Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-10-14
MULL|K|N MAY
STICK TO NEWARK
Col. Fordyce, of Civil Service
Commission, May Be Re-
lieved Here.
REPLY TO LETTER
TO A. R. F0RDYCE, SR.
Board Refuses to Hold Up Ex-
aminations Until Member Re-
turns from Europe.

When Colonel Alexander r. Fordyce,
jr., returns from abroad he may find
himself relieved from duty in the To-
cal office of the Civil Service Com
mission and the office in charge of
Colonel James r. Mullikin, president
| of the commission. Colonel Fordyce
recently took Colonel Mullikin's place
at the City Hall and the latter be-
| came head of the Jersey City office.
Colonel Mullikin let it be known this
morning that he had hopes of re-
naming in this city, and admitted
that he told Mayor Otto Wittpenn,
of Jersey City, that he hoped to nave
shaken the dust of that municipality
from his heels when he returned to
Newark during his brother colonel's
absence.
Just what one colonel will say to
the other colonel when they meet is
not known, but friends of. Colonel
Fordyce declare he will not &c to
Jersey City even IL the commission
should suggest it.
Information gathered today indi-
Gates that the colonies will not swap
horses crossing the two streams, the
Passaic and the Hackensack, but
Just what the kernel" of the trouble
between the colonies is no one was
ready to say. That Colonel Fordyce
has learned Of contemplated changes
which may affect him was demon
strated in a letter sent by the colo
nel's father to Gardner Colby, secre-
tary and chief examiner of the COM
mission. and the reply of Colonel
MulIikin, in which he reminds Alex
ander r. Fordyce, ST., not to address
Colby as Honorable" and to address
him as secretary instead of presi-
ident.
Mr.. Fordyce's letter states hat
there are rumors of several important
changes by the commission and ex-
presses hope hal the important
changes will not be made until Colo
mel Fordyce arrives home from Eu-
o this month, because he has the
welfare of the commission, h State
and Newark at heart.
Colonel Mullikin, to whom the let
ter was sent by Mr.. Colby, informs
the writer the commission will make
any changes it sees fit. The answer
reads:
"Your letter of the 9Th instant ad-
dressed to Mr.. mot Honorable
Gardner Colby, secretary (not 'presi-
dent') State Civil Service Commits
sion. has bee forwarded to me.
II am at a loss to conceive how a
man of your supposed matured Judg-
ment should entertain idle rumors of
important changes in centempla-
ton in reference to the local Civil
Service Board in Newark without
consulting me, the present head or
the Civil Service Commission.
For good and satisfactory reasons
the commission das dismissed one
of it's employees at its Newark ONCE
and any further changes in
ton Herewith, that in it's judgment
may be necessary, will be fully con-
sidered and acted upon in
session irrespective of the absence OF
any one Of the commissioners If the
urgency of the case seems so to re-
quire."
Colonel Mullikin declared this
morning that Mr.. Colby had received
a cablegram from Colonel Fordyce
stating that he would not get back
until ovember 9, and also received
word that it was the absent com
missioner's desire that all civil serv-
ice examinations be postponed until
he arrived home.
1--WE do not propose to hold up any
examinations" said Mr.. Mullikin.
''There is no reason for postpone
ments Examinations have been held
while Mr.. Fordyce was away. We
do not know of any reason why they
should not continue to be held"
President Mullikin explained hat
his only reason for going ITO Jersey
City was hat the local branch was
in ship-shape order, and that the
Jersey City Office needed systematic
ing, so he felt it his duty to put the
place in working order.