154 PUBLIC PAPERS OF GOVERNOR ROOSEVELT
STATE OF NEW YORK
Executive Chamber
Albany, May 5, 1900
Memorandum filed with Assembly bill No. 2069, introduced by Mr. Green, entitled
"An Act authorizing the board of estimate and apportionment of the city of
New York to audit and allow and also authorizing the comptroller of the city
of New York to pay to certain persons compensation for services actually
rendered to the city of New York in the municipal courts of the city of New
York, as attendants and stenographers in the year eighteen hundred and
ninety-one pending the preparation of municipal civil service eligible lists
for the position of attendants and stenographers" — Not approved
The bill proposes to pay for the services of seven attendants, one stenographer,
and one interpreter employed in the municipal courts from August 11, 1899, to
January 1, 1900, "pending the preparation by the municipal civil service
commission of eligible lists for the positions in question". The quoted words are
misleading. For the more numerous of these classes — attendants — a list
containing 217 names was published on July 17; for the position of court
stenographer a list containing 26 names had been published on May 16; and a list
for interpreter was published very shortly afterward, on September 27. Regular
appointments might have been made from each of these lists. Such appointments
were not made, however, the persons named in this bill being continued in
violation of the law, and in spite of repeated protests. The civil service commission
declined to permit the payment of their salaries. This effort virtually to set aside the
law in their favor, is the result.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT