The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-01-21

De defined in the statute. The efrect or
this would be to hold municipal Off
Gals to the highest sense of their re.
sponsibility to the public.
The executive, of course, should have
discretion upon such complaint being
made to him to entertain it or not, as
he judged proper, but if the complaint
| be of such a serious nature and char
acter as to justify its being entertain
| tablishes the fact that the charges
made are true, then there should be
power in the executive of the state to
remove such an official and to have
him succeeded in his office by such
| method as the charter of the city or
town shall provide as to his successor
In case Of his death or resignation.
recommend such legislation.
An examination of the statutes of
| the state of New Jersey discloses the
fact that there are no provisions of
law empowering the governor of the
state or any one else to remove from
any Office any state official appointed
under a statute, even for cause.
The chief executive should be armed
with some power both for the enforce
ment of the law and for the removal
of those in public Office who refuse or
neglect to perform their duty.
1t may be easily imagined that cases
may arise where public officials are
shown to have been guilty of either
| ~, &c faoconco ~ x,,oIfao ca uco n, nffioA.
and who refuse to resign, and it might
be that cases would arise where a
public official should not be permitted
to resign. In either event there should
be some power in the governor, upon
formal charges in writing, to cite any
statutory state officer to show cause
why he should not be removed, and if.
after hearing and full opportunity to
make defense, the governor should be
satisfied that the official has been der
elicit in the performance Of his duty or
guilty of more serious offense he
should then have the power to remove
him.
The governor should be held re-
sponsible for the administration of all
recognize that it is his duty to see that
the institutions, penal and charitable,
and all the departments of the state
government are conducted within the
lines required by the law and the CON
stitution and that the officials in con-
nection with these institutions and de-
partments are in attendance upon and
they are not neglecting the service
| which they owe to the state and that
they are not guilty of misfeasance OF
malfeasance ia office. OF course the
/ governor cannot do this alone and I'M
aided, but he may do 1t through proper
assistants of the kind and character
! which / have recommended in this
message through a department of ac
counts
OF necessity this will entail labor
upon the governor, but the people OF
the state elect their governor for that
purpose, and he should either perform
his duties and see that others perform
theirs or he should not assume the
office.
Other Suggestions Hereafter.
There are other questions concern
ing which am deeply interested, upor
which / shall not touch in this inau
| gural They relate to the making Of
further grants Of riparian lands and o.
state aid for an inland waterway from
Bay Head to Atlantic City and Cape
May, to the ACCESSIBILITY Of changing
the present method Of control Of state
institutions and reducing the number
Of the managers, so that there shall be