Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-10-19
Alderman Archibald Crit
lClzeS Present Method
in Newark.
STAR IS ASKED TO
CRUSADE FOR REFORM
New YOrk's Plan of Paying Men
by Month Is Ad=
vOcated.

That the condition of many streets
in Newark is disgraceful. especially in
the heart of the city. is the belief of
hundreds of prominent Newarkers.
They have asked the STAR to deter
mine the reason why the city's streets
should not be kept clean at cost of
4,449.71 per year
This was the amount expended last
year This year the records of the
Board of Works show an increase of
about $4,000 for the first six months
over the 1910 report
One of the complaints made by in
dignant citizens is the fact that old
men, men hardly able to walk the
streets, are allowed to do the city's
cleaning
j. Frank Murray, registrar of labor,
who supplies the Board of Works with
an eligible list after he examines appli-
cants, says that the ages of the men
are between 40 and 55 or an average Of
about 30 years
That these men are not capable of
efficient work was the statement made
today by Alderman Alexander Archi-
bald, who is a candidate for member of
the Board of Works. He said:
1t seems to me that a great deal of
money is spent to clean the streets. and
yet we have dirty highways.
1T would be better for Newark to
adopt the New York plan, where thew
pay their men $50 a month and have
them working all the time. rather than
pay our men-old memo cents per
hour for every working hour
New York can get first class me-
chanics on their street-cleaning force.
while we have to put up with-well
what we can get.
Although under the New York plan
we would pay twice as much for the
work, we would get three times the re-
suit, and with the most modern ma
chinery we could have clean streets all
over the city, without spending a cent
more than we do now"
Despite the fact that street cleaners
are under the civil service regulations
they are not the most desirable men
that could be engaged for the work
II is well-known fact that most any
man. be he strong or not can get a.
position on the force. The registrar
OF labor simply has the applicants fill
out an application blank which testi-
lies to their character, age, residence
and such matters, and does not ask
them to go through physical test.
The Board of Works, when it Is in
need of men, sends to the commission
Tor list of eligibles and then selects
the REQUIRED number from that list.
The fact that street cleaners do not
take a physical examination has been
adversely criticised by more than one
person.
1t Is a rather peculiar circumstance
that the battalion chiefs in the fire de-
partment must pass a physical exami-
nation to become deputy chiefs, even
though they do no actual physical work
In that office, and the street cleaners,
whose work is entirely physical, need
take no examination.
That too little attention is paid to
the class of men employed for street
can be seen by anyone who
cares to look at the kind of men seen
80 NAAS 81 NSLo LOiilG liilS WOIh IHftt
are slow and their work IN
efficient.
1t is not that the men do not try to
do their best, but the fact that they
ar, physically unable to do efficient
work is objected to by the citizens
Deputy Chief Engineer James C.
Hallock, while admitting today that
the Four Corners is not as clean as
might be, said, nevertheless that the
Newark streets were cleaner than the
streets of other cities the same size and
that only with the expenditure of more
money could Newark have cleaner
streets. He explained that last year
ten miles of new street pavement were
added, and that this meant an increase
in cost Mr.. Hallock favors the New
York plan of engaging men. but does
not admit that the Board of Works is
in any way at fault for the condition
of streets.