Congress Asked to Help Pay for Pan American Debt

CONGRESS ASKED TO HELP PAY PAN-AMERICAN DEBT.

Appropriation of $1,000,000 Desired — Proposition to Come Up after Christmas.

BROOKFIELD TALKS POLITICS

Names Platt for Senator — Texas town for Dewey and Schley in 1904.

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William Brookfield spent yesterday in Washington with Lewis Nixon. They came here for the propose of securing speakers for the next annual dinner of the New York Board of Trade and Transportation. In speaking about New York State politics, Mr. Brookfield said: "Despite all reports to the contrary, I believe Thomas C. Platt will succeed himself as United States Senator from the Empire State. He can certainly come back to the Senate for another term if he desires to do so. But at best Senator Platt will only remain in public life for a few years longer. When he permanently retires it will be many a long day before the Republicans of New York State will have another boss. As Richard Croker said, a political boss is not made, he grows, and it has taken Platt nearly forty years to reach the position of almost supreme control that he exercised in his party in our state for the past four or five years. It is easy to see how he achieved this unique position. He has devoted practically his entire time to politics. He has denied himself the ordinary pleasures and amusements that most men enjoy. Even if our present leaders desire to succeed him, they could not do so, certainly not for a great many years. Platt has lived to see three generations of politicians come and go, and few of his old lieutenants are with him today. Odell has made a conservative and popular Governor, and, next to Platt, he is easily the most influential man that we have in the Republican Party in New York State."

Mr. Brookfield says that "The recent meeting of the Civil Service Reform League that he attended at Boston was an exceedingly interesting one. The movement inaugurated there to make some of the civil service examinations more practical in character is a good one. I remember during Mayor Strong's administration that at one of the meetings of the Civil Service Board the names of a number of laborers who desired to be promoted to the position of 'rammers' -That is to say, men who ram down the paving stones in the street, came up for consideration. Larry Godkin, who was present, turned to Secretary Phillips and asked whether it was customary to hold an examination for these positions. The secretary said that it was. Well, said Godkin, I propose that these men be promoted without any examination. We don't want any nonsense of this sort. These laborers would lose two or three days pay if they have to stand examinations. It is unnecessary and impracticable to insist upon their undergoing an examination. We were all very much surprised at Godkin's practical way of looking at the matter, but he had his way and the examination for these positions was done away with. There is such a thing as giving the people too much civil service."

Mr. Brookfield said that quite a number of the men who will hold over, under the protection of the civil service, during Mayor Low's term, were placed in office by Mayor Strong, but he said he did not think there would be as many hold overs as the papers have stated there would be. "If all our public officials followed the rule adopted by President Roosevelt since he became President," said Mr. Brookfield, "and appointed only fit men to office there would not be much need for civil service. But the trouble is that such action is rarely taken by our officials. Even President Roosevelt failed himself to live up to this rule always during his term as governor of New York."