The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-07
MORE SALARY
INSTEAD OF
FEES
City Clerk to Get $3.50
Under Present Laws Might
Collect $Il,OoO.

sentin Z vote, last nlgnt approved OF lns
~resoiut. On recommended by the flnanct
commit ee that the salary of City Clerl
James r. Connolly be raised from 5000
TO $500 q year. the increase to date
from last august as In lieu of fees I'M
der the old system.
In a specs IN dealing with the friend
ship of a Netime Alderman Adolpf
Holzner, who, introduced the measure
spoke of the T ecord of the city clerk.
The measure approved is in the ma
lure OF a cont ract. In May, 1901, Mr.
Connolly accep ted the office of City
+, Clerk and relino pushed all claim to the
fees hen going into his office, In con-
ssderation OF a So Diary of $4,000 per year.
The fees have Increased enormously
since then. susd through the enactment
of new laws new fees have been added
TO the old sys uem.
The city Clerk has a valid claim on
the difference between the total of fees
now received by his office in a fiscal
year and the to tai received six years
ago, when h male a contract by ordi-
nance to reinquish claim to fees then
being collected.
grhe resolution lsaesed last night
ives him an additional compensation,
as told in these columns Thursday, of
II IEsJUU DIV year III ~ ~ AGSo SAA6t
would otherwise be hiM- The fees of
the ONCE appropriate about Sill 600
per year.
There was but note of opposi-
ton when the speech of Mr.. Holzner
was concluded, following the reading of
the resolution by Assistant City Clerk
Martin e. Broes. That came from AL
derman Joseph A. Wright, of the First
ward. He said that to his mind
81, 900 was a lot of money and that he
could hardly vote for n increase. In
cidentalIy ne paid tribute "a Mr.. Hol5-
ner's speech ami to Mr.. Cd1nelly's long
record.
The question had been put before
Mr.. Wright took the floor and there
was no opposing vote. President John
n. Sinnott permitted the Fiust Ward
mar to talk, however, and when he
had done again put the question.
There was silence following the chorus
OF ayes n Mr.. Sinnott declared
that the resolution a been carried
again
The speech Of Mr.. Holzner will be
fled in the city records n was en-
tered on the Council minutes. 1t is a
well of information. bearing as it does
on the history of Newark during the
Titafrcrises of the last thirty or more
years. Mr.. Holzner is a Democrat. His
tribute to the City Clerk was without
regard to party. The sixteen Demo
ofats and twelve Republicans who
Ike up the Council at this time
evfN11ed equal interest in the euiogy or
the rfiAo.who ls at the head of the sta
tistical afrasclericaI departments of the
government. SIhere was absolutely no
question of politics in the matter.
Mr.. Holzner said:
II. have known the city clerk since he
was elected tax commissioners in 1876 We
both started in about IKE same timer
during the Tilden election
He was elected an Alderman IN lSS
right after the exposure Of Palmer and
Haii, when the city was sort Of upside
down, it's credit almost ruined, Its records
hlled with rotten assets, and its tax rate
x2.42.
THE Common Council of 1883, to which
ne was elected, was a tie. politically. He
was made chairman OF finance. At that
water board. The Aldermen did every
thing, from the appointing Of a policeman
80 the raising Of the money. Such men
as Franklin Murphy, James Smith. IT,
Miller and {. NJ. Theberath were mem
beers during 1885 and other years of his
membership.
For the twelve years preceding 1885, only
$4,000 had been appropriated to build
schools. The bonds of the city had been
sold below par, at seven and six per cent
Interest. at
ut was the practise to raise yearly IN the
tax ordinance interest and sinking FUNDS
on all outstanding bonds where sinking
funds were provided, whether the fund for
the retirement of any series were self-Eup-
porting or otherwise. Mr.. Connolly asked
The Common Council to stop raising money
by taxation for sinking fund and interest
for any series of bonds. when the FUND foT
ia rRAamnfiOO Waa a0lf-aletafn1nX. M.
Connelly's plan was adpoted and the tax
rate Of that year was 2O6, u saving OF *
points 1t had been the practise to raise
yearly by tax to pay an alleged deficiency
in the interest account of the Water Boaro
&l00,0 Alderman Connolly cut out TINS
item, and in it's place raised $lOo.OoO-SO.OV
In the tax levy and $4,000 by bond-tc
build schoolhouses.
''The plan adopted and which resulted y
this great saving to the taxpayers OF iss
has been continued every year since.
During the four years he served as AZ
Alderman without pay, he helped to force
the enactment Of a law TO wipe out unJus'
and Illegal assessments and place the PROF
erty on which these assessments were lien
in position to pay present taxes aud asses
ment. This law Is known as fhe Martii
.'purins the sos Newark was the butt o
the newspapers of New York and Phila
delphla. The New York Herald christ
ened. 1t the CITY OF Smells" Thee 9
sewerage from the southwestern sector
an the meadows. These conditions wer'
running property and driving away many
kacturers. The omrno Council OF lSS
appointed a special committee, OF Whtcl
Alderman Connolly was chairman, Z
solve this problem. Some OF you mus
remember the work no accomplished WAT
the help Of his committee. how indignation
meetings were held to denounce him an
how he persevered, and that before ne lei
Council he had solved the problem by tn
completion Of what IS known as the srea
intercepting sewer. That for all time eno
ed smells, and that section OF our city J
today not surpassed, and acres OF groun
xhat then were saturated with sewerag
are at this time covered with faStorle
giving employment to thousands. All tna
ne received for this great labor OF 10y
was the inscribing OF his name ON a tapie
al the meadow pumping station.
EARLY in the year 1883 he was appointe
comptroller. When he took over thaL OF
ace he found il without any system OF &c
counts. He worked out a system proyio
ing for a ledger account with every pisc
81 land in the city. That system. OF lede
es lie In use In that ONCE at this utne
The thanks he received for this work wa
an Investigation committee, TO ma GU
whether he or the city owned the ledBer'
He also found an outstanding inaeot
edness of about &A,000,00 on which the cit
was paying 6 and 7 per cent. interest,"
that nearly 5000, 900 of bonds covering !
Imlt this debt would mature during NJ
term-and no sinking funds to retire SAL
bonds at maturity, hence they would nav
To he renewed. He determined that thes
~ -La -t.-.,aA ~. rzooutad in aIICh a mar