New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-30
Moskowitz Rebuked by
Attorney for Use of
miserable Term"
EX-EMPLOYES TELL
OF FIRING" THREATS
Labor Bureau Should Not Have
Been Abolished, Asserts
James Creelman.

D
duct of the Municipal Commission
Chief among these was the testimony
under oath Of Frank A. Spencer, former
secretary Of the local commission' that
he had been directed by DIR. Henry
Moskowitz, president of the Municipal
Cigil Service Commission, to insure the
reinstatement of dismissed employe
Of the Department Of Health
81 want this DONE" were the WoruS
which the witness insisted had oeeh
used by DR.. Moskowitz.
THAT is y lie" exclaimed the latter
in audible tones to Frederic H. Cou.
dert, chief counsel for the Municipal
Commission. -.
Don't use that miserable term again,
Indignantly protested Frank Moss; Spe-
cial Deputy Attorney General, VINO Is
conducting tho investigation lot the
State. at was clearly audible to me
and must have been intended to intim'-
date the witness"
Mr.. COudcrt assured Mr., MoSS li'AN
the expression would not occur aga,n
in the course Of the nearing ahu INV
proceedings continue ....
Other startling OF testimony
we're adduced spencer anu
from Philip rmer haDor
sion Roth titled TO hay
inc been r.r... i with the loss
of their ofic.. rositions by Eugene
Driscoll, brother of former Deputy
Police Commissioner Clement DriscoIl,
carly in the present administration
Eugene Driscoll is friend OF Comm'7-
sioner Moskowitz and is leading
light in the Home Rule Democratic
Club, the anti-Tammany organization
Of the I'd Assembly District
"You had better pack up and get out
Of here, for it's matter OF common
rcpoh in our clubhouse that you arc
going TO CO." Spencer testified that
Driscoll informed him.
Told to See Mitchell.
90 WAS told by several people that !
vas Going to get fired" Coffcy testi-
fled. zone day Gene Drisceu came
to NV office and told me that there
were going to DO some changes IN the
oficc, He said: You'll be all right II
YOU 20 over and sec john meaning
the Mayor. I did not care to see inc
Mayor about the matter
Roth Mr. Spencer and Mr.. Corey
testified TO the manner in which the
Labor Bureau, which had charge OF the
emplovment Of mechanics, elevator
runners. cement mixers, unskilled Ia
borers, etc, had been built up under tne
I.ttcr and under Claude Curtis, hls
assistant, both of whom were removed
ky the present Municipal Commission
lanes Creelman, Richard yelling
frank Gallagher and Frank l.. Polk
the nresent Corporation Counsel OF the
! CIV of New York, all of whom we're
former presidents of the Municipal
| CiviI Service Commission, testified To
The high regard in which they held
both Mr., CofFcy and Mr.. Curtis, and
thc efTiciency with which they as
Garged their duties.
When Mr.. Creelmsn was cross-cxain-
ined by Mr.. COudert as to whether inc
aboIition of the labor bureau in the
s,'"r;cinaI commission was Justified
Tho witness stated that in his opinion
tbero was plenty Of work for the Du-
rasu and il should never have been
done away with. Mr.. Yelling insisted
tL.t in his opinion the work OF inc
labor bureau was totally disslmllar 10
that of the bureau in charge OF COM
netitiye examinations, with when IL
ha, been consolidated.
Frank Gallagher testified that he had
been appointed by Mayor Gaynor 70
succeed Mr.. Creelmau and was con-
ycrsant with the work done by Messrs.
CofFev and Curtis. The witness eN-
NAMED that prior 20 his appointment
~ president Of the Civil Service Com
mission he had been for sixteen years
a member Of the examining stan OF inc
local commission. lie said he believed
Curtis and Coffcy had not been guilty
Of playing politics.
Admits Mems Efficiency.
CorDoration Counsel Frank l.. Polk
reluctantly admitted that he had pro-
,osted both TO the Municipal Civil Ser
~ . commission and to Mayor Mitchell
AGAINST the discharge Of llessrs. Curtis
I'D CofFcy. lie expressed the highest
"ninion of the eficiency/and ability Of
Sptb men. but added that during his
I'D characterization as head Of the Munich
nj Civil Service Commission he had
beon Impressed with the necessity for
bringing the labor bureau into closer
contact with the competitive class. At
tbat time, however, he avcrred, the
commission was installed at 209 Broad
yyav and the labor bureau was situated
:, Tho Criminal Courts Building.
when Philip J. COffey was re-eXam-
nd no testified to having been as
sioned by commissions during his term
- seryice to explain the workings OF
Tho labor bureau to representatives or
In o1 cities who came to New York to
;,,,osticate. lie insisted that Dr. Mos
i,a,,itz i'm his report to Mayor Mitchell
boJ been guilty Of a misstatement
" r% he said the payrolls had been
transferred from the supervision oil the
labc- bureau.
Mr. Coffey caused general laugh by
,on,,,kinV that he did not understand
how DIR. MoskowitZ came to be such an
authority on the work done by the labor
aFTom January to July s, when |
vas dropped, never saw DR.. Moskowltz
about except on t(wee occasions SAID
the witness. 81 only saw Commissioner
lanes a few times, but Commissioner
Keooh was always on hand
Early in the proceedings Secretary
Birdseye, of the state commission, testl-
fed 10 the result of an investigation
which he had made into the recent re-
mort of DR.. Henry Moskowitz to Mayor
Mitchell. Although that report attempt
ed to show a regime Of strict economy,
the witness said the records did not
bear out the claim.
Secretary Birdseyc pointed 10 the
fact that the city budget for 1913 made
provision for an appropriation Of $780,
5l5 for the Municipal Civil Service
Commission, of which $ls9,5SC was for
salari6S, leaving $l9,935 for all other
expenses. The budget for the present
wear makes provision for an appropria-
ton of S2lS,47O, Of which $l9s,O6O is
fer salaries. The appropriation sought
M.-l.n.siNR and hig