New-York tribune., 1922-11-20

y. 10 was joe Ruddy who BROUGHT
Twonaey TO me. Joe Ruddy is d brother
q Steve Ruddy. a Tammany ieader. joe
Givai Service Commission.
AZ TO my aequatntanceship with
burke. Burks waB introduced to me
by Joseph A. Ruddy. three or four
years ago, at a Civil Service function
given by the employees of the Civil
Service Commission at Palm Garden,
Burke's sworn statement shows that
ne was a frequent visitor TO the Civil
Serviec Commission for period be-
ginning eight years before was ap-
pointed 70 that office. 1t is q matter
visitor, and that all the Commission
employees knew him. He attended the
social functions of the Commission, and
his picture was taken with my superior
officers In a group photograph made
on the roof OF the Municipal Building.
They charge me with '.knowing Burke,
How could help but know him when
he was made the honored guest OF the
Commission by MY superior officers ~
Finger Print System SIN BAD
Mr.. Ryan said yesterday that the
finger print system of Identification
had long been Ina bad odor with the
professional politician, because it was
almost an alright preventative Of sub
stitution or impersonation. The system
was first introduced In 1901. but it
lasted then only three months, and
was ineeonspicuously dropped. II was
reintroduced In 1915. during Mayor
MitchePs administration, with the
strong support of the Rockefeller Re-
search Committee, while DR.. Moskowitz
was president Of the Civil Service
Commission. II is regarded as unde-
slrable by the present administration,
Ryan says, and the politicians around
the City Hall and the Municipal Build
ing have adopted the habit of referring
to it disparagingly as "the Rockefeller
stunt"
An applicant for appointment to the
police or fire department, Ryan ex-
planned, must pass three examinations
Ia medical, physical and mental test.
In the old days substitution Of papers
or Of persons was not uncommon, A
| politicians friend" who had banker
! ing for d job on the police or fire
forces might, if he feared the mental
test, hire an obliging friend with a
higher mental capacity to substitute
for him, or the papers might be
changed. The same procedure could
easily be adopted in the medical and
physical tests
Under the fngerprint system this is
impossible. When would-be fireman
or patrolman makes his first applica-
ton for examination he is finger
printed. He is again fngerprinted for
medical and physical examinations and
tripiicate records are kept. Again, be-
fore entering the mental examination
rooms his fingerprints are taken and
compared with the previous records.
When he appears for appointment on
probation and for final appointment
the recorded prints are again com
pared; also, he must produce at that
time card certifying his identity
which carried the signature and the
fingerprint of the identification expert
of the bureau.
No Salary in New Budget
Ryan says that since his dismissal
the finger printing has been done by
an attendant who is not an expert.
Ryan said, "but only experts can read
and classify them" He added that ap-
parently there was no provision in the
present budget for the salary of a
Ifngerprint expert, indicating the inten-
tion of the administration quietly to
ease the position of fingerprint expert
out Of the Civil Service Commission.
81 am not seeking the position"
Ryan said. s'It is not very remunera-
tive one, and it would not pay me to
spend SO much time and money ii that
were my sole object. What I want to
do is to clear my name and my record
of this unfounded charge. have
again and again demanded of the Com
missioner of Accounts and of the Civil
Service Commission, if they have
any evidence of wrong-doing against me
t in connection with the Burke case or
any other, that they prove their
charges and, if guilty, punish me as !
deserve. They have not done 500