Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-07-01
Returns It to City Clerk To-
day Unsigned and Accom-
panied by Reasons.
OBJECTS TO PROVISIONS
ON COMMON LABORERS. y
Would Not Affect Other;
Boards Employees If Passed
Is Attorneys Opinion.

The much discussed ordinances
providing that permanent Employed
Of the city must have 0een resident]
citizens for two years previous tQ1
appointment and must remain rcat
dents during terms of employuI
has been disappToved by Mayor
Garretson. He filed a set of rea
and suggestions in conjunction
the ordinance in question with d&yA
Clerk Wilbur LaRoe today. Thfsax
VIII probably be laid before the al-i
dermen at their committee meeting
Thursday night.
Mr.. Garretson regards the tftle of,
the ordinance as defective in that it,
assumes to regulate employees of any
board or department of the city. He
states 1t Is the opinion of City Attor-.
ney G. G. Hommann that it is al
within the power Of the council r.
regulate employees Of at least thr =
city departments. 1. g., those 6t
health, excise and water.
The city's chief executive declares
himself to be heartily in sympathy,
with the councils policy to have en-
ployes of the municipality residents
thereof, but he does not agree to the
provision excepting common labor
ers. He suggests that provisions of
the ordinance be altered SO that per-,
sons employed in city departments
over which the council has control
be "a resident citizen or citizens Of
this city, etc, except that when it
Is found necessary or desirable to
secure services of men with technt-
cal training, non-residents may be
employed If no suitable person can
be procured in the city.
AS was stated at the public hear
ing before the mayor last week, the
ordinance does not hinder the Board
OF Health from appointing an out-of-
town man as food inspector It Is
claimed, despite statements to the
contrary, that the measure was es-
pectally designed to oppose the
health board in that respect. What
action might follow the mayors dis
approval is to be threshed out among
the aldermen.
Mayor Garretson's statement in.
full, which accompanies the return
of the ordinance, is as follows:
After carefully considering the
ordinance to establish, regulate and
control employees of city departments.
| have decided to withhold approval
In its present form.
| regard the title as defective in
that 1t assumes regulation Of the
employees of any board or department
Of the city. 1t is the opinion of the
city attorney that 1t is not within the
power of your board to regulateF ~
control employees of at least tn.
city departments, health, excise am.
water. n
Section 1 provides that mo person
or persons shall be appointed or en-,
ployed by the council or by any
board or department of the City OF
Perth Amboy to any permanent posi-
ton, excepting common laborers.
unless he, she or they shall have been
a resident citizen or citizens of this
city for at least two years previous
to their appointment or employ
ment."
l am heartily in accord with YOU
In the policy that employees Of the
city should be residents thereof, and
the charter provides that all officers
must be. Amy board that selects en-
pIoyes under any other policy will.
no doubt. be subjected to much criti-
S'DAi' VIZ NV dBl CC, hC WSFGT, TO
the provision excepting common
laborers, 1 have frequent applica-
tions from persons seeking employ
ment in street work or other depart
ments requiring labor, who ask as
sistance in obtaining such employ
ment, and the argument usually adj
vanced by the applicant is that he
has resided here for several years. Ia
sometimes a taxpayer, and therefore
should have preference over outside.
laborers or nOn-citizens / have had
two such applications within the last
two days l think that for all per-
manent positions of that Character
no difficulty would be found in oh
tanning employees who have been
residents for one or two years, and
as the remuneration is not high I
feel that they should have protection
against the outsider" On the other
hand a condition might arise when
1t became necessary to employ
person or persons in some depart
ment who had technical training In
the work required, and under those
circumstances If such person could
not be obtained in the city, the re-
strictions of this ordinance might
prove detrimental to the city's in
terest.
Continued on page 81
- -----------