Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1910-05-07

| A number of matters of unusual I'M
portance were discussed and disposed
of at last nights meeting Of the Com
mon Council, chief among them being
the ousting of sixteen Democrats VINO
now hold positions in the City Hall
This action was a result Of the caucuses
held recently by the steering" COM
mittee of the Republican majority OF
the council although the action taken
last night was not as sweeping as the
original plans had contemplated.
The action of the New Idea members
of the committee In withdrawing from
the conferences that were held to pave
the way for the displacement OF nearly
fifty Democrats caused the remaining
members of the committee to modify
their plans, and in order to clothe last
nights action with some semblance OF
reasonable motive the removals were
recommended on the ground that the
offices affected were Unnecessary"
AS each of the sixteen positions was
voted on separately, and as each was
introduced with preamble stating that
the office was useless and unnecessary
and waste of the peoples money" 1t
took considerable time to dispose of the
entire list, and it was after 2 o'clock
this morning when the last Of the six
teen had been voted out of office. The
vote in each instance was 10 to 13, and
the division was strictly along party
| lines.
Ousted Men TO Sock Court Aid.
| 1t Is certain that the action Of the
council last night will be fought In
the courts, as the removal Of the men
affected is regarded as illegal by the
Democratic members of the council,
and the opinion was freely expressed
both during and after the meeting that
the action would be reversed by the
courts.
The removal of the sixteen men was
not accomplished until after a hard
| fight by the Democratic minority. who
bitterly opposed each motion that was
introduced in connection with the dis
placements Alderman MCGOWAN said
the alleged economical motives behind
the recommendation OF the Republican
majority were mere subterfuges, and
he advanced the opinion that it would
not be long before an effort was made
to fill the Offices again with Republi-
cans. tt ta#<
Despite the arguments Of the Demo-
cratic alderman and the presentation
of facts showing the efficiency of the
present makeup of the sealer's office,
the program of the Republican mem
bers went through and the three assist
ants were removed. The removals take
effect on May 81, but 1t is likely that
certiorari proceedings will be Instituted
and the matter put up to the courts.
Market Licenses Fight.
Another animated discussion followed
the introduction of an ordinance by
Alderman Whitfield permitting the city
to sell stand licenses in the Centre
Market to the highest bidder. when the
present holders retire from business OF
die Under The present system the
stands are transferred by private sale
and the city gets no revenue from the
transactions. MIR. Whitfield defended
his measure and pointed out how the
city would benefit from the ordinance in
question.
Aldermen Congleton and Grice also
spoke in favor of the measure, while
Aldermen Baum, Biertuempfel, Nc
Guire and Wohlfarth argued against
It, When 1t came to vote the ordi-
nance was beaten by vote OF 90 to TO-
The ordinance providing for the pay
ment of salary of $500 to the alder
men was also approved. as was the
ordinance increasing the salary OF the
Mayors secretary to $500 year.
At City Clerk Connelly's suggestion
the salaries OF the following clerks in
his department were increased as in
dicated: Fred NJ Sommers, from $1,000
to 1890; Jay w. Connolly, from $1,000
to $1.32O; John Cavanaugh, from $1,000
to $1,000. Mary Young was appointed a
temporary clerk at $50 a month.
The City Hall ordinance was amended
by Alderman Congleton to read so that
the salary of the chief engineer In
charge of the City Hall engine-room
shall not be more than $1,000 year
The assistant engineers will get $1,000
instead of 81. 500, and the firemen $1,000
instead Of $1,000. The section provid-
ing for head janitor was also stricken
out and II the ordinance is approved by
the Mayor 1t win mean that James
Hart will lose his place.