the measure in
-ro5u-ed - Albany 10 rive preference in the Civil
Service TO SPANISH war veterans We're commended
The ,-sv- YORK Cit, commissions tendency to
Frar- additional exemptions was deplored. The II
charge brought against Controller Metz OF using
e1e-pt Offices IN the interest Of AcCarrens organ
.zsto- was dealt with length well as the en-
r1ov~e~- u spe~faI clerks in the Finance Depart
u make I'D records OF assessments ana
arrears. Under the impression that expert men
orly were needed II was said special agreement
was made with the chief Of The bureau for employ
ing tre extra men twelve Of whom began Work IN
-s77. TIE report then said a
preliminary investigation shows that ngFt
orties re-fA--146 D. most or these men have been
-he Simplest clerical nature, and that TINS so
cs-ed expert force vas made up ia uaLL %
ssoork=ere-s mechanics. BARRIERS, iaboTers, Tllt-
rne- lcer1er deputy sheri IS etc OF the IA men
R-oog-~ The CITY Record" enrolment tran
tc-2-s show that l07 enroIed 8 L2eL''@ - 80
q Republicans. one as ar Independent ana mat
Ar matter hae oeen called 70 is . st5ePfijon
The conrrl ssion ordered the payroHs or these en-