New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-14
Civil Service Head Says
Two Officials Are Ac-
cused in Amdavits
Welfare Workers
Ask Open Hearing
May Be Scheme to Put
Braves on City Payroll,
They Declare

James E. MacBride, chairman Of the
Civil Service Commission, yesterday
took the defensive in the war over tie
Mayors plan to "reorganize" the Board
of Health. He dropped the excuse OF
Economy" and, replying to those who
insist that the child hygiene and other
bureaus be undisturbed, declared that
graft had been uncovered and was
being investigated at the commission s
star chamber sessions.
According to Mr.. MacBride, who was
high in the service of William Ran
dolph Hearst before he received his
present position as a reward for run
ming Mr.. Hylan's publicity campaign
two Of the seven bureau heads, whose
designations Mayor Hylan instructed
Health Commissioner Amstcr to Sc
cure, with graft. Who the two are, or
who makes the charges, Mr.. MacBride
declined to state.
Two Officials Accused
These tyo bureau chiefs, Mr.. MacBride
further states, are, in his opinion, re-
sponsible for what he describes as
propaganda by dollar hungry, fake re-
formers" to hold them in their places.
He further accuses them of advising
other bureau heads to retire while they
have a chance to. They DO this, he
says, in an effort to cripple the depart
ment.
Mr.. MacBride adds that it was never
the intention to dispense with the work
Of the child hygiene and other i'm
portant bureaus which have given New
York City the lowest death rate of any
big city in the world
Mr.. MacBride made this declaration
after meeting of representatives of
practically every welfare and social
service body in the city. held in the
rooms of the Bar Association, had de-
manded that the Mayor and the star
chamber inquisition which has been in
progress before Mr.. MacBride for a
week. This meeting selected COM
mittee of twenty-one representative
men and women to call upon Mayor
Hylan and demand that the investiga-
ton be open to the public.
This committee, of which DR.. Lee
K. Frankel is the chairman, includes
in its membership Miss Rose Schnei-
derman. DR.. Ira S. Vile, Frank H. Mann,
Miss Lillian D. Valid, Dr.. Herman M.
Biggs, Miss Mary Garrett Hay, Mrs.
J. B. Minor, Miss Mary H. Combs, Mrs.
John B. Andrews, j. B. Boyle, Ernest
Bohm, Ralph Waldo, Charles Neergard,
DR.. Walter B. James. Dr. L. Emmett
Holt, DR.. Lewinski CORN. DR.. Roger
Dol <ol,
garet Thompson and Mrs. John Fran
els Yawger.
Members of this committee. when
their attention was called to MacBride's
graft charges, declared that if there
was any graft in the department thew
wanted it shown up as badly as even
Mr.. Hylan might but that until graft
was shown they would be forced to
believe that the proceedings are but
part of a Tammany-Hearst scheme to
make room for the faithful on the CITY
payrolls.
McBride's Statement
In his statement, Mr.. Mcbride said:
"The names of two directors of bu-
reaus in the Health Department are
given in affidavits in possession of the
Civil Service Commission, and let me
add that, according to my information,
they are the directors most active in
the propaganda work which has for
its purpose the sitting of this inquiry.
"They are the ones who are whisper
ing to other directors that those who
are eligible to retire should do so at
once, and then advancing the sugges-
ton that if the inquiry is not stopped
the department will be crippled by the
loss of its best men.
"They are the ones who are inspiring
newspaper stories that this inquiry will
result in an injury to the health of
little children. How preposterous
However, it is not beyond the pale of
possibility that it will bring to some
persons that injury Of health which
institutions, for if these charges are
verified they will be forwarded at once
to the District Attorney.
"No honest employe of the Health
Department has anything to fear. No
citizen need have the slightest fear
that any proper activity of the Health
Department will be interfered with in
any way. When this investigation is
over we will go on looking after our
children and our sick just as in the
rast."
Doubts Graft Charges
"This is the first time anything has
been said about graft" said Miss Lillian
D. Valid, head of the Henry Street Set
Element. at is commonly understood
that Mayor Hylan ordered Health Com
missioner Amster to remove the heads
of the bureaus without any explana-
ton. I don't believe graft had any
thing to do with it,"
DR.. Lee K. Frankel, who heads the
committee of protest, declared that if
there were graft charges this made it
all the more necessary to have the pro-
ceedings before Mcbride made public.
That's Just what we want to know"
he said. eve aren't trying to protect
anybody. All we are asking is pub
lcity for the hearings, which concern a
department in which everybody is vital
ly interested"
Star Chamber Opposed
Mrs. Marion B. Cothrcn, one Of the
women especially interested in the Bu
rcau Of Child Hygiene under DR.. S.
Josephine Baker, likewise declared last
night that the fight was over the oues
ton Of publicity for the hearings.
I'VE object to these underground
political methods" she said There
may be conditions in the Health De-
partmcnt which need investigation. and
if there are we are the first to insist
on the truth, and standing by the
truth. We want no star chamber pro
ceedings in this day and generation.
1t sounds like going back to the davs
of Van Dyck and Tweed"