The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-30
SUBURBAN PAGE.
PERRY HITS MAYOR
ORANGE MAJORITY LEADER
ISSUES FIGURES.
Campaign Allegations of Shoenthal De-
MED in Public Systematically
Didn't He Act Before2

DldnJ be ACT before
Leader Edward S. Perry of the Orange
Common Council Republican majority is
sued a formal statement today in answer
to Mayor Isaac S~hoenthals attack
upon the Republican majority, in which
he reviewed the water situation in
particular, and hits back at the
Democratic Mayor hard. This attack
parently aimed at the majority leader,
who has been for years chairman. of that
important body, and, as the political and
personal friendships of the two nave
tarest the features Of the city campn1Sn.
Mr.. Perry defends City Engineer Fred
erick L. Crane against the attacks, made
by the Mayor, and, in turn attacks the
city executive, claiming that il the state
mentS made by the Mayor in his campaign
speeches were true the Mayor would be
placed in the unpleasant position OF WINK
ing at the alleged e~xtravagance up to the
present time, and that the shortcomings
charged would be really an arraignment
against inset as OF the city.
statement follows:
In the course of this campaign the
Mayor, II correctly reported by the public
press, has said: That the city engineer IS
not an industrious official, and that MS
office is carelessly managed.
1.-The duty of exercising general super
vision over the conduct of the citys analrS
by its officials is imposed upon the Mayor.
Although he has been prolific in messages
10 the Council, he has addressed no conn
munication to 1t upon this subject.
"If his statement is true then he has
been grossly derelict in the discharge or
his duty in failing to call this matter to
the attention Of the council L can account
for his failure to address the Council upon
this subject in but one way, ana that, thaI
he realizes he cannot substantial his
charges and would therefore avoid pre-
ferring charges involving a public hearing
in which an opportunity would be given the
engineer fairly to present his defense ana
prefer to make general pubic statements
which he may at will, as occasion requires,
repudiate, and which can afford no basis
for investigation and License. .
He has also declared that there was
extravaganza In the water department. Al
though prolific in figures with respect to
other matters. he sets forth not a single
figure to substantiate this claim, nor does
he Indicate in any wise in what the alleged
extravaganza consists. l am not surprised
at this. for extravaganza does not exist,
and no one knows 1t better than does he:
TN none Of his communications to the
Council has he made such q claim. Ii ne
really believes his statement he has been
I'll faithful in the discharge of hts duty,
for he has taken no steps of any kind to
lay bare the claimed extravaganza nor to
bring 1t to an end.
when the water department. passed into
the control of Republican members of the
Council there was due the city for unpaid
water rents some $4,000. These a~rrearages
have been collected, and this department.
has been able to employ some $4,000 OF its
funda toward the cost Of the extension OF
the water plant. By this means the city
was saved the necessity of borrowing that
amount in other quarters and paying in
terest thereon.
The only specific statement that the
Mayor makes is that the city has already
ter system, and that before the work is
finished 1t will have cost more than 100000
over the original estimate of S265,00.
1T is true that the cost of this improve
ment has exceeded the original estimate.
but this excess Is In large part due to the
fact that the city was unexpectedly obliged
to pay other municipalities for rights OF
way, and to the fact that in erecting the
pumping station provision was made for
the use of the station for lighting plant
purposes, a thing not contemplated at the
time Of making the original approximate
I'm this work the city had the benefit
not only of the engineering skill of the city
engineer, but Of Rudolf Herring, generally
recognized as the foremost expert In work
of this nature, and of Professor Denton. of
Stevens institute. +,
1T may be that the Mayor is possessed
of engineering skill superior to that of
these men, and is In a position to ~criticise
and improve upon their work, but If so he ,
has at no time made that fact known to
the committee. nor has he suggested that
their services be dispensed with and his
superior skill substituted for theirs.
IF his knowledge of engineering Is no
more accurate than his knowledge OF city
affairs / dou whether the people OF the
city would approve of our acceptance Of the
Mayors Judgment and the rejectionof that
of these engineers,
IT append a statement of the estimated
cost of the extension of the water plant
and a schedule of the disbursements to Oc-
tober /.
'sEstimated cost Of extension to the water
Rirbts Of siS.459 90
Land fol- mountain reservoir 1000 90
Construction of mountain reservoir. $4,000 90
Pipe from Campbell's pond to pump
ing station at Chestnut street-....- $1,000 90
Laying pipe as above. ..........-...- $1,000 90
Pipe from pumping station, Chestnut
street, to mountain reservoir,
thence to Main treet.........--.-.. $1,000 90
Laying pipe as above. .,........-.... 10000 90
Pumping Station:
Building ......"."".".. $40. 900 90
Chimney .'."."""".... 300 W
Boilers -...s"r"...... is, 21b %
- 9.475 90
Professional services, (estimated).... 5000 90
Total -. sa52, g84 90
Schedule IF disbursements account of new
Rights Of way..,~.~.~~s....... STA. $50 %
Land for mountain reservoir. ..-..... 1900 90
Pipe from Campbells pond to pump
ing station at Chestnut street,. 64755 rs
Laying pipe as above. .........-..... 222 47 81
Pipe inspection at foundry 45 SO
Pipe laying inspection, township of
Mlllburn .....,..".,." ......-.-... 1872 90
Drilling ETC.. Campbelps pond.-..-... 1856 06
Advertising 5S 90
Labor; paid through Water Depart
meat payroll. ...t.."".,-..--...- I6lO 10
Interest paid on loans ..,.....-..... 300 81
Sundry expenses. ,s,..,....-- 1877 so
Pumping station, Chestnut street. 1852 90
Professional services. 4,169 80
-
Total Observation-Disclosures. s1s4,f5 so
The above payments were provided for as
follows:
Notes placed with Orange National
Bank S4b,S6S U5
Notes placed with commissioners of
sinking furd. city. .............. 30.O1 20
Water department funds advanced. 57,546 21
Lotal $3A,4l6 go
AN examination of these schedules will
show that the Mayor in his statemnt over
states the expenditures by exceeding 500, 900
A little misstatemnt like this, of course,
cannot be expected to worry the Mayor,
but it indicates clearly how little credit
a be given to statements made by him.
1t likewise establishes his lack of knowl-
edge of city affairs.
Had the Mayor accepted the commit
tees invitations to be present at its meet
ings this misstatement would be even more
astounding. Perhaps his refusal to accept
such invitations and his absence from
these meetings may be offered in extenu-
alton of his ignorance of the true state of
affairs, though 1t cannot be offered as
mitigating his offense Of reckless mis-
statement. This extenuating circumstance
establishes his disregard of official duty.
his Ignorance of the cltyis financial af-