In characterizing the offences committed and the chief offenders, the President's memorandum said:

"The three chief offenders in the government service were Tyner, Machen and Beavers. The friends of Tyner have advanced the theory that in his case the chief offender was really his nephew by marriage, Barrett, who was his assistant in the office for a part of the time, and that Tyner's offences are due to his failing bodily and mental powers. The facts set forth in Mr. Bristow's report do not tend to substantiate the validity of these excuses for Tyner, while they show literally astounding misconduct in Barrett. For Machen and Beavers no excuse of any kind has been alleged In the case of Metcalf. the superintendent of the money order system, the most vigorous protests were at first made on his behalf by a large number of reputable citizens, and also by others who were at the time deemed reputable, but who, it has since been discovered, were profiting by Metcalf's misconduct. One of them has been indicted in connection with him. "When these investigations were begun, some nine months ago, many of the chief offenders who have been indicted or dismissed, or both, as above enumerated, were considered to have excellent reputations. A number of the most respectable people in the land offered voluntary testimony on behalf of Mr. Tyner. So highly were Messrs. Beavers and Machen thought of by those who had been brought into close connection with them that the Congress actually provided at its last session for raising the salaries of both, the salary in each case being increased $500, to take effect at the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1 last. By that date they were both out of office, and the Department of Justice was taking steps to have. them indicted..

"During Machen's term of service he was twice investigated by the Congress, once by a committee of the Senate and once by a committee of the House, but cleared on each occasion. Yet at that very period, as has been shown in the present investigation, he was engaged in the corrupt business for which he has now been removed and indicted. This is no reflection upon the committees who conducted the investigation, for so skilfully had Machen concealed his wrongdoing that it was revealed only after months of laborious and exhaustive work by trained inspectors.

"As regards Messrs. Beavers and Machen. the corruption took the form of bribery and blackmail in connection with the purchase of government supplies. In the office of the Assistant General for the Postoffice Department, under Tyner and Barrett, far greater wrong was inflicted upon the public than could be measured by a pecuniary standard, for in this office the corruption of the government officials took the form of favoring get-rich-quick concerns and similar swindling schemers; in other words, the criminals, whom it was the sworn duty of these government officials to prosecute, paid them for permission to fleece the public unmolested." Mr. Bristow's report, condensed and skeletonized, was also made public on November 29. It showed in voluminous detail the corrupt transactions engaged in by the officials investigated. It also severely criticised the conduct of ex-First Assistant Postmaster General Perry S. Heath. On December 16 Mr. Bristow's full report was given to the public, together with a report made by Holmes Conrad and Charles J. Bonaparte on the charges of maladministration in the Washington City Postoffice brought by Seymour W. Tulloch. The Conrad-Bonaparte report held Perry S. Heath and George W. Beavers "primarily responsible" for "abuses and scandals" in the administration of the Washington postoffice, and also censured, as "in some measure responsible," Charles Emory Smith, ex-Postmaster General; James Willett and John A. Merritt, postmasters; Robert J. Tracewell, Controller of the Treasury, and Henry A. Castle, Auditor of the Treasury for the Post office Department.

The commission appointed by President Roosevelt to arbitrate the great anthracite coal strike of 1902 announced its award on March 21, 1902. The arbitrators named originally were. Brigadier General John M. Wilson, U. S. A.; Edward W. Parker, Editor of "The Engineering and Mining Journal"; Judge George Gray, ex-United States Senator from Delaware; E. E. Clark, Grand Chief of the Order of Railway Conductors; the Right Rev. John L. Spalding, Roman Catholic Bishop of Peoria, and Thomas H. Watkins, of the Temple Iron Company. Judge Gray was chosen chairman when the commission began its labors, and Carroll D. Wright, Commissioner of Labor, though at first named as recorder, afterward received full voting powers.

The demands made by the coal miners at the Shamokin convention and afterward before the arbitration commission were: (1) An increase of 20 per cent upon the prices paid during the year 1901 to employes performing contract or plece work. (2) A reduction of 20 per cent in hours of labor, without any reduction of earnings, for all employes paid by the hour, day or week. (3) The adoption of a system by which coal shall be weighed and paid for by weight wherever practicable; the minimum rate to be 60 cents for a legal ton of 2,240 pounds; the differentials now existing at the various mines to be maintained. (4) The incorporation of an agreement between the United Mine Workers of America and the anthracite coal companies of the wages which shall be paid, and the conditions of employment which shall obtain, together with satisfactory methods for the adjustment of grievances which may arise from time to time, to the end that strikes and lockouts may be unnecessary.

The award of the commission was:

First-That an increase of 10 per cent over and above the rates paid in the month of April, 1902, be paid to all contract miners for cutting coal, yardage and other work for which standard rates or allowGeneral Advance ances existed at that time, from and after November in Wages. 1, 1902, and during the life of this award. The amount of increase under the award due for work done between

November 1, 1902, and April 1, 1903, to be paid on or before June 1, 1903.

Second-That engineers who are employed in hoisting water shall have an increase of 10 per cent on their earnings between November 1, 1902, and April 1, 1903, to be paid on or before June 1, 1903; and from and after April 1, 1903, and during the life of the award, they shall have eight hour shifts, with the same pay which was effective in April, 1902, and where they are now working eight hour shifts the eight hour shifts shall be continued, and these engineers shall have an increase of 10 per cent on the wages which were effective in the several positions in April, 1902.

Hoisting engineers and other engineers and pumpmen, other than those employed in hoisting water, who are employed in positions which are manned continuously, shall have an increase of 10 per cent on their earnings between November 1, 1902, and April 1, 1903, to be paid on or before June 1, 1903; and from and after April 1, 1903, and during the life of the award, they shall have an increase of 5 per cent on the rates of wages which were effective in the several positions in April, 1902; and in addition they shall be relieved from duty on Sundays, without loss of pay, by a man provided by the employer to relieve them during the hours of the day shift.

That firemen shall have an increase of 10 per cent on their earnings between November 1, 1902, and April 1, 1903, to be paid on or before June 1, 1903, and from and after April 1, 1903, and during the life of the award, they shall have eight hour shifts, with the same wages per day, week or month as were paid in each position on April 1, 1902.

All employes or company men other than those for whom the commission makes special awards shall be paid an increase of 10 per cent on their earnings between November 1, 1902, and April 1, 1903, to be paid on or before June 1, 1903. and from and after April 1, 1903, and during the life of this award, they shall be paid on the basis of a nine hour day, receiving therefor the same wages as were paid in April, 1902, for a ten hour day. Overtime in excess of nine hours in any day to be paid at a proportional rate per hour.

Third-During the life of this award the present methods of payment for coal mined shall be adhered to unless changed by mutual agreement.

In all of the above awards it is provided that allowances like these made shall be paid to the legal representatives of such employes as many have died since November 1, 1902.

Fourth-Any difficulty or disagreement arising under this award, either as to its interpretation or application, or in any way growing out of the relations of

Permanent Con

ciliation Boards.

the employers and employed, which cannot be settled or adjusted by consultation between the superintendent or manager of the mine or mines and the miner or miners directly interested, or is of a scope too large to be so settled or adjusted, shall be referred to a permanent joint committee to be called a board of conciliation, to consist of six persons, appointed as hereinafter provided. That is to say, if there shall be a division of the whole region into three districts, in each of which there shall exist an organization representing a majority of the mine workers of such district, one of said board of con

ciliation shall be appointed by each of said organizations and three other persons shall be appointed by the operators, the operators in each of said districts appointing one person.

The board of conciliation thus constituted shall take up and consider any question referred to it as aforesaid, hearing both parties to the controversy, and such evidence as may be laid before it by either party; and any award made by a majority of such board of conciliation shall be final and binding on all parties. If, however, the said board is unable to decide any question submitted or point related thereto, that question or point shall be referred to an umpire, to be appointed, at the request of said board, by one of the circuit judges of the Third Judicial Circuit of the United States, whose decision shall be final and binding in the premises.

The membership of said board shall at all times be kept complete, either the operators or miners' organizations having the right, at any time when a controversy is not pending, to change their representation thereon.

At all hearings before said board the parties may be represented by such person or persons as they may respectively select.

No suspension of work shall take place, by lockout or strike, pending the adjudication of any matter so taken up for adjustment.

Fifth-Whenever requested by a majority of the contract miners of any colliery, check weighmen or check docking bosses, or both, shall be employed. The wages of said check weighmen and check docking bosses shall be fixed, collected and paid by the miners in such manner as the said miners shall by a majority vote elect, and when requested by a majority of said miners the operators shall pay the wages fixed for check weighmen and check docking bosses out of deductions made proportionately from the earnings of the said miners, on such basis as the majority of said miners shall determine.

Sixth-Mine cars shall be distributed among miners who are at work as uniformly and as equitably as possible, and there shall be no concerted effort on the part of the miners or mine workers of any colliery or collieries to limit the output of the mines or to detract from the quality. of the work performed, unless such limitation of output be in conformity to an agreement between an operator or operators and an organization representing a majority of said miners in his or their employ.

4

Seventh-In all cases where miners are paid by the car, the increase awarded to the contract miners is based upon the cars in use, the topping required and the rates paid per car which were in force on April 1, 1902. Any increase in the size of car or in the topping required shall be accompanied by a proportionate increase in the rate paid per car.

Eighth-The following sliding scale of wages shall become effective on April 1, 1903, and shall affect all miners and mine workers included in the awards of the commission. The wages fixed in the awards shall be the The Sliding Seale. basis of and the minimum under the sliding scale. For each increase of 5 cents in the average price of white ash coal of sizes above pea coal sold at or near New-York, between Perth Amboy and Edgewater, and reported to the bureau of anthracite coal statistics, above $4 50 per ton f. o. b., the employes shall have an increase of 1 per cent in this compensation, which shall continue until a change in the average of said coal works a reduction or an increase in said additional compensation hereunder; but the rate of compensation shall in no case be less than that fixed in the award-that is, when the price of said coal reaches $4 55 per ton the compensation will be increased 1 per cent, to continue until the price falls below $150 per ton, when the 1 per cent increase will cease, or until the price reaches $1 60 per ton, when an additional 1 per cent will be added, and so on.

These average prices shall be computed monthly by an accountant or commission named by one of the circuit judges of the Third Judicial Circuit of the United States, and paid by the coal operators such compensation as the appointing judge may fix, which compensation shall be distributed among the operators in proportion to the tonnage of each mine.

In order that the basis may be laid for the successful working of the sliding scale provided herein, it is also adjudged and awarded: That all coal operating companies file at once with the United States Commissioner of Labor a certified statement of the rates of compensation paid in each occupation known in their companies, as they existed April 1, 1902.

Ninth-No person shall be refused employment, or in any way discriminated against on account of membership or non-membership in any labor organization; and there shall be no discrimination against or interference with any employe who is not a member of any labor organization by members of such organization.

Tenth-All contract miners shall be required to furnish within a reasonable time before each payday a statement of the amount of money due from them to their laborers, and such sums shall be deducted from the amount due the contract miner, and paid directly to each laborer by the company. All employes when paid shall be furnished with an itemized statement of their account.

Eleventh-The awards herein made shall continue in force until March 31, 1906; and any employe or group of employes violating any of the provisions thereof shall be subject to reasonable discipline by the employer; and, further, that the violation of any provisions of these awards, either by employer or employe, shall not invalidate any of the provisions thereof.

THE REVISED NEW-YORK CITY CHARTER.

A revision of the charter of the city of New-York, which was drawn up by the Charter Revision Commission and passed in an amended form April 4, 1901, by the legislature, was subsequently approved by Governor Odell, and therefore is now a law. After its passage several supplementary acts were passed by the legislature, and these also are laws.

The legislative power of the city was vested in two houses, known respectively as the Council and the Board of Aldermen. The charter revision conferred all legislative The Board of Aldermen.

power upon a Board of Aldermen. The aldermen, it was stated, were to be elected in November, 1901, and every two years thereafter. The president of the Board of Aldermen is to be elected by the city at large. There are seventy-three aldermanic districts, consisting of one in each Assembly district in the counties of greater New-York, with the exception that two representatives each are granted to the XXIst, XXIIId, XXXIst and XXXIVth Assembly districts of New-York County, four representatives to the XXXVth Assembly District of New-York, two to Chester, New-York County, two to the town of New-Utrecht, in the Borough of Brooklyn, two to the town of Newtown in Queens County, two to the town of Jamaica in Queens County, one to the town of Castleton, one to the towns of Middletown and Southfield, and one to the towns of Northfield and Westfield-the last five named towns all in Richmond County. The president of the Board of Aldermen possesses all the powers of the Mayor during his disability or absence.

No ordinance can be passed except by a vote of a majority of all the members of the Board of Aldermen. The act says that "in case the ordinance or resolution involves the expenditure of money, the creation of a debt, or the Powers of the Board laying of an assessment, it shall require a vote of threeof Aldermen. fourths of all the members of the Board of Aldermen to pass it over the Mayor's veto; and if it involves the grant of a franchise, the Mayor's veto shall be final." It declares that "the Board of Aldermen shall have power to make, establish, alter, modify, amend and repeal all ordinances, rules, and police, health, park, fire and building regulations." Also that "the Board of Aldermen is authorized to grant from time to time to any corporation thereunto duly authorized the franchise or right to construct and operate railways in, upon, over, under and along streets, avenues, waters, rivers, public places, parkways or highways of the city, but no such grant shall be made except upon the limitations and conditions of this act elsewhere provided in respect of the grant by the Board of Aldermen of franchises and rights in or under the streets, avenues, waters, rivers, public places, parkways and highways of the city.' The Board of Aldermen is given authority to pass ordinances in regard to theatres, the markets, the hotels, the fire limits, use of vaults, and to fix the annual fee, not exceeding $20, for each streetcar used in the city. The act further says: "It shall be the duty of the Board of Aldermen, upon the recommendation of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, to fix the salary of every officer or person whose compensation is paid out of the city treasury other than day laborers, and teachers, examiners and members of the supervising staff of the Department of Education, irrespective of the amount fixed by this act, except that no change shall be made in the salary of an elected officer or head of a department during his tenure of office. The Board of Aldermen may reduce, but may not increase, any salary recommended by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment; but the action of the Board of Aldermen on reducing any salary so recommended shall be subject to the veto power of the Mayor, as provided in Section 40 of this act. In case the Board of Aldermen shall vote to reduce more than one salary, the Mayor may approve the reduction of one or more salaries, and may disapprove the reduction of others. In such case the reductions he shall approve shall become effective; and as to those which he shal! not approve, the recommendations of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment shall become effective unless the reductions be again passed by a three-fourths vote of the Board of Aldermen."

In regard to franchises the act says: "After the approval of this act no franchise or right to use the streets, avenues, waters, rivers, parkways or highways of the city shall be granted by the Board of Aldermen to any person Franchises. or corporation for a longer period than twenty-five years, except as hereinafter provided, but such grant may at the option of the city provide for giving to the grantee the right on a fair revaluation or revaluations to renewals not exceeding in the aggregate twenty-five years. Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this section contained shall apply to consents granted to tunnel railroad corporations, and the Board of Aldermen is hereby authorized in its discretion to grant a franchise or right to any railroad corporation to use any of said streets, avenues, waters, rivers, parkways or highways in the city of New-York for the construction and operation of a tunnel railroad underneath the surface thereof for any period not exceeding fifty years, and any such grant may at the option of the city provide for giving to the grantee the right, on a fair revaluation or revaluations, to renewals not exceeding in the aggregate twenty-five years, provided, however, that any grant to construct a tunnel railroad or renewal thereof shall only be made after an agreement has been entered into by such a tunnel corporation to pay to the city of New-York at least 3 per centum of the net profits derived from the use of any tunnel

which it shall construct, after there shall have first been retained by such company from such net profits a sum equal to 5 per centum upon the sum expended to construct such tunnel,"

The Mayor of the city, the charter revision provided, should be elected in November. 1901, for a term of two years, and every two years thereafter for a like period. The salary of the Mayor is $15,000 a year. The Mayor Powers of the may, whenever in his judgment the public interests shall Mayor. so require, remove from office any public officer holding office by appointment from him, except members of the Board of Education, Aqueduct Commissioners, trustees of the College of the City of New-York, trustees of Bellevue and allied hospitals, "and except also judicial officers for whose removal other provision is made by the constitution."

Administrative
Departments.

The administrative departments are as follows: Department of Finance, Law Department, Police Department, Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity, Department of Street Cleaning, Department of Bridges, Department of Parks, Department of Public Charities, Department of Correction, Fire Department, Department of Docks and Ferries. Department of Taxes and Assessments, Department of Education, Department of Health, Tenement House Department. The head of the Department of Finance is the Controller, who is to be elected at the same time with the Mayor, and is to have like him a term of two years. All of the departments are single headed commissions, except the Park Department, which has three commissioners; the Department of Taxes and Assessments, which has five; the Department of Education, forty-six members of a Board of Education, and the Department of Health, which has three commissioners (two ex-officio).

The Mayor must at least once a year submit to the Board of Aldermen a general statement of the finances, government and improvements of the city, keep himself informed as to the doings of the several departments and Duties of the Mayor. be vigilant in enforcing the ordinances of the city and the laws of the State. The Mayor appoints besides those already named all members of any board authorized to superintend the erection or repair of any building belonging to the city inspectors of weights and measures, two commissioners of accounts and five Civil Service Commissioners.

The Controller has control of the fiscal concerns of the corporation. The accounts of every department are subject to his inspection and revision, All claims against the city, except certain specified ones, are subject to his audit. Controller, Chamber- The assent of the Controller is necessary to all agreements lain, Sinking Fund. for the acquisition of real estate. He receives a salary of $15,000 a year. He has charge of the Wallabout Market. The Mayor appoints the Chamberlain of the city, who receives all moneys paid into the treasury of the city. His salary is $12,000 a year. The Sinking Fund Commissioners consist of the Mayor, Controller, Chamberlain, president of the Board of Aldermen and chairman of the Finance Committee of the Board of Aldermen, This board administers the various sinking funds.

The Board of Estimate and Apportionment consists of the Mayor, the Controller, the president of the Board of Aldermen, and the presidents of the boroughs of Man

The Board of
Estimate and

Apportionment.

hattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Richmond. Except as specifically provided by the charter every act of the board must be adopted, if adopted, by "a majority of the whole number of votes authorized by this section to be cast by said board. The Mayor, Controller and the president of the Board of Aldermen shall each be entitled to cast three votes, the presidents of the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn shall each be entitled to cast two votes, and the presidents of the boroughs of The Bronx, Queens and Richmond shall each be entitled to cast one vote. A quorum of said board shall consist of a sufficient number of the members thereof to cast nine votes, of whom at least two of the members hereby authorized to cast three votes each shall be present." It is provided that this board shall annually "make a budget of the amounts estimated to be required to pay the expenses of conducting the public business of the city of New-York, and of the counties of New-York, Kings, Queens and Richmond for the next ensuing year. Such budget shall be prepared in such detail as to the titles of appropriations, the terms and conditions, not inconsistent with law under which the same may be expended, the aggregate sum and the items thereof allowed to each department, bureau, office, board or commission, as the said Board of Estimate and Apportionment shall deem advisable. The budget is submitted to the Board of Aldermen. The act then says: "The Board of Aldermen may reduce the said several amounts fixed by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, except such amounts as are now or may hereafter be fixed by law, and except such amounts as may be inserted by the said Board of Estimate and Apportionment for the payment of State taxes and payment of interest and principal of the city debt, but the Board of Aldermen may not increase such amounts nor vary the terms and conditions thereof, nor insert any new items. Such action of the Board of Aldermen on reducing any item or amount fixed by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment shall be subject to the veto power of the Mayor, as elsewhere provided in this act, and unless such veto is overridden by a three-fourths vote of the Board of Aldermen, the item or amount as fixed by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment shall stand as part of the budget." The Board of Estimate and Apportionment also is directed to include in its final estimate money for the support of a large number of charitable institutions, which are named.