Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-12
NEW YORK'S NEW
MAYOR JERSEY|TE
Col. Kline. Republican, Says He
Will Continue Policies
of Gaynor.


came Mayor automatically imn9-
diately upon the death Of Mayor
Gaynor under the provisions of the
city charter, and will serve during
the balance of Mayor Gaynor's term,
which expires at midnight December
81, 1918.
To make sure that no legal ques-
lions should be raised, Mayor Kline
took the oath of Office as Mayor be-
fore Justice Delany in Special Term,
Part 1. of the Supreme Court. He
did this on the advice of Corporation
Counsel Watson. He was accom-
panied to the Courthouse by Watson,
Robert Adamson. secretary to the
Mayor, and Police Lieutenant Ken
mel, of the Mayors Office.
Mayor Kline, who was born in sus-
sex county, N. j.. in 1858 and spent
his boyhood in Andover and New
ton. N. J.. was elected q member
of the Board of Aldermen in Novem-
Der, 1911. In January, 1912. when
the present board was organized, ne
was elected vice-chairman of the
board This made him the natural
successor to John Purroy Mitchell.
He was elected president of the
board when Mitchell resigned several
months ago to become collector OF
the port. He is the first alderman
to step into the Mayors office. He
Is a Republican and changes the
political complexion of the office, as
Mayor Gaynor was Democrat.
When Robert Adamson heard of
Mayor .Gaynor's death yesterday
morning he asked police headquar-
ters to send a man from the nearest
police station to Colonel Hines resi-
dence, In Carlton avenue, Brooklyn,
to notify him of the Mayors death.
AS the Colonel was stopping at
the home of his daughter in Jamaica,
the message was sent to him there,
but he had left for Manhattan and
did not learn Of the Mayors death
until he arrived In Brooklyn. lie
went at once to the Mayors office,
and, after consulting with Adamson,
ordered the flags on City Hall at
haIf-mast and issued a proclamation
to the people.
"Better to Be Sure Than Sorry"
Mayor Kline then called special
meeting of the Board of Estimate
and Apportionment to meet today
to take action on the death of Mayor
Gaynor, and Of the Board of Alder
men to meet at noon next Tuesday
for the same purpose.
While his advisers believed it was
unnecessary for him to take an oath
of office as Mayor, Mayor Kline him
self preferred to take the oath in Or
der that there should be no Dues
ton as to the legality of his acts.
ut is better to be sure than sorry"
he said, so I think I will take the
oath"
Arrangements were accordingly
made by Corporation Counsel Watson
to have him appear before Justice
Delany. The ceremony was simple.
requiring only few minutes. JUS
tice Delany was on the bench when
Mr.. Kline entered the room. He
was presented to the court by Wat
son, who said:
81 present the mayor of the city
of New York for the making and
taking of the oath of Office"
Justice Delany then said: ''Mr.
Kline, this a very solemn occasion
for you, because you are required
under the law now to assume the
headship of the government of the
city of New York. At this moment
the city is widowed and has lost one
OF its most distinguished citizens, as
we'll as it's chief executive.
1.-THE government must continue,
though men pass away: and how
ever efficient and effective may have
been the administration of the man
that has gone before you, you are
now required, under the law. to step
into his place and to perform the
duties he would have performed had
his life been spared.
"While we say a word of regret
for the dead who has passed away,
1t is proper on this occasion that we
should bid you godspeed and to trust
that your administration will be as
efficient as was his"
win Continue Gaynor's Policies.
When asked about possible changes
yesterday. Mayor Kline said:
at shall try to carry out the policies
of Mayor Gaynor during the few
months I shall be here. I believe he
gave the people the kind of an adj
ministration they wanted, and shall
try to follow his policies as closely
as I can.
1T am sorry, indeed, to be called
upon to do this work. I should have
preferred to have the mayor do that
himself"
Not many of the heads Of depart
ments went to City Hall yesterday.
Corporation Counsel Watson, Police
Commissioner Waldo and r. A. G.
Smith, commissioner of docks and
ferries, were the only ones who came.
They had brief talks with Mayor
Kline.
Mayor Kline is IS years old, a jolly
Joyous man who seldom frowns and
always has hearty word Of cheer
for his host of acquaintances. He Is
a salesman by profession, having
been engaged many years in the sale
Of neckwear, and has cultivated a
cheerful manner as a habit.
In 1876, when he was Is years old,
he came to Brooklyn from New Jer-
sey, and has been a resident of
Kings county ever since. His father
was q German and served in the
Civil War in the Twenty-seventh
New Jersey Volunteers.
Soon after he came to Brooklyn.
Mayor Kline enlisted In Company
D, of the Fourteenth Regiment. He
was promoted to a corporal, later to
a sergeant, and on through the ranks
until he became captain Of his COM
pany. Later he was promoted
through the successive ranks, until in
1901, he was elected colonel OF the
regiment, succeeding Colonel Clay
ton, who was in command during the
Spanish American War.
His promotion did not please
Brigadier- General McLeer, who COM
manded the brigade, and who sought
to force Kline to retire, but he re-
MANNED in command until he was
brevetted brigadier- general, and re-
tired in 1906.