Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-10-11
G. 0. P. MEMBERS
WASTEFUL,|SS SAID
Works Board Raises Engineers
Salaries Over Democratic
Minority's Protest.
COMMISSIONER KRAEMER
POINTS AT INCONSISTENCY
''When Living Wage Was Asked
for laborer Republicans
Cried There's Nc Money"

Wilful waste of the public's money
was charged to the Republican ma
jority of the Board of Works at yes
terday afternoons meeting, when a
resolution vas offered increasing the
salaries Of sixty employees of the
engineering department. The Demo-
cratic minority, through DIR. Charles
II, Kraemer. sought to prove that
there was not sufficient money on
hand to warrant the increases, but
even this failed to stop the majority
and the increases went into effect.
featured by a wordy tilt between
Commissioners Kraemer and Den
man. The former declared that it
was nothing more than a political
trick of the Republicans to manu-
facture votes. He made a telling
point of the fact that soma time ago
when the street cleaners under the
board made a request for a living
wage the Republicans refused the
request until forced to grant it. At
that time he said the claim was made
that there was not sufficient money
on hand to warrant the increase
asked. Since then, he continued, one
would be led to believe that there
is a heap of money coming in, for in
creases of salary are being granted
right and left.
DIR. Kraemer made a vigorous pro-
test against the Offering of the reso-
luton in question, and this brought
about the clash with Commissioner
Denman. The motion In typewrit-
ten form was presented by Chief En-
gineer Morris r. Sherrerd, who pre-
pared 1t at the direction of the board
n supplied copies to the commits
s,oners yesterday. At the meeting of
the finance committee, (Which pre-
coded the board session, Mr.. Sher-
rerd read the resolution, and ut this
time DR., Kraemer brought out thai
the chairman of the committee was
not conversant with the merits of the
wholesale increase.
DIR. Kraemer compared the atti-
tude of the board on the question
before the body with that assumed
when the laborers asked for more
money and made his point as to
where the money was coming from.
lie then attacked the argument that
the high cost of living was RESPONSE
BILE for the increase by disclosing
that Robert Baumann and Carlyle c..
Hoch, classified as rodmen and re-
reiving SIS and $3.50 a week .respec-
lively on the list, were paid a. large
sun over that amount last week.
With the payrolls in front of him the
commissioner read off that Baumapn
had received $21.50 and Hoch 1858
last week. The difference was for
overtime and the engineering depart
ment was quoted as saying that
these men were really assistant en-
gineers. If this was true DIR. Kraemer
disputed the wisdom of classifying
them<as rodmen in the surveyors
department.
IF these men draw such compen-
sation weekly then they are not in
great need of more money" said the
commissioners.
Superintendent of the Water De-
partment George Sanzenbacher ,ex-
planned hat the drawing for over
time was unusual and occurred last
week. because the men were COM
PEELED to work early and late in keep
ing up the pressure in sections of the
city while improvements were being
made in reservoirs,
Commissioner Denmari, after telling
of the difficulty of retaining compe-
tent young men, such as Baumann
- TIT 1900 1La la-V v,-.
paid by the city accused DIR. Kraciner
of "howling" so that he could reach
the newspapers and demanded that
he reply in the same loud tone to his
question as to who his friend was
that directed his eye to Baumann and
Uoch.
DIR. Kraemer said hat he noticed the
Hoch and Baumann differences by
comparing the list with the payrolls
and their names were firmly i'm
planted on his memory because he
had been approached by several men
and asked to vote for increases for
them: If he talked loud he said he
did so as representing the taxpayers
who were crying against the extrav-
agance of the Board of Works.
II believe as a taxpayer" he added,
shat the Board of Works is now
paying out more money than 1t
should and it behooves everyone of
us, Republican and Democrat, to face
the music and admit the charge.
There are more jobs than are neces-
sary and men are being o%verpaid. If
YOU Republicans are doing this to
make yourselves more solid in the
eyes of your henehmen and friends
and care nothing about the taxpayers
then my argument must stand. Your
budget was curtailed by the Demo-
cratic finance committee and the
taxpayers are shouting for a change
in the Board of Works and a reor-
ganization. If you put this through
you are making the mistake of your
iiyes,". shouted the commissioner,
vehemently.
S"All of which Is a campaign speech
delivered in true campaign fashion,"
came back Mr.. Denman. "Glittering
~generalities. that Is all. We are all
trying to do our noble duty, at least
some of us are. We should not use
our office to attract votes. If the
charges made by the commissioner is
true then let him name ten men who
are not needed and are being over
paid. l defy him to do So"
The discussion ended and Presider'
BO'Connel put the motion with DIR.
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