Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-10-29
MAYOR HAUSSL|NG
REAL AUTHOR OF
S|XTH-OAY LAW
Fire Commissioners Burke Settles
the Gnichtel Claim by Refer
ence to Boards Minutes.

Candidate Edward E. Gnichtel, the Re-
publican nominee for mayor, is the man
who secured for local firemen zone day
off in SIX" instead of one day off in
ten," is made decidedly clear by Presi-
dent 4. Z. Burke, OF the Board of Fire
Commissioners. The latter was re-
quested to make the signature clear. be-
cause OF his intimate knowledge of the
affairs Of the commission, and the
somewhat strenuous efforts being made,
evidently at the suggestion of Mr..
Gnichtel, to show that the latter, while
a fire commissioner, was the one who
prompted and had the change made.
In his characteristic way in the
course of an interview, prompted be-
cause former Fire Commissioner John
b. Oelkers, according to a local paper,
replying to a query by Joseph C. Avail
do, gave the credit to Candidate Gnich-
tel, President Burke consulted the min
utes of the fire board meeting to settle
the question, n expressed regret that
Mr.. Oelkers a not done the same
thing.
LAS l understand the dispute that
Mr.. Oelkers has settled said Mr..
Burke, Mr.. Avaldo, a constituent Of
Mr.. Gnichtel, writing to Mr.. Oelkers,
states that he heard that Commits
sioners Burke, Weber and his
honor, Mayor Haussling, claimed the
distinction. Mr.. Oelkers, writing to his
friend Mr.. Araldo, after some de-
tail, decided that Mr.. Gnlchtel was en-
titled to the honor and hat Messrs.
Burke and Weber, "clerically" follow
ing out an ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
off-in-seven' plan devised and concocted
by Mr.. Gnichtel, put the one-day-off-in-
six finish to the magnificent effort,
The mayor had nothing to do with the
matter, nothing at all, declared Arbiter
Oelkers.
The Gist of MIR. Oelkcrs's Letter.
While tho above is not the language
Of Mr.. Oelkers's letter, exactly, the
presumption. justified by newspaper
comment following his communication,
is that 1t was meant to e a upon ex-
listing conditions as we'll as conditions
Of tho past. Direct reference was
made to Commissioners Burke and
Weber, mover n seconder, respective
ly, of the one-day-off-in-six plan, as
merely carrying out an act of Mr..
Gnichters, the explanation attached
to the letter by the newspaper pub
fishing it making it quite clear thai
tho equivalent to one-day-off-in-
in the mind of the reporter. at least,
and no doubt others concerned.
What have you to say about the
whole m~atter?" asked the STAR re-
porter OF MT. Burke, and 1t was this
- - NJ Q,,~lya 81 nv,
"Well, ! suppose it is up to mo
to speak O piece. 1 a say a
whole lot, you know. but I will begin
by declaring that to my knowledge. and
without afixing and belief but for
Mayor Haussiing's interest in the well
fare of the f1remen and his persistent
attention to the case In point our gall
liant boys in blue would not now be en-
joying the one-day-off-in-six period of
recreation. That's as true as Holy
Writ. Mr.. Gnichtel knows that, so does
Mr.. Weber, so does Mr.. Logan, former
fire commissioner. Mr.. Oelkers knows
nothing about 1t. Singular, isn't 1t, that
such devious methods are being pur-
sued to get things In the papers for po-
litical effect and hoped-for results?
Deiuding the people. The scheme Is so
old and decrepit hat it car hardly
without the aid of crutches. If Mr..
Araldo pinod for facts as he ex-
| planned in his letter to Mr.. Oelkers,
there was nothing to prevent him from
visiting fire department headquarters,
In the City Hall. and looking over the
| minutes OF the meetings of the Board
Of Fire Commissioners. 1t is a matter
| of record, ii Is all in the books. But
that wouldn't answer the purpose, you
see. Had to get something of a mis-
leading nature in print. Catch on?
Mr.. GnichteI Planned Phantasmagoria.
''Then again, Mr.. Gnichtel could have
told Mr.. Araldo that he, Mr.. Gnichtel,
made the motion for the one day off in
eight, and that the motion was car
ried unanimously, President Blanchard,
Messrs. Gnichtel, Oelkers n myself
voting for it. This was on August Il,
1906. There was no equivalent to one
day off in seven, as referred to in the
article, motion offered. Mr.. Gnichtel
had worked out something on the
phantasmagoria plan which he ARGUED
was an equivalent to a one-day-off-in-
seven proposition-ah, / now perceive
where Mr.. Oelkers received his inspira-
ton of the act which we dubbed the
split day scheme. 1t was something
on the order of a Chinese puzzle. To
explain its intent is not 80 difficult, but
If placed in operation it could only re-
suit in confusion in company quarters,
trouble for fromen and impair reliable
continuity Of service.
1.-THE report was received and fled.
Good place for it, in the files. This was
on May 1, 1906. President Blanchard
and myself positively opposed the
proposition. / am not certain what Mr..
Oelkers's opinions on 1t were-maybe
he is-but he was on the committee
with Mr.. Gnichtel to work out a one
| day-off-in-seven trick.
"The split day meant that a fire.
man should be allowed one day Of
t~wenty-four hours in every ten days,
and a period of eleven hours beside,
making thirty-five hours in every ten
days. That is what is referred to by
the paper as an equivalent to the day
off in seven
what would become of the man on
his eleven-hour trick?
Goodness only knows. He would run
a big risk of being found absent with
out leave II he took a trip to, say, Coney
Island and couldn't get back to quar-
tiers to relieve the man whose turn was