New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-29
SLIPS DR.. BACON ACROSS
CreeIman Shows Orummond How
to Favor Civil Service Eligible.
HE WAS 18TH ON THE LIST
Gets $4,000 Job in Department
of Charities as General Su-
perintendent of Hospitals.

The appointment of DIT Charles Is. Bacon
10 the Office of general medical superin-
tendent Of hospitals in the Department OF
Charities SALARY 5000 presents an inter
esting example Of how favored candidate.
Guided by willing hands, may thread the
nazes Of the civil service law to victory
James Creelman. president OF the Municipal
Civil Service Commission. showed Commls-
sioner Drummond how TO put Or. Bacon
across much as a Skilful kelley" pool
plaver drops the hall bearing his number
into the pocket at the right time Mr..
Croelrnan did this in spite Of the Mayor s
public admon'tion to his s'ibordinates that
civil service appointments must he mace
IN the order Of candidates on the lists
The Municipal Civil Service commission
had 2 list containing the names OF three
hundred or four hundred physicians VINO
had passed examinations making them ell
Chile for the place. the names appearing IN
the order NJ eligibility. DIR. Bacons name
was twelfth on the list. The examinations
these men had passed. however, made them
eligible also for appointment as police OF
0rc surgeons or As coroner's physicians
and Secretary Borden Of the Department
.o' Charities explained yesterday that as
matter Of fact their qualification for these
Jobs was much better established than was
their fitness as general medical superin-
tondents. since the examinations paid little
attention to executive ability.
The ono man on the eligible list. there
fore. Of whose fitness TO swing the JOB Mr.
Borden and the Commissioner were sure
was Or Bacon. But before Or. Bacon
could he appointed the eleven names which
ranked his must be eliminated.
The officials OF the department applied to
James Creelman. president OF the Municipal
.,ivH service Commission. for solution Of
,,he problem. Mr. Creelman. as the first
stop. sent them the first twelve names on
the eligible list to pick from. thereby in
Guiding Dr. Racou's name. The law re
..uires that an appointment Of this sort
shall he made from among the first three
eligible candidates who have signifed their
Willingness TO accept Fl. So instead of
sending them twelve names TO choose from
Mr.. Creelman should have sent them the
three OF those which stood AT the head OF
the list although. as he explained. ii IS
.lways we'll 70 submit more than three. for
some arc sure 10 decline the job and that
dclavs the selection.
Having obtained Dr. Bacons name from
,ho civil Service Commission. the Commits
.ioncr Of Charities had 70 find out how
many or tho twelve physicians named would
accept the appointment In the order Of
rncIr eligibility they were Drs. Charles i.
Dillon. Leroy 3. Smith. August a. Rosen-
bloom Charles \. Valadicr. Selden J. Rain
forth. Russell Bellamy, James +. Blake.
Moses Kfschner. Simon =. Goodhart Mat
thew l.. Carr. John r. ". Meagher and
Charles r. Bacon. Secretary Borden COM
municated with all and got acceptances
from eight. one was found TO be dead and
three didn't answer thereby automatically
Withdrawing their names, since the law
gives them four days in which to signify
acceptance.
The next step on the part Of DR. Bacon's
hackers was TO obtain waivers from at least
FIVE Of the eight who had accepted. Sec
rotary Borden sent letters 10 all except Ut.
Bacon asking them il they would waive all
rights 10 the Job saying the department had
in mind for the place a man whose hospital
experience II considered suitable. The nee
essary five signed waivers. leaving DR.. Ba-
con and two others still in the running. OF
these three Commissioner Drummond APP
pointed Or. Bacon.
pr Bacon. as acting general medical SUI
perintendcnt. has been i'm charge OF the in
situations on Blackwcl's Island under the
department % Charities since February 2.
1910 when the office Of general medical
,sureriutcndcnt was created lie has been