The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-30
"LIE," MOSKOWITZ
SHOUTS AT HEARING
Municipal Civil Service Head
Challenges Statement Of
Former Secretary.

The State Civil Service Commission be-
gan It's formal investigation OF the Munic-
ipal Civil Service Commission yesterday
by calling several witnesses who testified
that Philip J. coffey. who lost his job
when the labor bureau was abolished
was most excellent sort Of citizen. TINS
testimony was cOrroborated by Mr.. Corey
himself. who declared himself able 10 nj
any position within the jurisdit tlon OF the
Civl Service Commission and to be psr-
ticuiarly hopeful at the moment OF be-
coming an assistant secretary to the
Mayor.
The proces dings were under the eye or
mary peifons Interested In civil service
and In the efficiency ideas of the present
city administration. The city club. Cti-
zrus Union and Bureau Of Municipal Re-
search were represented and the state
and Municipal Commissions were In ful
attendance. Jacob Neu Of Brooklyn,
president of the State commission. pre-
sided His colleagues are DR. Meyer
Wolf and James \. Avery OF Poushkeep-
sic. Former Assistant District Attorney
Frank Moss is the counsel.
Frederic u. Coudert Is special counsel
for The Municipal Commission and at mis-
table sat Corporation Counsel Frank Il.
Folk. Assistant Corporation Counsel Jo-
stab a. Slower and other assistants. A.
the start Mr.. COudcrt objected to Or.
WolNs presence because of an interview
imputed to him IN which IL was said
that the Municipal Commission was par
tia to star chamber methods and had
done things for which Tammany Hail.
toward which DR.. Wolfr Is friendly, would
blush MIR Neu ruled against the OBJ
lection. AS hc did efforts Of Mr.. Coudert
to show that this investigation rather
than the abolishment OF the labor bu-
r,au is responsible for the Municipal Com
mission being behind In it's work.
While A h.p
lodged. II is the intention OF the state
Commission to determine whether or not
the Municipal Commission az now or
gHnlzed and conducted by Or. Henry
Moskowitz, lives up to the purpose for
! which It was created. The Information
in the hands of the State Commission
IL that the adjustment Of the Labor
Bureau was irregular. that forty-six eX
amincrs for the Department OF Charities
we're Illegally appointed. that there are
delays I'm holding examinations and that
tnc complaints az tn extensions Of pro-
Nsional appointments, promotions and
4 transfers warrant investigation.
James Crcelran and Frank Gallagher
former Civil Service Commissioners. said
they believed the old arrangement. under
4 which the Labor Bureau was separate
from the competitive department and In
which Philp j. Coffey AS labor co. -
drew - salary of $4,000 was Il ~, :
y
. eighteen years of service to his rro'
was "A good man for the place and that
| his assistant. Claude L. Curtis. who q: "
81, 400 year. was an able lieutenant.
Frank n Spencer. former secretary OF
the Municipal Commission. who has been
| transferred to another department. said
he had been forced out beCtus" he was
not in sympathy With the reforms Of
D-. Moskowitz. IIs said he had told
| his chief that some of the things being
done were illegal He said pr. Mosko-
| witt had tried to have ono man rein
! stated, although that was against the
rules.
who was that man. asked Commits
! sloner Moskowitz
II don't remember" said Spencer.
! You lie" said MIR. MoslSowtz.
Don't you use that miserable term
| again" said Mr. Moss and the hearing
went on.
Polk speaks for Concy.
| Corporation Counsel Polk. a former
| Commissioner also testified. He said he
was friendly to Corey and had talked to
Manor Mitchell about Teinstating him. lie
said he believed that a saving of $4,000
/ Justified the abolition OF the lablr bureau
and that he himself as Commissioner had
/ thought of doing H.
MIR. Corey said that u" was a NTH
! grade clerk. having avained to that emf
/ nrncc through eighteen years OF hard
work. during which he had been fire.
| quently promoted. He said that he and
! Mr.. Curtis are now ON a preferred eligible
list for Jobs paying from $500 to $500 a
+, year. He averrod his unwilingness 10
work for any such sum.
As for the alleged saving of s. 600
through the abolition of the labor bureau.
Mr.. Concy said this alleged saving in
cludes the s2.lOO salary OF n man who
hadn't been In the bureau for more than
n year before II was abolished. lie also
pointed out that the commissions estimate
IL only $40 less for next year than II was
FOR the present year.
The hearing was adjourned until IN
, o'clock tomorrow morning.