New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-10
Woman Alleged to Have
Been Illegally Appoint
ed Not To Be Found.
BELCHER ADMITS
FLAW IN PAYROLLS
CertitiCatiOn of Work Done by
Employees mot Liter
ally True"

Testimony as TO the disappearance OF
witness was a feature of yesterdays
session of the investigation by the
State Civil Service Commission of the
municipal Civil Service authorities.
Chief among the many surprises were
the statements by d. Kern Eintuhrer
as 10 the alleged attempted blocking
OF the inquiry by city officials.
Nr. Einfuhrer, who is the contiden-
tial Stcnographer to Secretary Birds
eye of the state commission. declared
he had been prevented from serving a
subpoena upon Miss Anna Wallace. one
of the forty-scven alleged illegally APP
pointed examiners OF charitable inst-
tutions in the Department of Charities.
On September so. the witness testliied,
Miss Wallace was dropped from the
list. and when information was sought
as to her whereabouts the oincials OF
the Charities Department declared they
had no record OF her address.
On Thursday, Einfuhrer added. he
had discovered the former address OF
Miss Wallace as 697 Putnam av..
Brooklyn, bat was informed by her SIS
ter. Miss Inez Wallace, that she had
gone 20 New Jersey for her health.
His informant told Einfuhrer. the lat
ter added. that she had no knowledge
as to the present address of her sister,
and that she expected to leave the city
herself almost Immediately.
Frank Moss, Special Deputy Attorney
General for the state. said he was max
ing every effort TO find the missing
woman and bring her before the state
commission to testify. Mr.. Moss added
he did not wish 20 insinuate tina; either
the Municipal Civil Service Commission
or Commissioner kingsbury was respon-
sible for the disappearance OF MISS w al
lace. but that she was most important
witness. and he wished the state COM
mission 70 he informed as to the reason
Tor her non-appearance.
Ida NJ. Robins testified she was Tor
merly employed as nurse by the
city. and was so occupied when She
was appointed TO position as eXamin-
or Of charitable institutions IN the De
partment OF Public Charities.
Under examination by Mr.. Moss the
witness admitted she had been dropped
from the list of examiners after the
announcement was made o. the m
tended investigation by the state au-
thorities. but she insisted she dld not
know the reason for this action. she
had been restored to her former deslg-
nation on the payroll as nurse, she
said. but was still pursuing the duties
of an examiner. She further admitted
She had received no pay for the month
of August but that she was al present
receiving under the desiGnatl9p OF
nurse" the salary Of an examiner OF
charitable institutions.
Secretary Birdseye OF the state
commission testified he had ascer-
tanned. in the course of the preliminary
INQUIRY, that under the Municipal Civil
Service Commission a number OF en-
Moves classified as monitors we're
working as investigators and receiving
the salaries paid to that class. lie
said that under the civil service re9u-
lations monitors should be paid at the
rate OF 50 day, while investigators
receive 81 500 year.
Mr.. Moss introduced in evidence pay
rolls of the Civil Service Commission
for the months of July and AuGuS''
which showed employees classified rs
monitors were performing the func-
lions OF Investigators and clerks. The
pavroUs we're signed by DR.. Henry ".
Moskowitz. president Of the Munlclpal
Civil Service Commission. and by Rob
crit W. Bclcher, certifying that the per
sons named thereon were performing
the services indicated by the classin-
cation Of their position.
When Mr.. Belcher was called to me
stand he admitted in response 10 an
inquiry by Mr.. Moss that the first Ger
tifcation which bore his signature was
mot literally true" and that the sec
ond was mot true at all" He Insisted,
however. that he had signed the GER
tifcations because il was customary 10
do so to facilitate the business OF the
CITY and because the local commission
did not have the necessary approprla-
lions for the creation OF positions
needed
The witness denied the sudden DROP
ping Of such monitors on September D
was the direct result of the announce
ment of the present inquiry or that
the application made to the Board Of
Estimate on September | for the trans
fer of funds to create IN Investigators
pavroll was the result of All article
which appeared in The New York Trib-
une on August u.
Frank a. Spencer. former secretary
of the Municipal Commission, testified
he had warned DR.. MoskOwitz and his
associates that the designation of
/ clerks and stenographers as "hospita.
helpers" was violation of the law,
but. the witness added, his suggestion
was not well received.
This witness added he had told
President MoskowitZ that the appoint
ment Of man named Brock as "eX-
ecutive clerk" i'm the Office Of the Bor-
ough President Of Queens at salary
Of $3.50 year was "a glarlng VIOLA
ton Of the civil service law"
The State Civil Service Commission
q. the close of the hearing, which Will
be resumed on Tuesday morning, issued
a lengthy statement in reply to the at
+ tacks which have been made upon the
purposes and objects of the present IN
vestigation. After pointing to the fact
! that the hearings are public and that
! the Municipal Commission is ADEQUATE
! ~ represented by Mr. COudert, Corpo-
/ ration Counsel Frank L. Polk and As
/ sistant Corporation Counsel Storer, the
statement points to the fact that the
commissioners are simply performing
An Official duty. and with no motive
other than the establishment Of the
4 facts.