The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-01
BAREFACED IOBBERY
Republican Police Commits
sioners Denounced For
Captain NeWton's
Retirement.
LOOTING THE PENSION FUND
Although Able and Willing
To Do Duty the Captain
Must Give Way for
Political Purposes.
LOOTING THE PENSION FUND

Ya4E
The compulsory retirement Of Police
Captain Moses Newton by the Republican
Police Commissioners has raised a storm
of criticism from taxpayers, who rightly
say that it is a robbery of taxpayers
money simply to find places for Repuo-
leans.
Mayor Hoos in his letter to the Police
Commissioners touched the matter with
the needles point when he said:-'sTo re-
tire a healthy, willing and efficient officer
because he has reached an age when
legislation gives him the right to ask for
retirement is not only an injustice to the
taxpayers of the city, but it it calculated
to bring the pension laws, affecting your
department, into disrepute.
Of all the police captains in the city
today there is not one in better health
than Captain Newton, who in his twenty
seven years Of service to the city as i
police officer, has only lost eight days
through sickness. and that was twenty
years ago. yet the Republican Commits
sioners said that he is not able to do duty
any longer.
They claim that I am too old to per-
form the duties Of police captain" said
Captain Newton last night to a News"
representative, as he stepped briskly into
his office from a tour Of his precinct.
and have appointed in my place a
younger man. I am able to do my duty
now better even than ! was ten years
age J have only lost eight days in sick
ness since l was appointed sergeant
tWenty-seven years ago. / did not ask
to be relieved and do not want to be.
This action of the Board is simply a
political dodge and it means a draw on
the police retirement fund which it can
Ill afford
1t is well known that the police fund for
pensions is at a very low e5b. Last year
it was running SO short that a consulta-
ton among officers was held to devise
some scheme to increase It by reducing
the number of applicants. The captains
then made a strict examination into every
case SO that among the instances Of sick
officers drawing pay there would be no
case that was not worthy. The action Of
the Police Commissioners in Captain
Newton's case means an extra burden or
that fund and it is feared that the MONIES
will run cut altogether.
The Republicans in their endeavor to
lcot the police fgnd have. it is we'll
known, relieved men for sickness and dis
ability; yet these men are actually today
earning a good livelihood in other walks
of life, ard at the same time drawing half
pay from the city.
OF these cases. one ex-sergeant is IL
The real estate buslness-Sergeant Fin
lay. Another. Thomas Hopkins, is a con-
tractor. a third is in the employ of a
railroad company, and a fourth is in the
commission business. But thar places
were required for Republican heelers and
what did it matter to the Commissioners
whether a burden would he inflicted IN
the taxpayers when the offices were
needed? The policy was simply a wedding
out for political purposes. AS for econ
omy in and efficiency of the Police De-
partnent that be d.
Captain Newton has not yet made up
his mind to fight the Boards action. He
may attack the consfitutionaiity of the
act and the-e are a very large number
Of taxpayers in that portion of the city
where he was stationed Urging him to
do this. The Captains record is a splen-
did one and had he consented when the
city charter went into effect he would
AVE been Chief of Police today.