Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-10-21
Alderman Says Works
Board Has Too MANY
DeSkmen.
DEPARTMENT OLD MEMS
HOME, SAYS A MERCHANT
Condition, He Adds, "A Dis
grace to City and all
Imposition

"There is no doubt of the fact that
the streets in this city are dirty and
that for the amount of money spent
yearly we ought to show better re-
suits" This statement was made to-
day by David Wolff, member of the
Market Street Business Mems Associa-
ton
1.-THE street cleaning force is home
for old men, and, in a measure,
charitable institution" said Mr.. Wolff.
II do not say that all the old men
should be gotten rid of, for some of
them ought to be taken care of, but I
do say that there is some dead wood
on the force that ought not to be
there. Some of the men are not de-
pendent pon their own efforts and
can get along without working. These
men should be discharged"
Mr. Wolff was asked to mention some
street that he thought was especially
dirty.
"I will take my own street." he laid,
High street. Let me tell you that
High street is a disgrace to the city,
and it is an imposition to permit it to
remain in the condition it now is The
street is always dirty and especially
when 1t Is newly oiled. The oil used Is
the cheapest kind and Is the cause OF
running carpets in homes.
For the amount of money we spend
annually to clean our streets they ought
to be in excellent shape. | do not want
to criticise unnecessarily, but 1t does
seem that conditions should be better
than they are now. l am not speaking
of Market street, because l know that
the pavement is uneven and for that
reason 1t Is hard to keep 1t clean. L
am speaking now of smooth pavements,
where 1t is possible to have a street as
clean as 1t ought to be-"
Mr. Wolff, like most of the other men
asked to give their opinion of the con-
dition of the streets. smiled at first
and said that it is unnecessary to give
an opinion, because any one can see
that the highways were dirty without
having to ask the question.
The consensus Of opinion seems to be
that younger men could do better work,
and that some of them should be en-
gagged Immediately, even though 1t is
necessary to pay more for their serv-
ices.
OF the citizens seen by a reporter on
this question not one thought that
larger appropriation should be allowed
the Board of Works for street cleaning
purposes.
The pay roll of the street cleaning
department of the Board of Works for
the year 1910 was $226,s70.10. DR.. Charles
F. Kraemer, of the Board of Works,
admits that despite the expenditure of
all this money the streets are dirty A
prominent city official, member OF
the Common Council, who asked that
his name be not mentioned, when re-
quested to tell how it would be pos
sible to keep the city's streets clean
without spending more money, said:
"Cut down your pay roll. There are
enough men in the Board of Works
to take care of a city twice the size
of Newark There are too many desk
Jobs and too many soft snaps.
Look over the offices in the City
Hall occupied by the various depart
ments of the Board of Works and you
will find that there are two men for
each Job. Instead of having parasites
in the department there ought to be a
wholesale discharge and then the
street cleaning force, the men that
actually do the work, ought to be in
creased and our streets kept cleaner.
The real workmen would then be paid
more for their work than they now
are
"I favor paying street cleaners more
money" continued the alderman "They
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