The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-26

Cioker was at his desk, and when Pur- roy appeared croker ordered him back to his division. Instead Purroy went down stairs to Commissioner Sturgiz. Twenty four hours later Croleer was suspended on charges of not having taken his vaca- ti1n as ordered by the commissioner. Croker went to the courts for relief, and the court of appeals decided the commis- sloner had no power to compel the chief to remain away from his sworn duty. but the commissioner could compel him to do
 his duty. One of the most remarkable
 eFal fights the fire department ever has known developed out of this controversy. Other charges were preferred against
 Cioker but in the end he was sustained l anG when he retired a year or so ago it
 was with one of the best records, if not
 the best, any fire chief had ever made
 in the service of New York.
 The fire department gets only a mod 1 crate amount of attention in The Chief i today. The little 8 by 10, four-page paper
 Of 15 years ago has grown Into a standard
 size newspaper of 12. II and sometimes IS
 pages. II now covers every branch of the 1 civif service. It is the organ of the po- l lioemen, the fremen and of every other department of the city government, so far
 az the employees are concerned It Is the
 organ too, of the employees of the post office department. of the employees of the custom house and the employees of the state departments. It combats every evil
 Of the civil service. II breaches the gospel
 0: merit. It's publisher is no theorist. He believes graft and favoritism will he elim-
 mated only by the civil service employees themselves. He considers the receiver
 orse than the giver of graft. He does
 not think the reform associarions accom- p.jsh so much as the civil service em- ployes can do themselves, because the politicians care very little Tor the reform | ass ociaiions and reformers weld little in- fiuence with them He thinks great step forward in the civil servlce will he sct red when less discretionary power is
 given to an appointing officer. It is not tie politician who exerts all the pull "
 fusiness men and social friends of men high in office use every means at their c >n mand to get positions for persons tbev are interested in regardless of their {, pps liiicatlons. or to get promotions for I those aireaoy on the puonc service pay. roll
 1 The merit system has made great head way in the city departments, far greater thar the public appreciate. Occasionally it has set back when some man not VI oily honest or too susceptible to in- fuerce la a department head The men are quick to know when the head of the
 eer art ment Is not of the strictest integri- l ty They all are eager 10 Improve their
 condition and not infrequently they shane | their plans according to the character
 os the man at the head II Is because of | this that O'Reiilv Is ever working to iu- pi ess upon the emplove that reform only l can come through their own efforts. Con- dItions are far from Ideal In the city departments. but they are immeasurably hotter than in the federal service. There VIII be a great change one of these days | IT. the postoffee department Today merit crrrts for little there. The man who be- comes letter carrier has little to look 1 forward to. Once a letter carrier slways
 letter carrier If Is the same with post