Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-05-31
CITY IS TIRED OF
COMMISSION RULE
Long Branch Waiting with Club
for Governor Wilson,
Who Urged Scheme.

LONG BRANCH, May Sl.-rhis place
is waiting with a fgurative club in its
hypothetical hand for Governor Woodrow
Wilson and hoping that on his first APP
pearance he will say something about
one of his f~ayorite subjects-'The Com
mission Form of Government"
Long Branch has had the commission
and it has had so much of it that 1t is
preparing to put into action very soon
another of Governor Woodrow Wilson'S
pet projects, the referendum.
In fact the only good thing about the
commission form is that 1t carries the
referendum and recall with it," say the
citizens of the shore resort. And the
worst thing about 1t is that we ant vote
ourselves back into the old system OF
having a Mayor aud councilmen. But
were going to stop the doings of these
commission form officials, anyhow"
Long Branch has found that it was bet
ter off under a ''ring'-at least so II says
than under the new Ideal plan This
Is what has happened latelye
In March the citizens voted TO have
themselves governed by Ave commission
ers. Governor Wilson had written letters
and sent pamphlets 10 the town telling
how much better of the people would be
Under that system. Resides, the then
Mayor, T.. w. Packer, had just been In
dicted for accepting a bride from an
aSnha1tinU sppnpanN RRfnrna ahxiotetv
was needed.
Fifty-seven candidates appeared for the
Ave positions. On May Z the lucky Ave
were chosen. and on May IA they took
office. As Long Branch voted that day,
1t held high hopes Of an ideal system of
government.
Vote Themselves Big Salaries.
The commissioner turned out to be:
Commissioner OF public affairs and Mayor.
Bryan Il. Newcomb, formerly city clerk;
commissioner of finance, Frank l.. How
land, formerly city comptroller; commits
sioner of public safety and recorder,
Thomas v. Arrowsmith, formerly re-
corder; commissioner of parks and public
buildings, John w. Flock, formerly city
assessor, and commissioner of streets,
MbiSudh Nppiitsf lhhtpNhhVhNiN ~ h'N
hitherto unattached to political office.
The five went into office on May Ia, and
their first official act was 10 vote them.
selves salaries. The salaries were as
follows;
Mr.. Newcomb, $500 formerly got
1900; Mr.. Rowland, 5000 formerly got
$S00)i Mr.. Arrowsmith, $1,000 formerly got
5000: Mr.. Flock. $1,000 formerly got 5000
Mr.. Woolley, $1,000 never before held
o%fice).
These figures sounded a little high to
the citizens of Long Branch. but nothing
was said for a day or 30, until someone
raised the question: "When are you
commissioners going TO start TO repair
the pavements on Broadway and Ocean
avenue, which the summer automobile
visitors use" And the commissioners
answered: I've can't afford TO do 1t.
There isn't enough money in the treas
ury."
.'oh, there isn't!' said the voters.
But there's enough to double the sala-
ries you used to getl'
A closer look at the town budget
showed that not only had the five com
missioners of the new Ideal system"
TnlStu lntlI OWN nuihIiSHs pu' d run
up the total of the salaries paid TO their
appointees from $4,000 to $4,000.
"Wide OPEN Town.
And that wasn't all. The first Sunday
the commissioners were Ia Office the Sab
bath observers of Long Branch were
Mortified to see men standing up and
drinking at bars on Broadway and else
where. Also there were rumors that
some Gfty-seyen gambling houses, with
horse races, roulette. poker and craps to
bet on, we're in operation every day.
The commissioners are going to bring
gambling and racing back again and put
Long Branch where 1t used to be, as the
wicked social capital OF the United
States said the reformers.
The working people made the points
that public improvements were being
shut down and public salaries were being
doubled. And so the two classes got
together and began to draw up petitions
submitting the commission salary propo-
sition to a referendum.
The law has 1t that IL Is per cent. of
the voters sign a petition a special cleo
ton may be held to decide any question
dealing with the commission. Then the
will OF the majority of voters at the
special election is to prevail.
$1,000 Enough for Mayor.
At next Wednesdays meeting of the
Board OF Commissioners n petition that
will be signed by q good many more
than Is per cent. of Long Branch's
voters, or so they said today, will be
handed In requesting that the salaries
be cut down to $3.50 for the Mayor and
$1,000 for the others.
II the commissioners decline to grant
this petition the election will be held
within thirty days. And, the voters
predict, down will come the salaries.
At the head of the move to reduce the
financial assets of the commissioners is
the Civic Federation, headed by the
Rev. j. G. Lowell. It has circulated
most OF the petitions, but since 1t OPP
poses Sunday baseball. Sunday beer,
Sunday soda and all other things
worldly on the Sabbath the federation
will, according to all predictions. be
''chucked' by the average citizen Of
Long Branch as soon as the referendum
is decided.
With the commission form and the
referendum, however. goes the recall,
and the Long Branch voters declare
AZ I'LL. - -.