Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-12-28
KEARNY MAYOR
FLAYS ALLIANCE
Says Mysterious Organization,
Whose Members Are Not Dis
closed, Harms Town.

In a signed statement issued today
Mayor Louis NJ Brock. of Kearny.
attacks the Kearny Civic Alliance.
The mayor charges the alliance with
doing more to injure the good name
Of the town than any other organiza-
ton, political or otherwise.
The statement Of the mayor, which
also has to do with the town clerk
squabble. is in part as follows:
"The crusade of the band of
patriots in our town, known as the
Kearny Civic Alliance, has reached
the boastful stage, where orders are
issued TO public officials generally.
It has reached the stage where they,
in the excess of religious civic
Righteousness, are endeavoring to
make the public believe that anyone
connected with the Kearny Town
Council is wicked and dishonest in
the extreme, and the text of their
talks seems to have been taken from
the prayer of the Pharisee. Thank
God. we are not like these men,
1.-The present town clerk took office
on January /. 1910. At that time it
had been customary to pay a certain
amount of salary. and the clerk was
allowed such fees as were paid to
him by citizens desiring tax searches
amounting to approximately $500 per
annum.
THE clerk, in order TO earn this
extra amount, worked nights, holidays
and even Sundays in case of rush, to
get the searches to the applicants
promptly The alliance claim was
that these fees should have gone into
the town treasury and made demand
that the council compel the clerk to
repay them to the town. Upon sub
mitting the matter to our attorney ne
could find no authority under the law
for the town to charge fee for giving
tax searches and none had been es-
tablished. 1t was therefore ques-
tionable whether the town was JUS
titled in demanding their return, if
they could not show a law whereby
they were empowered to charge such
a fee themselves. With this doubt
we did not make the demand, and
were glad to be able not to do SO, as
a matter of common justice. Know
ing that the official was very efficient
and underpaid, it seemed hardly hu-
man to compel him to return one
third of his remuneration for three
years past, If there was any oppor-
tunity of avoiding it, but this phase
has never shown in the writings of
the alliance. They were after their
pound of flesh.
There has been an opinion given
by a Judge that the position of the
alliance is legally correct and they
are gloating over 1t.
"They write of the people groanng
under the taxes, ignoring completely
the explanation made when the tax
bills were sent out, showing just
what caused the increases, and state
that the council again is raising sal
aries. doubtless trying to create the
impression that raises We're made
along the line, whereas the total IN
crease to be paid is 5000 per annum.
81 have read their silly talk of the
mayor trying to establish a political
machine. their wicked insinuation
that the Town Council are exploit
ing" the town; they have indulged
in personalities, making especial at
tack on the mayor, who was lnstru-
mental in having certain sums re-
turned by a former town collector
and as yet their membership is secret
Since the town officials are at dis
advantage in not knowing who con-
stitute this organization, | take this
opportunity to challenge the alliance
to publish a list of it's members and
list of those who have contributed
funds for the persecution OF the town
clerk