New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-11

competition When that assumption is shown TO be
having his ne actual ri @ IN bs
tive class and using his exempt appointments to
aton Of trust to him it clearly becomes the duty
OF the Municipal Civil Service Commission 10 re-
class those places the ed duties s Of Which have BY
the Controller himself been ntrusted TO persons In
the competitive class.
The Controller in his testimony admitted that
there was no reason for classifying OF these
places III the competitive and in the exempt
class. and said he was willing to match to de-
eide how they should be classified On this point
the commission says:
on matter of classification SO evenly balanced
even in the opinion OF the appointing officer. who
decided by matchng tne cia IS Service 70 co%l
f so can have no question Of its duty The eons
wherever Practicable. and in all cases of doubt the
ddO oubs class should have the 0enet OF the
The commission reports that the charge Of rs
movals for political reasons not proved
CONCLUSIONS OF COMMISSION.
The conclusions and recommendations OF the COM
mission are:
At the conclusion of The hearings the commission
been violated IN making exempt ap Apo As
stated above. we fan find specific violation of the
do find evidence Of political Influence in the de-
The commission announced at the conclusion of
the hearings that the other specific charges Of
proved It being our opinion that the second and
third ia g as pointed cut in this report nvoyed
than specific violations of the statute by the Con-
had been IN 06n of t g o ts
Civil Service law. had not been established.
In addition TO considering the problem of guard
ing against further abuse Of the transfer rule and
whose employment is similar to that of financial
clerks or other persons in the competitive class
pal Civil Service Commission should require more
tons past enpioyments and Qualifications Of per
sons appointed to positions in the exempt class The
ing ocef Of statement Of the quaacations Of an
aP app int for the @ duties to be
TONS complaint dealt with the meagre character IF
Finance Department Investigation led to the con-
clusion that this was due inadvertence. for the
which, if specified in detail, would have met all
ing power, and 1t is not the function or Civil Ser
that of the public COMPLETE records Of persons
whether not in any case the assumption that a
eusr auaacsons not sascep6e Of 5est By
animation. or one personally known by the appoint
by the record of the appointee. If an appointing
S Pp nss 6 aa g place
corning its requirements, the abolition OF the ex-
tailed record such as. may be required under the
VsoR a ssS Te of IN the
There are now log exempt places In the Finance
For example, Patrick J. Mccain holds the place of
bank messenger which is in the exempt class on
the theory that the duties of fduciary char
acter and The incumbent must possess the excep-
tional personal confidence of the Controller. M
handles money checks. He does not. in the
fees His sole duty IS to act a messenger from
employe In the department TO another carry
ing unsigned and, therefore, uncoectibe, warrants
which are in process of being audited and record
ed No such fiducary confidential relation ex-
assumed in the case OF a bank messenger when the
place is exempted The duty of classification in
Municipal Civil Service Commission. We recon-
mend that 1t make thorough investigation fer
which it has ample powers 10 ascertain the actual
work performed by the exempt employees in the
Finance Department, with q view to adopting a
systematic classification according to the duties OF
the positions and abolishing all exemptions based
assumptions of powers exercised and trust reposed
which may not be justified in practice
Commissioner Kraft, IN his minority report, says
that after carefully analysing the evidence pre-
scented Oh behalf OF the reform association. and
after hearing the Controller in his answer to the
charges, and giving careful consideration OF the
character of the evidence presented. motives
that might influence the testimony of certain wit
nesses called behalf of the reform association
he is of the opinion that appointments have not
been made in violation of the civil service law;
that removals not effected in any manner by
political considerations; that there viola
ton evasion of the civil service law rules IN
the employment Of temporary clerks; that the
classification Of cashiers is matter belonging to
the Municipal Commission, and that there is
proof whatever Of the of any political influence
in the Department Of Finance antagonssic to the
spirit of the civil service law.