Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-21
Charters Friends
Fight Amendments
Continued from PAGE One


the other side of the facts involved in
the various proposals Of the Mayor to
alter the civil service system Powell
Evans protested against one sided
presentation Of the matter.
THE Mayor criticized the reform
known AS the primary election law, and
suggested that such laws were futile
because the enemies Of good government
became skilled in adapting themselves
10 them, and the Mayor then commented
that the civil service law was similar
in this respect TO the primary election
| law.
Tho Rev. Or. Frank p. Parkin asked
the Mayor two questions
" First Do you believe that II
would be helpful II the Civil Service
| Commission had more assistantsF anc
" Second DO you believe that your
proposal would be the entering wedge
in weakening and multiplying the civil
serviC" sy@t"mF
The Mayor answered the second
question in the negative, but gave pS
reply to the first question.
Lack Of Examiners
Or. Pnrkin's unanswered question
was pertinent in view of tho fact that
in MAY. 1920, tho City Council, realiz'
ing that thr Civil Service Commission
was being hampcred by the inadequate
number Of its assistants, passed an or
dinanr" providing for six additional en-
ployes. The provision for these en-
plOycs was vetoed by the Mayor.
The Civil Service Commission toda!
has only three regular full. time exam
inrrs. New York city has twenty-five
regular full time examiners.
N ,tnInnlnlnt
AN eligible list contains the name OF al
improper person it is to be remembered
Ithnt tnc civil Service Commission hn
been dcuipd the additional staff whlc
the CITY Council believed it should have
"Thr Mayor complained aS to tn
time which he and his directors w"r
devoting to civil service matters: a
instance was given of the case ot Jon
DO. a laborcr, who had brought sui
against the city, alleging that he ha
been improperly discharged.
''rho records Of the Civil ServiC
Commission, however fail TO show tina
J there has been any hearing hrl"r
either tho commission or the courts |
which tie presence of the Mayor ma
been required in reference 10 the re
in-tatrmtnt of II labOrcr
Part Of Mayors Duty
| "Whcn il /, remembered that MOI
than one hiatt Of the city $ money
aftcr meeting sinking fund charges an
loanS. goes to pay salaries and wage
ii !. no, unreasonable TO expect thu
the Mayor and his directors should d"
vote portion of their time T." glVlI
; urnpcrt attention to matters ahe"tlL
tho city s personnel
THE Mayor complained that certaj
4. V,,l, tUhn am
where instead of staying to sign
: lot of papers and go before the Civ
" Service Commission, An instance WI
= given Of au cmployc in the Bureau
Hospitals.
y THE inadequacy of the rates Of pt
= in city hospital and nursing positions
T. we'll known,
!, "'rhc lack Of available city employ
" in nursing and hospital positions seer
10 be due IN tn" inadPQuacy Of the con
!, pcnsaton, and the remedy Is entirely
u the hands Of the Mayor and Council.
u" THE Mayor mentioned instances
., which he was not satisfied with I
available names on eligible lists pr
vidcd by the present Civil Service Cor
mission. The inadequate staff Of I
Q commission Is obviously the reason (
I the occasional slipping through Of pc
sons not qualified for appOintmrr
Under the Law any name may bc strick
N from list for proper cause, and
" there is anything radically wrong wi
n any Of the names on a list this rene
i il available. Furthermore, the law pr
$ vides that an employe, when appoints
Is shall be on probation for three nng1f
and at the end of that time mag