Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-10
DEFEAT OF WALSH
ACT IS CERTAIN
Elizabeth Strongly Opposed to
Rule by Commission of
+. Five Plan.
rFrom a stan correspondent

lFrom a Stan Correspondeit.I
ELIZABETH, May 10.-The plan to over
throw the present system Of municipal
government In Elizabeth and to substitute
the commission form, upon which an cleo.
ton will be held next Tuesday, is appar-
emily beaten to a fragile. The light Is
practically over now.
The fight to abolish the City Council
and to do away with the Office of Mayor
elected by the people has been backed
by the railroad corporations and other in
terests that have been unable to make
much Roadway against the present ad-
ministration.
Elizabeth is unique among the cities of
the state In thai it has "a tax rate of
s1.66, unequaled among cities of its class,
and In the fact also that 1t has been able
for many years past to float its bonds at
an interest rate of 4 per cent. 1t was a
pioneer in the movement to compel the
railroads TO abolish the grade crossings
without one cent of expense upon the
taxpayers.
II Is now proposed to take the power
Of electing the Mayor out of the hands
Of the people and TO have the Mayor
elected from ambush by a caucus of five
commissioners, who shall choose one of
flfmHeLYeH IOT lHub nOHON. Nv WiohOo
of the people may be entirely disregarded
In the election. 1t Is also proposed to
give these Ave commissioners power to
reduce the number of commissioners from
eve TO three whenever they so will. The
particular commission plan the adoption
OF which Is being advocated gives to
these commissioners, whether they shall
be three or five, unlimited privilege to
increase the bonded debt. These COM
missioners, whether three or five, shall
have complete control over the finances
Of the city and are not required to file a
bond. The present city charter requires
the financial officers to file strong surety
bonds for the protection of the taxpayers
they represent.
Battle Against Railroads.
Mayor STEMS stand against the expen-
citure of the taxpayers money for the
abolition of grade crossings. his fight
against the Central Railroad In it's eff
fort to close streets downtown n his
well-known opposition to the closing of
streets for the benefit of the Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad, which seeks to straighten
its curve at Elizabeth. has had some
thing to do with the agitation for COM
mission government. Some of the men
whose names are signed to the commits
sion form of government petition are
officials OF the Central Railroad and
representatives of the Pennsylvania In
business transactions. The proprietors
of a factory downtown who could not
have q street closed are In h fight, 80
is the STANDARD Oil Company. The vot-
ssrs have been thoroughly aroused to
these facts and are going to give a
ouietus TO the agitation, IL indications
count for anything, next Tuesday.
The commission advocates began their
public fight with advertisements to show
that cities In the South and West have
been able to issue bonds at a better pre-
MUM than Elizabeth. Their appeal TO
bonds for campaign material is very good
Indication of what the commission people
propose IL the form OF government Is
changed. There will be plenty OF bonds
chen II the commission advocates can
| have their way and plenty Of taxes to
pay the interest.
However, Il was brought out In dis
matches to a local paper last night from
these cities that every one of them must
nav Az per cent. interest on their bonds,