Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-01-23
IRVINGTON TRADE
BOARD At BANQUET
Well-Known Speakers Talk on
Progress and Home
Rule.

One hundred men, including mem
bers and guests, attended the fifth
annual banquet Of the Irvington
Board of Trade. held last night at the
Speedway Tavern. in Springfield ave
nue.. Seated at the guests table with
the president, Charles H. Stewart,
were the speakers, John D. Prince, Of
Passaie county. former president. Of
the senate. and the Rev. James h
Mcdonald the officers of the board,
ce-President James b. Bnchan,
Secretary Walter S. Gray, Treasurer
Carl F. KEGS, former Presidents w
Eugene Turton and Gilbert c. Highly
and the members of the banquet COM
mittee. Harry J. Stanley. chairman:
James H. Byrne, Michael A. Dougher.
Charles Fl. Egelin and Julius G. Sieo
Mr.. Mcdonald said the spirit II
progress permeates the atmosphere Of
the land. He opposed the stand-pat
doctrine. and urged the members Of
the board and citizens to turn their
faces to the rising sun.
Mr.. Prince made an urgent appeal
for home rule. He said.
Every power of local government must
emanate from Trenton. and is theoretical
ly to be granted or withhelds' said the
speaker, whenever the Legislature sees
fit. We must remember that this was not
really a case of usurpation by an ex-
ternal central force, because the mem
bers of cur Legislature have always. even
In Colonial days, been freely chosen by
the municipal as well as by the rural
voters to represent them In the central
capital. 1t has therefore. been a grad
ual and deliberate Yielding of rights on
the part OF the municipalities them
selves rather than a forcible assumption
of local privileges by the Legislature.
Now that the necessity for such central
regulation Of purely municipal affairs has
practically ceased to exist, II Is the pre-
vailing popular idea that a greater lee
way must be given to the municipalities
purely local affairs, and 1t Is on this
account that we hear so much OF home
rule. Municipal ring rule held sway be
fore the people were awake to the real
character of the boss, whose development,
by the way, is most interesting para
graph in the history OF American govern
ment.
municipal functions which belong. beyond
all doubt. to the municipalities and not
70 the State, but over which the state
at present exercises an inefficient control;
such are street railways wholly urban.
disposal of sewage. so far as this does
not involve encroachment. local debt as
already indicated, and even taxation so
far is il effects the municipality alone.
All these and other functions should De
turned over to local control as soon as
possible. and this may be safely done,
now that the people have become ade-
quately educated as to the dangers of the
municipal ring.
You have here in Irvington over II. 600
residents. You have begun to. develop
local industries. You should feel the
same interest here in your municipal
growth as residents of larger and more
| complex municipalities are compelled TO
| feel in their own. You, together with
| towns are at the present moment a
battle-ground of democracy. If you sue
coed here in maintaining your local pa
triotism. and by this | mean the inter
est in the development of this municipal
fly which should be felt by every voter,
you win have gone a long way towards
that political efficiency that is never in
conflict with true democracy. but only
with the false democracy which we are
I all of US striving to eliminate