New-York tribune., 1909-07-26
MUCH PATRONAGE GONE
EXEMPTIONS CUT OFF.
City Ci7H SerJice Changes Made by
State Commission.


Albany. July 25.-The State Civil Service Com
mission announced to-day that it had approved the
resolutions transferring from the exempt TO the
competitive class the following positions in the New
York City service: Sixteen examiners of accounts
in the Office Of the Commissioners Of Accounts. the
sanitary superintendent and assistant sanitary
superintendent for each borough in the Health De
partmont. the stenographer to the Board Of Esti-
mate and Apportionment. and tweHty-six clerks in
the Board Of Elections. II disspproved the pro-
posed transfer from the exempt 10 the competitive
class Of the assistant deputy controller and the
sstaLt secretary end the chief clerk of the Board
of Estimate and Apportlonment The commission
issued the following statement concerning the
classification in New York City:
This action tic & dsP2ses Of al the eanges 50 far
vision OF the classification suggested to it Dy the
state Commission six months ago. The subject
sions for over a year. and the changes were made
soiely with a view TO the extension Of the merit
the ground thai n 0vtred fn To- rhe r0Tipetitfy
class and gave permanent places to persons who
had not won them by competition. and demands
have been made that the incumbents be compelled
TO take examinations 20 secure the competitivs
status. This criticism Is based on q misundeT-
itanaih& u tne powers or the commission. II
cannot Nacale the positions or ccmpe! the inclun-
the places as they are. and be satisfied with ex-
acting competition 70 I'll them when they fan
adva,lCe Y,o,,i5 L " r,'ost+S and ,r,,.ticai,I' ro
exemption could be abolished either when il
discovered that mistake had been made or
Of examination had made practicable competition
where II had '%imeIly seemed 'fnpraetiesble
ol the approaching municipal election ana II has
toE Of the political appointees OF The present ad-
minisTatiCn and hamper incoming admins
Gonr1ssfon caref, etiered ftis question aad
disaPiEoyed thre~ proposed charges concerning
desir-lpiI.tv OF sofne.lin INK. a permanent ,lnd-r
Of the approach Of new administration it does not
SO vitality related 10 the whole oreanizaton OF the
department and 50 potent over any changes Of
1906. al tie request Of the present Mayor and ON
the statement 81 S qTesgItatiye t.tt the ASSIST
Estimate and Apportoumeut stood IN peculiarly
assistant Se,TttaTE' formerly c2mpGiuFe "taE
made exempt. although an eligible list for tls
commission has not been able t. disregard such
testimony TO the imprctielbiity OF compe ettioD
All OF tho other positions. though many Of them
important involve well defined duties concern
ing which 10 new administration would Dee likely
10 desire REORGANIZATION and tie only changes that
# would perhaps wish to make would he in per
sonuel in case any incumbent proved unfaithf1L
and such changes are in noNise precluded by the
power to dismiss an erlnIoye ryto is ursatsfactory
oe unWAthg 10 dismiss an luefio'ent subordinate
and an the place tF competition fGr the PUBIC
cause to secure political or r4rsanaI ratronaee The
. commission s convinced that fhe reclassihcation
plans of new city oflrials FOR reorganization for
the good 90 the service. however much 1t may in
successful couteetan's in the election. The average
term Of serylce Of the persons transferred TO
the competitive class is almost exactly six wears.
or "a trihe longer ihau the service of the present
are vacant. ThIrty-oue Of the Inrumbents were in
the-Eervlee before Mayor Mcclellan first entered
- the result OF competitive examination and after
Ragd advanced 10 places tn the exempt class. sew
crrr1cfitiv~ positions Tvrut--si are employees ot
'N F"aia or ---rcil'HS 'tig ar t4la.tE olHLue6 pc
tFesn ne I3Tuss. As,1e iTe5n the BGaTd f io, %I
/ ss-c ~ thi-rv-elEht Of those .'-overed in
whiIe twenty were IN othce under Mayor Low
I In view Of these facts the commission thinks Il
viii D. clear That the classification was not based
/ on any political r-otive. BIT was determined by
+ the uniform application Of the policy ot extending
/ ,soual mnniate that II must De- applied wherever
prsctc9bie The arguments advanced FOR the com
pcttve classification cf these places and the prece-
dents set for similar places IN the state service
/ compelled the decisions reached, without any re-
gard 20 present Incumteuts.
/ The complete list os the exempt places made
competitive IN the course OF the entire reclassi-
I ffration. parts Of which ha1 previously been
/ PASSED upon by the State Commission. IS fol-
7 lows. MAYORS Office chief and two deputy chiefs
of the Bureau OF Licenses. one chief Of the Bu-
reau OF Weights and Measures; Finance Depart
! meut five expert accountants. five examining in
I erectors- Department Of Charities. three super
/ ln,eudents OF dependent adults: Department OF
Correction. seven wardens. Dock Department.
/ superlntendeut assistant superintendent ana
/ cashier OF ferries: Law Department TWO attend
/ ants. civil Service Commission, assistant secfe-
tar,-- offices Of Borough Presidents. executive
clerk in each borough; city magistrates court
probation officer: Court OF Special Sessions prooa-
tion officer; Commissioners Of Accounts sixteen
{ examiners Of accounts: Health Department sam
tarv superintendent and an assistant sanitary su-
aT,,a,',o,,t I'm each borough; -}oard OF Estimate
and Apportionment. stenographer' boaFu OF
! Elections. tventy-six clerks. The exemption OF a
confidential stenographer to the ControLIer was al
/ lowed and the stenographeT 10 inc t'''0'N' '4
IT, rras stricken from the eKcmpt oIass.