Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-10-22
COUNCIL IN FUSS
OVER MINOR JOB
Drawn-Ou Controversy Avert
ed by Shifting Responsible
ity to Committee.

Despite the fact that the meeting
vas the final one before election day
last nights session of the Orange
Common Council threatened to dupli-
cate previous exhibitions over the ap-
pointment of a man to a minor job,
but some of the members declined to
be again drawn into a c%ontroversy
and the teapot tempest created by
Councilman Charles A. LeMaster
subsidized.
The Republican leader. who has
been at the head of a Republican,
Democratic combination, started the
verbal pyrotechnics when President
John c. Fineran called the ward for
final business. He asker about re-
cent changes at the water plant, and
7. Allen Smith, chairman of the com
mittee, gave an explanation. He said
Engineer Henry Berg had made pro-
motions when the resignation of an
engineer, George Mcclellan, provided
the opportunity. MI. Smith said the
engineer had advised advances for
men who showed ability.
THE resignation of Mcclellan was
sent in on September 49, retorted Mr..
LeMaster. The water committee
chairman was asked to call a meet
ing and have the Common Council
confirm the appointments. the men
have received no money and cannot
until council confirms their selections.
1t is not the first time the chairman
of the water committee has gone over
the heads of the committee, and IL
seems that some one has been derelict
in his duty in not having a resolution
here confirming the selections"
Mr.. Smith explained the selections
were favored by Mr.. Berg n denied
that IN Interior motive figured in
the situation. An adjournment was
taken when a resolution that Water
Clerk Schieman and City Counsel
Lord We're expected to have prepared,
was put in shape and the Mcclellan
vacancy was given to John Kelly.
Peter Duff was made fireman. sue
ceeding Kelly. Mr.. LIE Master Their
put in a motion to give a 50 a day job
as helper, which had formerly been
Duff's, to John Tierney.
Calls 1t Petty Politics.
i name Patrick Lafferty for the
place" spoke up Chairman Smith.
And thought 1t was understood in
this body we were to accept the
recommendations of our engineer.
This appointment is a small matter.
certainly, and Mr.. Lafferty, who. was
named by the engineer, is giving sat
isfactory service. We do not Wantt
politics to enter into the operation of
our municipal plant. and i think Mr..
is playing petty politics.
Councilman Cheetham drew from
Mr.. Smith the statement that he
named Lafferty when Engineer Berg
asked him, as chairman. for a man.
and then Councilman LeMaster
chided the First ward man for failure
to call his water committee together.
He denied any attempt at playing
politics. The situation was getting
interesting when Councilman Henry
J. Stetson stepped into the breachl
and smoothed affairs over by Offering
a motion to put the appointment back
to the water committee. Mr.. LeMas-
ter got only the votes of Councilmen
Cheetham, Coleman, Coyne and Quinn
for his man, and the little furry was
over.
Argument Over Tax Books.
Mr.. LeMaster started another dis
cussion when he favored action to
compel the tan assessors to turn in
their books, but President John c..
Fineran ended the dispute by stating
hat he understood the books went
to the county board today. Mr.. Lee
Master said there had been consid-
cradle delay in getting the books, but
Councilman owen p. Casey reminded
the opposition leader that the county
tax board had been somewhat be-
midland. too. in directing the re-
quest for action to legalize a tax
rate of $2.22
The Civics Club of Orange asked
council to again take up the ques-
ton of revising the names and num-
bers of the streets. which now cause
much confusion. The Civics Club
favors the Van Ness plan. which has
been before the municipalities of the
Oranges on a previous occasion. An
inventor of q garbage moderator
named Nyefrom Oklahoma sent along
a proposition for one of his contriv-
ances, and the letter went to the pub
lie health committee.