Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-18
THE PLEASURE OF THE MAYOR
He Finds il in Rewsrdins the Friends Of His
Friends and Furnishing Those Who Object

'HE act creating the Board of Recrea-
: tion provides that the members of
the board "may be removed by the Mayor
at his pleasure"
We gather from the attendant circum-
stances that nothing which the Mayor
has done since he entered Office has given
him greater joy than the exercise of the
power conferred on him by this act.
He has summarily asked two members
| of the board to resign To the third, a
lady, he wrote apologetically explaining
that he wanted her place because 'it
must be apparent to you that if the board
| as whole is to be a success its members
should be in sympathy and friendship
with the power that appoints them"
The heinous offense of the members
who have been ousted is that they are
unwilling to take care of the friends of
the friends of the Mayor. Senator Vares
secretary must be provided for. When
the superintendent of the recreation
centers resigned to enter the service
of the national Government an op-
portunity was seen to give the man a
job that carries salary of $4,000 year,
The Civil Service Commission arranged
for an examination of candidates, against
the protest of the Board of Recreation,
which had filled the place by temporary
appointment.
The board wished the examination to
be postponed till the autumn, when the
attendance of experienced men could be
expected. The commission insisted on
holding the examination at once, and sent
that applicants must have had experience
in supervising recreational work. A few
days later it sent out new notices omit
ting the demand for experience. Then
several candidates appeared, and Mr.
Vare's secretary was the only one which
the commission found qualified. He
passed with a percentage of II, just
barely enough to get through. He was
the only man certified to the recreation
board as eligible. 1t is customary, how
ever, for the commission to submit the
names of at least three eligibles for
important positions, in order that there
may be some pretense Of selection on a
basis of merit and fitness, regardless of
political pull.
Now, because the Recreation Board has
asked that a new examination be held, in
order that "a legal list of eligibles" may
be secured, the Mayor takes pleasure
in ousting the three persons who have
been more loyal to the city than to the
obligations for sympathy and friend
ship with the power that appoints them"
1t was Tammany Congressman "Tim'
Campbell who told President Cleveland
that the Constitution should not stand in
the way when question of doing favor
to friend was involved But the coun-
try laughed at him. "Tom" Smith puts
into actual practice the principle which
"Tim" Campbell urged upon the Presi-
reason for his conduct. .-.> .....
The Ware secretary must have $4,000
job because of friendship. Who cares
what becomes of the recreation centers?
What do the Civil Service Commissioners
care about standing for the principles of
the merit system when friends of the man
who appoints them want to find place
for friend? What does the city care
when it is treated to such an exhibition
of the theory on which it is governed?
These are pertinent questions that ought
to be answered.
The law says the Mayor may act "at
his pleasure" If it gives him joy to
reward his friends. he has legal justifica-
ton. No one will be so presumptuous as
to suggest that the power of removal was
conferred in order to enable the Mayor
to get rid Of dishonest or inefficient men,
bers of the recreation board. It is there
to be exercised "at pleasure" We elected
Mr.. Smith to his high Office knowing all
about him. If this is the kind of thing
for which the-city voted it is getting the
kind of thing which it wanted. We are
having a government not of laws but
of men. We are reveling in an orgy
of political favoritism, which extends
from the Police Department in all direc-
tions. And yet our rulers, with their
tongues in their cheeks, are talking about
taking the police out of politics, while
they use all their powers to force politi-
cal appointees into the management of
rhe Fairgrounds for children.
The Mayor takes his pleasure where he
can find it, and the rest of US are sup
posed to look on with appreciation at his
enjoyment of the high privileges of his
position.
Atlantic Citys police believe that when