Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-14
MAYOR UNPERTURBED
BY OPPONENTS SUIT
TO GUST SON-N-LAW
Smith Says Action Charging
Appointment Violated Civil
Service Law Is Trifling
Affair
look AT RECORDS ASKED

Mayor smith Is not interested in tht
charge that william S, Robertson, hi'
aon-in-law. was appointed to his Job a,
Investigator for the Civil Service Commits
sion in violation Of the Civil Service laws
A taxpayers suit to prove this oonten.
tion and force public investigation OF tn,
records has been brought by George n
Carney. Of 4sss North Camac street The
Mayors political foes are interested
when questioned concerning the suit to.
day the Mayor said
1T appears to be a tri1ins matter and
| am not much interested in the suit. I'm
not acquainted with MIR. Carfrey. I have
nothing to say in reply TO his allegations
suppose they will be answered by the
Civil Service Commission at the proper
time"
An official of the commission said that
Robertson was placed in noncompeti-
tive class on account Of peculiar quail
fications.
The suit was brought yesterday after
noon IN Common Pleas Court, No. 2.
Judge Barrett granted a writ of alterna-
tive mandamus. setting May as the
, date Upon which the Civil Service Com
rnissloners would be required to show
cause why the records Of the commission
should not be open to public inspection.
In his petition for the writ Carfrey sets
forth that the first application to ex-
anime the records was made March 90.
The following day, the petition continues,
the attorneys were shown three applica-
ton papers, one of Herman Smith, ex-
butler to Mayor Smith, who sought a
position as elevator inspector. but failed
In the examination: Robert A. Pitts, pro-
visional chief Of the Bureau OF Elevator
Inspection, and William A. Robertson.
The date of March 20 was stamped upon
the back Of the latter document.
The petition continues that Robertson
took a noncompetitive examination on
March 10 and received his appointment
March is.
II is held that the civil service act has
been violated in several respects, particu-
Iarly In the section declaring that appli-
cations shall be filed a reasonable time
before the proposed examination and that
the competitive class shall include all posi-
tfons except such as are exempt in the nom
competitive or labor classes.
The fact that applications of the attor-
neys 70 examine records of the commits
sion were refused is declared to be one
reason why the petitioner could not certify
the facts alleged in relation to RobertsOn's
appointment, but he adds that the alle-
cations ARE based in large measure upon
statements made by the commission"
Numerous attempts were made by at
torneys for the plaintiff to examine the
records. On March %, CarfreH declares
they were informed by Robert NJ. Grifith
president of the commission, that the COM
mission was too busy" on March 90
and "a the same answer was returned by
Mr.. Griffth.
on March "a MFR. Taught presented re-
quest in writing. Mr.. Kreider secretary
of the commission, said he would forward
- reply in writing. No reply was received
until April s. On April IL the attorneys
for Carfrey again went to the commits
sioHis Office and presented a written re-
quest 70 be permitted to examine the rec
crds. They were informed, II Is declared.
by Mr.. Griffith and Commissioner Albrecht
that the matter of granting access to the
records was entirely in the hands of Mr..
Kreider who was absent.
suit similar to that filed yesterday
was brought against the Civil Service
Commission under the Reyburn admins
tration. but before the date set for the
hearing the commission complied with re-
quests made by the plaintiff and permitted
examination of its records. In a state
ment last night the Citizens Republican
League announced It would cooperate
with Carfrey in prosecuting the suit.