The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-06
WAR ON MAYOR
SHOENTHAL
ABOUT NlCKELDR0MES.
orange Executive Claims He Did Not
Grant Cut-Rate Licenses, as Accused.
His Truck Veto Not 0verridden.

Island" at license fees far below th'
ordinance fee. Mayor Isaac Shoenthal
of Orange, denied the assertions of his
critic after the meeting of the Common
Council last night. and said the pro
p~rietors of the places did not come
from Coney Islands burnt district, anc
furthermore, that they paid the $75 fet
required by the ordinance. The state
ment of Mr.. Perry was called forth by
the veto message of the Mayor mega
living the purchase of a combination
chemical fire truck.
In a statement on the remarks passed at
the meeting the Mayor gave out the fol-
lowing:
The remarks of Messrs. Perry and
Bury last night are rather amusing TO me.
Mr.. Perry as well as Mr.. Bury, II seems 10
me. are unduly excited over my efforts to
save the city an unnecessary expenditure
of $500. While they were on the subject II
would have been edifying had they ex-
planned in detail just how and why such
l do not intend to even suggest graft. l
frankly admit the gentlemen are too high
minded for that and would not allow them
selves to be used by any person trying TO
get graft out of the city.
However. despite the statements made
last night the city was being cleaned up
to the extent of $500 on this deal The ma
chine which it was proposed TO buy was
not a first size machine. 1t is a second
size machine. the same as the machine
purcHdScu Dy MOntclalf, ana WHICH COst
$500 less. As a matter OF fact the Montclair
In achine is superior 10 the one Mr.. Perry
and Mr., Bury are so anxious TO buy. Ihat
machine has two sixty foot ladders and
two forty-five-foot ladders, while this ma
chine, which was to be dumped on Or
arge for $500 excess. was to have only. one
sixty-foot ladder and one forty-foot ladder.
"As to the licenses granted by me, which
Mr.. Perry criticised, I have only to say
that the places licensed are thoroughly re-
spectacle and are bringing in s5 each in
license fees to the city. They were all in
vestigated by the chief of police at my
request and he gives me assurance that
the entertainments are clean and unob-
1ectiolable in every way. Mr.. Perry is not
justified in assailing men as Coney Island
fakirs when he knows nothing about them.
One of them is even a constituent of Mr..
Perry and has lived in his ward for several
years"
The Mayor in his veto message stated:
1 return herewith. without my approval,
the resolution adopted by your honorable
body or July 10 instant, awarding a con-
tract for the furnishing of the city with
a truck or hook and ladder with chemical
tank for the fire department, to the Amer
lean La France Fire Engine Company, for
the sum of 81, 900.
MY first reason for vetoing the resolution
is the failure or any committee of your
honorable body or of any city official to
acquaint me with the facts in connection
with the contract as to the specifications
of them achine which it IS proposed to pur-
chase, or as to the particulars of the bids
received by your honorable body. ] do not
intend to place my signature to 'any reso-
luton or measure with which I have not
been made familiar through the proper
channels, and when a resolution is passed
by your honorable body, calling for an ex-
penditure of money, which must be submit
ted to me, all the facts and information In
connection Herewith must be placed before
me in order that l may act intelligently,
and thus properly perform my duty in
safeguarding the interests of the city. In
this case nothing has been placed before me
beyond the naked resolution, and / there
fore decline to give the measure my ap-
proval.
Another reason for my disapproval of
the resolution is the apparent unreason-
ablenesS OF the price to be paid for the
truck, In view of prices paid elsewhere
the price stated in this resolution is eX-
o%rbitant. In the town of Montclair re-
Gently q similar machine was purchased
for 81. 400. without. the chemical tank, The
price of the mi tank, l learn from
private sources, is 500. Hence, the Mont.
clair machine; If purchased with chemical
tank, would be So, 100. while you propose
to pay the sum of $4,000.
Thus Orange Is called on to pay $500
more than a neighboring municipality. The
chine in every way. Tt has rubber tires,
ball bearings. two sixty-foot extension
ladders and two forty-five foot extension
ladders. 1t Is certainly the equal. il not
the superior, Of the machine for which you
propose to make the city of Orange pay
5000 extra. I certainly will not be a party
To Sucn an Imposition upon tne city.
Again. 1T is proposed to place this ma
chine with the chemical tank in the
Can1eld street engine house. where we
have already a chemical hose wagon. l do
not believe in such a policy. The chemical
tank arrangement would be superfiuous
in the Garfield street engine house under
existing conditions.
the Machine proposed to be purchased Is
first or second size, and I have no infor.
nation on the subject. I understand tina
II fhn ronHhtnn Nprnh un6 hr Mnnfr1afr fc
second size, and that it would be ample
for our needs in this city. There is a
difference In the price, but very little as te
usefulness. and, therefore, 1t seems to mt
that the question of price and usefulnes:
should have been more carefully consid-
cred by you honorable body. At a time
like the present, when the tendency of tax
alton is upward and our people are already
overburdened. ] think your honorable body
should use the utmost discretion before
expanding $500 uselessly.
| am in favor of adding to our fire ap.
paratus quickly and adequately, and will
be glad TO cooperate with your honorable
upon me, as well as upon you. requires
that no excessive prices be paid upon con
tracts into which We enter on behalf OIL
ISAAC sHoENrHAL.
After the message had been read, Chair
remarked that the Mayor had no
looked carefully into the subject be
fore stating his reasons for thu
veto. He said hat the Montclai
truck was a second size machine, and wa
built four or five years ago when labo
, and material of construction, were cheape
than now. Oranges proposed truck woul,
he a first size apparatus, he said. and TIL
East Orange truck, similar to the on
planned for Orange, cost $,007.
Letters endorsing the truck with chemi
Gals attached were read from the fire chief
of New Haven, Conn; Baltimore, Md; tn
District of Columbia. and Hartford. Conn
Mr.. Perry. after getting Chairman Bur.
to admit that he had called on the Mayo
to discuss the truck and had gotten tina
officials statement that he favored a com
bination chemical truck, started off t
After charging the Mayor with incon
slstency, he said: He declares hat M
! member has brought the facts concerning
the fire truck before him.. He has not gon
very far out Of his way to get any infor
nation. He states he did not know Of tn
plans for the apparatus. yet he states tina
be knew the truck was to be placed II
the Garfield Street Engine house. II
must have had some information regarding
talk of the proposed truck has been hashe
and rehashed In the newspapers and tn
Mayor certainly reads the newspapers /
only as a matter OF courtesy. the Mayo
should have asked the fire committee VIII,
they had decided upon the kind of trucl
they selected The same prices general,
prevail on these trucks. although some 0
the prices have been higher. When tn
resolution was passed providing for bid
that resolution in a message n the
sent a messenger to the Council chambe
the night OF the meeting and had tn
message returned to him"