Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-17
MAY GUST BRYANT
AS BUREAU HEAD
lEeonomy Commissioner McDer
/ mott Says He Is Not Capable
to Run Department.
he FRlGHTENS A. D. T. BOYS
BY ASKING THEIR AGES
sryant Stops Them on Street
After Admitting He Never
Questioned Them.
Especial to the Evening star.l

20 .iAeht' asSemDlyman Walter H.
McDermott, of Hudson, who has been
the inquisitor at the hearings, said
To-Day that he believes the department
should be kept up, but he does not
believe Col. Lewis T. Bryant should
be allowed to remain at its head be-
cause the colonel has shown his in
ability to conduct it properly.
While Assemblyman McDermott
ieels that many of the matters
brought up might well be investigated
further, he is compelled to satisfy
himself with what has been brought
out owing to the fact that the scope
OF the investigation is limited
After yesterdays hearing he said: 81
thlnk l have shown two things by
my examination and they are matters
= with which this commission naturally
Is concerned. One is that there has
been lack of efficiency in the ad-
mlnlstration of the department, and
the other that economy has been
wanting. AS this is the Economy and
Efficiency Commission, it must be
quite clear that we have accomplished
our purpose. Personally, [ think the
State Labor Department is one which
should be kept up and we'll admin
istered, but do not think that Colo
aaSA Ii Gilt has SltOMn THAT lie Is aDlG
to conduct it properly"
Bryant Quizzes Boys.
Loiterers in the State House corri-
doris last night were witnesses to an
interesting scene between Commits
sioner Lewis T. Bryant and messen-
ger boys of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company. Mr.. Bryant stopped
one OF the boys, inquired his name
ana age and made notes of the re-
sponses. A few moments later he was
seen interviewing another uniformed
youngster. For the rest of the night
telegraph boys traversed the streets
of the city with fear and trembling.
The only explanation of the scene
was the frequent references in the
probe to the alleged failure of the
labor departmnt~ to license messenger
boys employed by the telegraph com
panles. Each day of the probe As
semblyman Walter L. McDermott has
inquired about the departments in
terest in the boy laborers of the tele-
graph companies Commissioner
Bryant. replied in each instance that
ne had not made any Investigations,
but it is clear that last night he al
tered his program in this respect
1t Is rumored around the State
House that one of the boys with gross
irreverence gave the chief of the labor
correct nor Americanized. The young
man. who is one of the biggest and
most efficient of the telegraph COM
DanY's messeng gers, gave his name as
Skatchiboo. That name will be en-
tered on the labor departments rec
ords. The boy was so badly fright
ened when he found out what he had
done that he visited the labor depart
mont this morning and correctly en-
tered his name on the record Is
Gardner Colby on stand.
One of the most interesting periods
of the labor probe came when Gard
ner Colby, chief examiner and secre-
fary of the civil service commissioner,
: was called to the stand by Assembly
man McDermott McDermott wanted
to know all about the appointment of
several assistants and inspectors by
Commissioner Bryant who were not
put under civil service until several
months, in one case, eight months
afterward. Mr.. McDermott said he
would like to ask Mr.. Colby some
questions about these examinations
Gardner Colby was sworn.
@. The law on the appointment of
extra men for the Department of
Labor says that they may be ap-
pointed without taking the civil SER
vice examinat ton if appointed for the
month only. There seems to have
been number of men whose work
has been continuous. Can they do
this? a. I do not understand this
question.
@. Here arc employees drawing $1,000
who have been appointed without ex-
animation. How is it that they are
not temporary, but apparently per-
manent appointments? A. They are
Mr. CAN'T, Mr. Leveridge. Mr.. Weeks
A
t1erstand they are regular employees
since their examination.
@. Take the case of Miss Erslline.
How long was she employed before
she took the examination? A. I don't
remember.
o. Was 1t eight months? A. II
really cannot say.
@ Miss Erskine is run under civil
servico. is she? A. Yes.
Q. And doing the same kind of
work she did while employed before
she took tho examination: A. I be-
iieve so. Yes.
Miss Erslxine a Specialist.
O. Can you point out Why she had
not to take the civil service examina
ton before her appointment? A. She
was not in actual employment
@. I don't know what yor mean by
actual employment. Anything out of
that time? A. Yes: she was a spe
cialist and came under the same gen.
eral category as experts. She was an
expert We have frequent cases of
persons engaged for short periods
whose work was not completed and
they continued over.
O Does not the act forbid the en-
ployment of any person for more than
two months as a temporary employee?
A Miss Erskine was in the same cate
CORY as special Investigations at in
st'tutions.
O. How about Miss Allen A. She
was classed as q special investiga-
tor.
irregular" Employment
@. It does not matter how YOU
ciassed her. What did she do that
was out of the ordinary? A. Her
employment is of the kind classed as
irregular.
@ The law provides that no pay
ment of salaries be made until the
civil service authorities pass the pay
roll and so forth. Don't you have
to pass on the pay roll of persons
as to whether they have been proper
iv appointed? No; I do not think
we can question Colonel Bryants
appointments.
o. Suppose he wanted a policeman
-xrs.zuzzrsz IyEzztzIzszI