New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-23
USELESS OFFICE TO CO;
HONEST GRAFT'-SULzER
Department of Weights and
Measures Booked to End by
Economy Commission.
CAPITOL REPAIRS TO HALT
Ten Per Gent Contract a Waste
of Peoples Money, Says Exec
utive-$1,225,000 Asked
to Continue" Work.
by Telegraph 10 The Tribune. I


| Albany, Jan. Ex-Governor Sulzer and
| his investigating committee decided to-day
TO abolish the department of the Superin-
tendent Of Weights and Measures and to
stop the repairs to the Capitol made
necessary by the fire in 1911. as they are
now being done under the 10 per cent
| form Of contract.
DR. Fritz Reichmann, OF Troy. Superin-
| tendent of Weights and Measures. on hear
ing that his department was in danger.
this afternoon made a hurried visit to
Chairman John n. Carlisle OF the investi-
eatirg committee but got little satisfac-
| ton.
This department is of no more use to
the taxpayers" said the Governor than
the fifth leg Of a dog"
He regards 1t, il is said. as Species Of
honest graft" calling 1t an office running
wild.
The Governor and his investigators take
| the position that. as there are cO-superin-
| tendents and city sealers there is no need
Of state department, except to see that
the law is carried out They believe that
this supervision belongs to the Agricult-
| ural Department. The Department OF
Weights and Measures asked for an APP
preparation Of $4,000 this year. and IL is
estimated that by abolishing it there will
be saving Of $4,000 a year.
Longer II Lasts. More They Get.
The contract for repairing the Capitol
was awarded during the Dix administra-
ton TO Callahan q Prescott on a basis
which gives the contractors 10 per cent OF
the expense of the work. The more the
work costs and the longer it lasts the
more the contractors will get
The Governor is of the opinion that this
Is fragrant waste Of money and should
be stopped as soon as possible The work
has already cost sl.50O,c0o and the con-
tractors have just asked for $4,000
more to continue. not to finish il. There
| is no limit TO the amount Of money that
might be asked. The Governor intends
70 replace this plan by competitive bid
ding. and his investigators are now con-
ferrinS with Attorney General Carmodv
as TO how the Callahan d Prescott con.
tract can be legally terminated. The
state architect. who was a witness ia.
! day before the committee. said that there
are sub-contracts which make II noces-
saiy for the work under the present plan
to continue at least until June
me people would stand aghast if they
knew what ! know Of the way things
have been going on for years here" said
Governor Sulzer. in speaking of the dis
closures made by his committee
The Public Service and own sar,ico
B I'M cell nC
speaking OF the latter. Chairman Carlisle
said that ii asked for an increase Of $500
over last year, but would not get II
| While Secretary Birdseye Of the civil
Service Commission was on the stand
Deputy Attorney General Norton read 4
letter complaining Of the commission 10
Governor Sulzer.
II was received from Peter j. Bird. Of
I The Bronx, former New York police
man now tHsmith. He said that hc
lad taken civil service examination for
state factory Inspector and that although
he passed fifth his name was not put on
the eligible list. When he wrote 10 the
commission he received the reply that his
name was rejected because he had been
removed from the New York police force
on charges Mr. Bird said that nc had
been found innocent OF these charges.
Secretary Birdseye said that he barely
recalled the case. and was asked by the
investigators 20 look IT Up and make a
suitable explanation TO the former police
man.
Mr. Norton SAID that there had been a
general complaint that the civil Service
4 1iqg kff 81
tration went into Office. was in the habit Of
transferring large patches of civil service
employees from the exempt TO the com
petitiye lists without their taking any
examinations. The apparent purpose. he
| said, was to protect them from removal
| by the new heads Of departments
| Mr.. Birdseye said he only recalled TWO
such cases I'm the last ten years In 1905
Governor Hughes signed a recassrica-
| ton transferring one hundred positions
| from the exempt 10 tho competitive class.
Mr. Birdseyc said this was done only
after the heads Of all the departments
were consulted. The second time was
| November /. 1912. when forty-sevcn places
were transferred To the competitive class.
| Herman ". Hoefcr, state architect, told
the Sulzer committee to-day that he be
| lieved the employment of private archi-
| tcCts increased the cost of plans for new
buildings about per cent He declared
that. except in certain forms of construc-
| ton. where il would be wise to have a
committee Of outside architects pass upon
plans, his department was capable OF
taking care of this branch Of state work.