Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-11-30

WoopBURY. N. .J., nov. 22nd. l8yg

DEAR SIR 81 notice IN your issue of Nov
liz. 1898. nnder the head of Local Items,
the statement that the proposition to IN
crease the salary of the City Collector from
$500 90 10 5000 90 comes with bad gract
from member of City Council elected al
q refoImer
| beg you to insert this communication
in order that / may convey to the people
as well as to yourself, the information thai
| was not elected as a reformer, but that
being away on Saturday evening when the
convention was held, and not returning
until Monday following, which was the
evening preceding the election, was pre-
vailed upon by the CITIZENS who had
held the meeting, to accept the nomination
/ had DO desire to enter Council. 1t hat
taken much of my time which, so far as
am personally concerned, would have beer
more pro6tably spent in the pursuit of my
business, the taking care of the results Of
a busy life of toll or in needed recreation
1t has always been my theory that no citi
zen had right to refuse to subordinate
his individual interests to call to public
duty in times of peace, any more than he
had right to refuse to serve his day and
generation in times of war and public dan
ger Having preached this doctrine and
believing in it, / conceived it my duty tC
accept the nomination, and | did, which
nomination was ratified at the polls by 6
majority SO large and substantial that nc
man could fail to be fiattered by it.
Since my advent into Council have en-
deavored to protect the City's interests
irrespective of whom my course might
affect Outside of some personal letters
written me, have received not one word
of encouragement from any public journal
published in this City. There has moi
been one to call attention to the work
have been endeayoriBg to do nor has there
been one to say that they commended oil
condemn d my course, but the instant you
read my resolution, you not being present
ia Council and no doubt receiving an in
correct report of its proceedings, proceed to
write about me the article which / have
Iquoted | say the article about me, be-
cause 1T must have referred to me for the
reason that there was no other person
elected outside ofthe regular party tickets
nor has there been for a number of years
past.
do not wish to attribute your failure to
commend me to any improper motive, be.
cause / am one of those who believe that q
public servant is only performing bis duty
when he serves that purpose for which be
is elected ; but am | not justified in beliey-
ing that there is an undercurreDt iDhuen-
cling you when you are so quick to attempt
to criticise? Had such not been the case
you would haye understood the purport
and effect Of my amendment to the Water
Works Ordinance, or you would not have
made such an accusation without fully ad-
yising yourself concerning it. Where you
have been so persistently careful in with
holding encouragement, how is it you are
so willing and quick to visit censure.
| In my efforts TO serve the City of Wood.
bury have encountered antagonisms that
have been strong and persistent. Is il
possible that they have successfully exerted
upon you the pressure which they attempt
ed unsuccessfully to exert upon me i
the people who selected me to occupy the
position which now occupy, feel Il 3, am
in any way betrayiDg their trust, assure
you that | would be only too glad TO sur
render into their hands the power with
which trey have invested me and to lei
them elect not only one who is more fl
and competent, hut one who is more de-
voted to their interests. Circulate your
/
able number of the citizens who sent me
there to sign petition requesting me to
resign, assure you I will do it with all
the promptDess you can desire.
l haYe already, by persistent fighting
and by antagonizing influences which have
heretofore largely dominated the City Of
Woodbury., saved this City, each aud every
year, the sum of $225.00 My present
motion looks to the saving for the City OF
$500 90 per year more. This service to the
City means the permanent saying of 1925
every year, not to mention anything in
connection with the other services which
have rendered which have saved the City
money in various amounts
| II you have any matter with me come
out in the open and meet me but do not
attempt to say that which is the direct
opposite of the truth. Your statement is
that am attempting to increase the City's
expenses $500 90 per year. say 1 am
trying to save the City and reduce its ex
penses $4,000 per year. Had you Sc
desired, you might have known the truth
Was it from a desire to conceal the truth
from ignorance or from carelessness that
such an assertion was made?
Yours truly,
ROBERT. S. CLYMER.
Councilman Clymer always writes and
talks entertainingly, but probably never
more so than in his communication to the
Editor of the DEMOCRAT, printed above
and we know our readers will be amply
repaid by giving it thoughtful reading.
Without attempting to argue any of th,
complaints against us advanced by th,
Councilman, we think our reports of Coun
Gil will show quite an much space accorded
to him as to any of his colleagues, and WI
have a distinct recollection of reproducing
verbatim, at least one of his mastery
arguments.
Not being mind reader, we are obliged
to take the wording of ordinances pre-
sented as indicative of the purpose of theil
author and introducer
That our readers may have the data OF
which the Objectionable statement quoted
by Councilman Clymer IN the first para
graph of his letter was based, we print tbs
ordinance providing for an increase of $2E
per month in the salary OF the Treasurer
as iollows:-
i A Supplement to an Ordinance entitled
An Ordinance for the government of ths
Water Works of the City of Woodbury., n
j., and regulating the water rents,n passed
April Is, 1886
Sec. /. Be it enacted by the Mayo
and Council of the City of Woodbury.
that the fees to be paid for the issuing O
permits as provided in Section OF said
Oidinance, shall be payable to the City
Treasurer. who shall countersign said per
mits before the same shall become oper
alive.
Sec. q Be it enacted, that all water
rents and other moneys due the water de
partment of said City, as provided in Sec
ton 20 of said Ordinance, shall be payabl
to the City Treasurer, at his Office, quarterly
in advance. And the said City Treasure
shall receive for his services, in cOllectiBi
said rents and other moneys, the sum 0
Twenty five dollars per month. He shal
make monthly reports to the Water Com
mittee of all moneys received by him
. from whom received, and for what pur
pose.
Sec. 3. Be it enacted, that this Or.
dinance shall take effect January 1, 1900
Sec. 4. Be it enacted, that all Ordin
ances, or parts of Ordinances conflicting
with this Ordinance, be, and the same ar
hereby repealed.
Under present ordinances the Waite
Superintendent makes out and collect
water bills, and passes the amount over t
the Treasurer. Our understanding 0