The Van Buren press., 1912-09-21
Ben L. Griffin Tells Why He Resigned;
Dave Gates Replies, Alleging IncOmpetency

]
tiring Of the present administration,
but in this | was mistaken"
Mr. Griffin says that things moved
along smoothly and that Mr.. Gates
assured him his work was satisfac-
tory, until the middle of May 1912,
! when he was notified by Mr.. Burge
that Mr. Gates was demanding that
! Griffin be discharged as incompetent.
Commissioner Brown told him the
same thing, and Griffin then had a
personal interview with Gates, who
said that Griffin's work had displeas-
ed him very much.
Said Commission Made a Mistake.
In fact" said Mr Griffin, Mr..
Gates said my work had humiliated
him all over the state, and he further
Inundated me by saying that he had
| seen from the very commencement OF
my connection with the commission
! that they had made very grave mis-
take; and while he understood my
situation. etc, and that the commits
! sion did not wish to fire me- but un
less i would agree to pay out Of my
salary the sum Of 500 per month for
about three months for some one to
do my work, that he would be com
PEELED 10 fire me"
Griffin says he assured Mr.. Gates
| il had been his intentions to get some
one to help him with the railroad and
! corporation assessments. This was
| on June II, and Griffin says Gates
told him, mo, you must pay for the
work being done, and if you will do
this you can draw the salary until
the first Of January, 1913, and in con-
sideration Of this you need not come
about the office" June is, S. NJ.
Gates began the work of preparing
the assessments of utilities corpora
tions, and Griffin was then informed,
said he, that he would be expected
to pay him 500 per month out Of his
salary as long as Commissioner Gates
might elect. Now, after a full con
sideration, Mr. Griffin says, Il posi-
lively refuse to pay the 800 per month
demanded Of me, or any part thereof,
and | shall take my case before the
people and let them decide it as they
see fit" He says he is convinced
Commissioners Burge and Brown had
no part in the transaction.
Mr.. Gates Replies to Charges
So much for the grievance of Mr..
Griffin. In his letter replying to
these charges, Mr. Gates says Mr..
Griffin had been seeking a position
since the commission was organized,
and that the governor had requested
the commission to employ him II pos
slble. January /, 1911, he says Grif-
fin came to him, declaring that he
was down and out" having spent all
his money in the race for congress the
year before, and that he must have
something to do The only vacancy
was the clerkship at $1,000 a year.
Griffin succeeded in arousing my
sympathy" says Mr.. Gates, and final
ly against my better judgment, !
agreed to support him and secure his
election. was not in politics, and
cared nothing for his political Influ-
cucc had no interest in the race
for chief clerk Of the house, besides
no one seemed to regard Griffin ser.
iously in connection with the chief
clerkship. No one sought my sup
port for him, with the view of elm.
mating him from the clerkship race. -
Mr.. Gates says that Messrs, Mar.
lineau and Griffin were responsible
for inducing the legislature to in.
crease their salaries, and that not a
member OF the tax commission would
have recommended the raise had Chey
been consulted The governor vetoed
the item for salary Of stenographcr,
but If the commission had been con,
suited, Il would have recommended
that the item for clerk be vetoed
instead.
Commission Given More Work
In 1909 $. NJ, Gates was in the gov.
crnment service at $1,000 a year. but
he accepted the position Of steuogra
phor at $500, Commissioner Gates him.
self financing the position The leg
islaturc Of 1871 assigned the com.
mission about three times as much
work by giving II the franchise tax
to handle Griffin and MartIneal ad
mlitod they were unable, unassIsted
to do the extra work, and II It were
not done right, the franchise tax aud
the assessment OF SSL000,0OO worth
Of property would be jeopardI1od,
Three clerks must be had for
ihrco months" said Mr. Gates, "and
one Of three things must be dono'
81. We could allow MOrtIneau
$1,000 year Of the $500 approprl
ated for the secretary and Mas JAG
OLSON $1,000 a year Of the $500 ap
propratod for clerk, thereby sayinp
from the two items 5000 a year We
could then employ another clerk Al
5000 n year, for the full year. or O
first class man FOR the three summer
months at cost Of $500, thereby say
Ing SlOo year out OF the appropri
alton which aggregated $4,000 year
I'm either case we could consistently
ark the legislature 20 mako an lnpro
prlauon 90 cover the back mlary
Neither Of these arrangements would
have been subject to legal objection
The commission unQuostIonobly hOt