Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-06-01
Departments Crippled by Repnb.
licans' Dismissal of Veteran
Employees.
ALDERMEN SEVERELY
SCORED BY TAXPAYERS
Offices, Running Short-handed,
Are Unable to Transact
Business.

Spite politics-the dismissal of Demo-
Gratis by the Republican organization
IS responsible for the chaotic condition
that prevails at the City Hall today
The public is suffering in divers ways
and the departments from which en-
ployees were discharged are crippled
to degree bordering upon municipal
scandal.
The Republican blunder is being
criticised by Republicans as we'll az
Democrats, and 1t is likely that public
censure will demand immediate relief
| at the municipal palace.
Elevators are not running regularly,
some of them having been absolutely
suspended. Taxpayers were greeted
with Elevator not running signs and
were obliged to climb the marble steps
| or wait till the two out of five cars
i could accommodate them. The delay
was harshly criticised by the incon-
| venienced public.
| The dismissal of four of the clerks in
| the tax office will have a disastrous
| effect. The first half day indicates
plainly that the Republican mistake
will give the tax office severe setback.
1t is important to the city government
! that the work in the tax office should
not get behind.
| The Office of the sealer of weights and
measures is more than crippled. John
Fl. Sullivan, the head of the depart
ment, Is left alone in the Office because
of the dismissal of three of his assist
ants, and he is compelled to lock the
office door against the public at certain
| intervals of the day.
There is a city ordinance which re-
| quires an annual inspection by the
weights and measures department City
Sealer Sullivan said this afternoon that
with the present limited force his men
couldn't make an inspection in three
years. Mr.. Sullivan says that his force
must be increas,f or the ordinance vio-
lated.
The dismissal of watchrnen ana
auditors will have its effect as the days
pass Competency and efficiency are
essential. especially at the new City
| Hall, with such beautiful environs
| Thirteen of the sixteen discharged
employees have certioraried the action
of the Republican majority In the Com
mon Council to the Supreme Court, but
Chief Justice William S. Gummere has
not decided the question as yet The
| fight for the dismissed employees is
being made by Colonel E. livingston
Price on legal grounds, but he said to-
day that the public suffering at the
City Hall was proof positive that the
Republican councilmen had committed
practical as well as legal blunder.
| larger Slaughter Blocked.
Following the civil service decision
by the Court of Errors and Appeals a
| few months ago the Republicans
| planned a wholesale dismissal of all
| Democrats in the city's employ. There
were enough Progressves and Demo-
| Gratis in the Common Council to block
that political slaughter. and the result
of several majority caucuses was the
| discharging of sixteen Democrats, to
| take effect today, June l.
| The Republicans classified this list as
q useless one" That they erred in
| their judgment is shown today at the
| City Hall. Following is a list of those
| dismissed:
| Adolph Zeitler. Patrick ]. O'Cornor,
John Dicker and Edward 1eyl, clerks
in the tax office; Thomas Fleming and
Bernard Kelly, assistants in the sealer
of weights and measures Office, and
John Desch, clerk in the same office;
JoHH mart, Hedd ATIHur foar~
low, assistant janitor; Patrick Scanlon,
elevator man; John ]. McGovern and
John j. Flynn, watchmen, and William
Cody, driver Of the almshouse wagon.
The dropping of three men from the
office of the sealer of weights and
measurs leaves Mr.. Sullivan alone in
the office, and but two men on the out
side to attend to the inspection Of
weights and measures of the whole city.
Mr.. Sullivan is indignant at the treat
ment that his Office has received
So is James Wiseman. the custodian
of the building. His head janitor.
James Hart was dropped, and his force
greatly reduced. as above stated.
When seen today James Wiseman,
custodian of the City Hall, said:
THE loss of the various people af-
fected by this order is a serious handi-
cap in the several departments in
which these people were employed Tho
elevator service is badly crippled, and
1 am at loss to know just how this
branch of the department work Is 10
be properly handled, as we have only
three elevators running, where we
formerly had five. 1t Is difficult to see
how the service of the hall can ne
efficiently maintained under the new
conditions"
City Sealer of Weights and Measures
John H. Sullivan said today that his
department was badly Handicapped by
the discharge of the men that were az
feeted by the order that went into ef-
feet today.
II am practically alone in the office
now" said Mr.. Sullivan, land when I
have occasion to go out, must lock the
door and keep the department closed.
Under the new order have only
enough assistants for the outside de-
tails and the work of the office here Is
without attention when am compelled
to leave"
Tax Receiver Robert l.. Ross said the
loss of his clerks would be felt less now
than If the order had gone into effect
a little sooner.
This is our dull season." said Mr..
Ross today land we are not crowded
in our work. but the less Of the men ro-