New-York tribune., 1909-01-03
CITY WORKERS RALLY
pzNDED FOR PROTECTION.
rirI .Serrice Employees Try to Per
feet Organization.

,,.v county an8 state Civil Service employees,
....- With representatives OF various Civil Ser
.ssociations yesterday in the aldermanic
,e- had about the finest rough-and-tumble
,..-,entary debate ever heard within the walls
:, 49,. o4arnter-psIich, by the way. has resounded
~. .c-,e weird oratory. Altogether, there must
,., as many as two hundred public
,-s 70 bring e Dout an organization for the
-, and advancement of their interests.
rs considerable TO perturb city employe
Ia t nrotected by the Civil Service regula-
-. # Is well within TIE facts TO say that
or these employees are apprehensive. With
- ci,, department overmanned and the spirit
. ,r,,sxt,gation and reform rife. it occurred to
--on,ote-s Of the meeting that it would be a
.,irr 10 get the Civil Service army in condi-
-oeie. tie onslaughts of taxpayers who be-
, uon - c-ttnE down city payrols and lengthen-
= The working day
'is Her Metz started the new year with IN
anr the hours Of labor in his department
ofe1s- Iots ss Il plenty of things would happen
anu sorsrtrnents within the next year or two.
ID " VI - hours Of debate the chairman of the
.ts Yesterday. George P H McNey' OF the
W - Ta-.arrrle1t. was authorized TO appoint
rlnN- t...a ~ twenty-five, five from each Dor
c~oiil JIM =. known as the COMMITTEES on plan and
Jug Al,h ril draw up plan OF Organization.
scope ,II Cor the meeting signed by Chair
ms 20 ea Du-rin Van Week a deputy super
t..,se,t Of highways IN Brooklyn t1us'7' 'Ii0Sei
-. q Weller. The call said:
as-hs 7urposes Of tbs proposed organization are
sra,oe -as interests Of CIVIL service EN-
- socially. frsternaly and beneFolehtS; 10
p.e. rter7 against violations Of the ONh ser
pTolee' - ef.v,ar5 the city and state treas
V " -, financial losses and 10 improve the ser
Voc generally. $500. 49,, ,..+i-- WIS In
,,esent Of all existing organizations eiu 'i'9' .,'se
.ssrIs na absolute freedom OF expression mere
sno0iu - = $ 81 much freedom of expression
- -,a,7,- varieties Of expression tla1 1le crown
- on into gales y TneTriTnent from l-iiie 70
wr Afcyev IS q mild tempered man out ne So b q
I,-., clustered TOW and then ana n a temporary
n''I9 ssfr ta is charged with the following:
..[-r.,e-,er : notice that there have slt III our
=. +,r rant attention The honorable secretary
oT the Muai1ipal Civil Service toi-'''1SSi'i'' MI
Spencer" etc. -,,,.,, g, .,,s+ NJ
This remark was aPPauoeo' g. i---
- +rLat,r,ar >. said a red headed young man
us5b q cal!iope voice. borough lines cut no ice
With me I'm from the Department OF Educat1oh-
From the English department." asked man at
the ran. .,r
.sks5 . voung rnan with an English accent after
waiting for half ea hour 10 get the chairman eye
II an happy 70 inform the gentlemen that oo'h
Manhattan and The Bronx are in Ne" Sorh
County. ssl0 lflS Ci3@-ll!lfA4-
ap,t down YOUR shilIelah-' said voice from the
crowd 70 q large Hfbern!a1 who gesticulated from
tbs speakers platform with blackthorn cane
Chairman Mcyey during the height Of the debate
,tspped of the edge OF the narrow platform and
although the nearest &c him WIS ten feet away
xcvey bowed as he regained his footing and said;
Really, sir I beg your pardon"
Ru. II was not q bad meeting at that Chairman
ucvev got through the ordeal OF presiding without
lo-ine his voice. He said among other things:
There are thousands OF men who know what it
* 10 be 6 Civil Service eTuploye, and there are
thousands who have tried TO become such and
have been rejected. is time for to protect
ourselves and our interests, We are body OF
capable Upright ana Intelligent men, and II is not
fair for people - say thst We are q crowd OF
grafters and thieves. II has got SO that even our
children in the public schools ashamed 70 say
hat their fathers in the employ OF the city.
People come here from across the sea and decTy
US and our city. II the same criticism was made
o. the United States by foreigners there would be
bioodshed We know that what they say OF US IS
lot true. but that giving the city capable.
intelligent and honest service. and we should De
commended instead OF decried-'
This sounded good. and II looked promising for
sn orderly meeting, but when half dozen men
wanted 10 talk al once the trouble began There
we're present representatives OF the New York
rivl Service Employees of the State OF New York.
Every fellow wanted TO know where he stood. and
he chairman had difficulty IN explaining.
Secretary Spencer Of the Municipal Civil Ser
VIC. Commission escorted TO the platform He
rsia he greatly interested in tie discussion.