The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-11
AND
RUNYON HIT
BY CUT
FreehOlders Turn Down
Drums Bill and Raise for
Elections Board Head.

WELDING the ak Of economy the Board Of
Freeholders. at its October meeting late
Yesterday afternoon, eliminated, root and
branch County Engineer George +.
Drums September bill of STATS and Topped
of the proposed raise in the salary of Enos
Runyon. president of the County Board or
Elections. as by the finance
committee recently, from $500 a year to
$40.
The objections to Drums bill came from
Freeholder Fred i. Baldwin, of CALDWELL,
! who arose, when County Auditor Conklin
had read all the bills and a motion to
order them paid had been made.
1T seems to me- said Freebooter Bald
win, 'that the charges of the county engi-
neer for inspecting State roads in the
county are excessive. For instance, accord
ina TO a memorandum / hold, ON Septen-
her 6 he charges $3.50, September is, SO;
September 20, $685.; September %, $50, ana
September 81, SIS. This, to my mind. Is
altogether too much, and | object to the
bill"
Fraeholder Seaman said that the high
bills. IL they be Galley such, were caused
by transportation rates. "Hc is able to
cover the ground in a day with an auto,
where 1t would take him a week with a
horse aud carriage, and the cost would be
almost as great be said.
IL HppehTeu HUN iHt bni tlat li1
charges were as follows: Read constr1c-
,tion. High street, Nutley. S4.5O; Mt.
Pleasant avenue cutters. $50; Branford
avenue cutters, $l4; Bloomfield avenue
Widening, $i95O; Watching avenue, con-
struction. $s4.25; Westville avenue, con-
4struction, ssS; Harrison street, constitute
ton. $50; ,Horseneck road, construction.
$3.50; total. s444.75 This includes money
due to assistants and for automobiles and
other expenses.
County Engineer Drum was asked 10 20
before the board and explain. He stated
that he used an automobile in making bis
trips over the State roads SO that he
could inspect all the roads and do 1t
nfoperly. In answer to a question he re-
Piled that he could never finish the work
with axhorse and carriage. lie had done
the work thoroughly with the aid of an
anto and had plenty of time to attend to
ether duties.
las a Freebooter said Mr.. Baldwin, II
receive $500 a year. l have to inspect
rnads and bridges in the course of my
duties, but don't 60 in an automobile or
make any such charges. In view of the
fact that we pay two county engineers
a salary / think a charge of even S25 a
day, let alone $50, is excessive"
s4gBy a vote OF IS to 70 the bill was disap-
proved and referred back to. the committee
which had approved it.
Courpty Supervisor Otterbein stated n
his veto OF the resolution increasing Mr..
Runyon's salary from $500 to $3.50 that he
did not think Mr.. Runyon's duties were
any harder than that OF his colleagues, he
was not Obliged to work any harder and
certainly not entitled to an increase IN
zalnry.
HFreeholder Bsunach said President Run
ypn did nave additional duties and was at
~. f-..oA rT-...a -f--Ak ....~.. l.. I--tt-.
after election matters, while the other
A motion to approve the veto was carried
~ a Vote of 10 to 81
ssxFreeAeldef Ward inside a vigorous
protest against the failure Of contractors
In charge of the work to finish the new
isolation hospital at Soho. There were two
recent cases Of smallpox in Belleville and
one In this city, he said. He was of the
opinion that no further delay should be
liberated and the contractors should be
compelled to finish the building at once.
Director Barry said he had taken the
matter up personally and written to the
contractors and architects to finish the
work. but no attention had been paid to his
letter.
ut Is a shame he said with vigor, "the
way this work has been done, and the
board should sec to it that the building is
finished within a very short time"
Freebooter Eaton. acting chairman OF
the public buildings committee, informed
his colleagues that the public buildings
committee had tried in every way to
hasten the work, and that all the work
was finished but the flooring. 1t was the
intention Of the corlmittee, the contractor
and architect. he said. to visit the build
ing Monday, and he felt sure the building
would be entirely completed in a week or
ten days.
Mr.. Ward asked IL there were any pay
ments due on the contract, and 1t de-
veloped that about $1,000 was still due.
MIR. Ward thought the contractors should
be given a certain period of time to finish
the work, and if they failed, the Free
holders should do it and charge it to the
contractors. County Counsel Crane was
asked for an opinion, and he said if there
was a clause In the contract permitting
ii the board could set a certain time for
the completion of the work and then, il 1t
wns not finished, do the work and charge
ii against the contractors.
Mr.. Eaton wanted the matter referred
tn the public buildings committee and the
county counsel. This was done, after some