The Washington herald., 1909-11-15
TRUST INTERFERED
IN CIVIL SERVICE

Continued from Page One.
missed except on charges. and only then
by the President of the United States or
the Secretary Of the Treasury. That has
been the invariable practice. although
distinguished lawyers have pointed out
that the President or the Secretary OF the
Treasury have enough power 20 dismiss
customs employees without charges.
Controlled Local boards.
The influence Of the trust was such that
1t controlled the makeup Of local civil
service boards. It's power within the
custom-house was such that It accepted
or rejected selections made by the local
boards II destroyed the integrity and
efficiency Of civil service regulations as
boldly as It fixed scales on the docks OF
sampled falsely in the public stores.
When appointments were made in
either OF the great divisions OF the Gus
toms, the local civil service board which
had TO do with the case selected lists of
men who had passed examinations. These
examinations were technical, dealing with
peculiar qualifications and special knOWl-
edge.
The sugar trust invariably managed to
have placed on the lists the names Of
men who could be depended on 70 help
cheat the government. When the list
reached the trusts executive officials in
the customs service It contained the
names Of honest men and crooks BY q
deft system of selection and rejection the
names OF the honest men were dropped
and the names Of the crooks were O. X. d.
How Names Were Selected.
As usual, the sugar trust played q sure
thing game. II never stood 10 lose a
bet in any Of its operations. By ones
and twos and three's honest men we're
eliminated from the list until the trust
had secured the petty thieves whose
services were required.
For instance, II three appointments had
10 be made, the local civil service board
would send up three names. The sugar
trust was able to compel the rejection OF
one Two out OF the list were taken be-
cause the trust had reason TO know that
the two were dependable rascals.
Up would come another list from the
civil service board. II the trust did not
Ike the looks Of the list 1t compelled its
another list. This process was continued
until the trust had made as certain as
possible that none but thieves had been
selected for Jobs.
Once the trust got fits thieves settled in
the customs. IL was next 10 impossible
for the occasional honest official TO dis
lodge them. The civil service farce was
encouraged and protected at Washington.
II the little S2.OO0-a-year grafters got into
difficulties and work was needed to pro-
tect them. the little thieves had the
service of highly paid corporation law
yers.
Has Strong Influence.
On one occasion a customs official under
the civil service got himself in so bad
that his superior notified him that charges
would be fled against him with the Sec
retary Of the Treasury. The employe,
with Edward Lauterbach. the lawyer.
met the complainant in a Fifth avenue
club. The employe begged for clemency,
which was refused. Mr.. Lauterbach sug-
gested that It was unnecessary to send
the charges TO Washington. as they
would not he sustained. The papers were
sent. but they we're lost-shuffied out Of
The complaining official had been wise
enough 10 keep a copy Of the charges.
lie made efforts to get the employe dis
missed, but he did not succeed until
Leslie NJ. Shaw became Secretary of the
Treasury. Mr.. Shaw reviewed the charges
as contained in the copy and kicked the
CRATER out of the service. Meanwhile a
man who had discovered the rascality Of
the emplOye had been subjected to so
much persecution that he committed
suicide.
Easy to Get Rid of Men.
The sugar trust found 10 difficulty in
getting Treasury officials to entertain
charges against customs employees who
could not be brought or scared. The civil
service regulations were as useful to the
trust in getting rid Of men as it was In
getting them into the service. There were
times when it seemed impossible for
honest officials TO reach the President OF
the United States or the secretary of the
Treasury with complaints that had to do
with sugar trust stealings.
The sugar trust not only robbed the
United states Treasury by the most per-
feet system ever devised but paid the
expenses OF its fights with independent
refners out Of the money It saved in
stolen duties
The sugar trust met deficits resulting
from decrease in prices out OF the
money stolen from the Treasury 1t
bribed officials out OF the stolen money
II paid for the whole machinery Of rob-
berry out OF the stolen money. It con
tributed to campaign funds with bits Of
the loot IT bOIlgilf IN iudaonndanf -