New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-15
CLERGY AS BOOK AGENTS CIVIL SERVICE BLAMED
Police Graft Due to Lack OF In
vestigatOrS. Says Curran.
TEST ALL CITY EMPLOYEES
Head of Commission Believes
Other Reforms Are Coming
New Officers.

Henry u Curran. chairman OF the
aldegman.c police graft Investigation com
mittee. declared AZ the annual meeting OF
th" Ciyil Service Reform Association
held at the city club last night that "A
lack OF AN adequate number OF character
Investigators in the civil Service Com
mission lay at the bottom OF most Of the
corruption from which the Police Depart
ment was suffering The patrolman needs
character more than any other city Off
cial be- said and If he has not got f.
when be goes on the force. ii IL certain
that he Will not acquire Il afterward.
, with only Two character Investigators
loo the civil Service Commission" no
said "it is Impossible to keep out uude-
sirabies The number should be vastly
Increased. Yet no system Of appoint
meut however good. can obviate the de-
morallzatiou resultant from haphazard
or unjust promotions. The present Com
missioner made 20i appointments and
promotions Within six DAYS OF his taking
office crooks discovered in the depart
meut are more frequently found among
the higher officers than among the pa
are as important as appointments and
that wholesale promotion, carried on be-
fore Commissioner has had time to
familiarlZe himself with the workings Of
tho department OF the character of the
men he promotes. should bc made inn
possible By law.
Much criticism has been levelled ~ the
power OF the courts 10 reinstate men dis
miss ed from the service. but this. i'm my
opinion IS unjust Policemen become un-
fitted FOR anything else; once out OF the de-
partmeut they IAN ct Jobs only a door
men or watchmen. etc. and some pro-
vision 10 enable them 10 get back 10 tho
force is surely Just. The present provis-
ION for reinstatement By the courts Is
right. think. and inspection OF the rec
ords shows that few corrupt policemen get
back
Everett p Wheeler. president of the
civil Service Reform Association made
plea for more rigid tests FOR fire inspect
ors The Triangle fire. he said was due
To laXity OF inspection. and like disasters
would happen In the future unless more
thorough civil service tests secured more
competent inspectors
President Gallagher Of the Municipal
civil Service Commission said that the
day was not far distant when every en-
ploye Of the city would stand rigid ex-
animation before he was certified. The
annual report OF the executive committee
Of the association was then adopted. 1t
traces the growth OF civil service reform
during the Roosevelt and Taft admins
trations and praises the attitude OF the
present Postmaster General, Mr.. Burle-
SON. In striving To remove the postal ser
vice from politics. The report goes on to
denounce the ordinance recently passed
by the Board OF Aldermen, requiring all
employees OF the city to live within Ihe
city limits. Such an ordinance. says the
report. would rob the city Of much of the
expert service without which the depart
ments can never attain the highest eff
cheney The following officers were
elected:
President Everett i. Wheeler; vice
presidents. Charles Collins. Bishop David
II. Greer. A. Jacob William q. Low.
Levi y. Morton Senator Elihu Root.
Francis Lynde Stetson. Arson Phelps
Stokes. Oscar $ Straus and Horace
White
The members OF the executive commit
tee. all OF whom were reelected, are:
Henry De Forest Baldwin, George r.
Bishop. Roscoe G. f.. Brown. Charles c.
Birmingham. Edward Cary, George J..
Christie Joseph T.. Cotton. jr., Jonathan
G. Day. Horace f.. Deming, A. Leo Ever
EFT. A. :. Frissell, ]. Warren Greene.
Henry w. Harden. Alfred Bishop Mason,
Philip j. McCook. John G.. Milburn. Lud-
wig Nissen. Samuel III. Ordway, Carl l..
SchurZ. Isaac n Selgman Nelson 3.
Spencer, william H. Thompson ana
Charles w. Watson.