Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-24
SEWER DEPT. IN
NEED OF FUNDS
Commissioner Denman Declares
Present Appropriation Will
Not Last the Year.
WORKS BOARD WILL ASK
FOR $4,000 ADDITIONAL
Glllen Lays Blame for Shortage
to Mismanagement-Mem-
bers in Tilt.

SuDuilLeu TO MIN Dy Charles NJ
Shipman, general superintendent of
the Board of Works. Commissioner
Arthur r. Denman, chairman of the
sewer and water committee, declared
he would be unable to finish out the
year without an additional appropria-
ton from the finance committee of
the City Council Although the re-
port showed that he would only run
over his appropriation about $3.50
still he asked for an additional $4,-
900 for his department.
Commissioner Denman read a re-
port from Charles M Shipman, gen.
eral superintendent of works, asking
that some provision be made to cover
the operations of the sewerage and
water department for the rest Of the
year and stating that they would be
shy about $3.50 In their fixed charges
for the year. He supplemented fig
ures showing that the receipts and
money left would not tide them over
and asked that something be done by
the board.
After preliminary talk between the
various members of the board. Com
missioner Charles F. Kraemer made
a motion that the president OF the
board confer with the finance COM
mittee of the City Council to get some
relief for the department.
In defense of his position Commits
sioner Denman said that although his
department had spent about $2,000 on
the Peddie street pumping station
during the year 1t was not all for I'M
provements as some of the members
had insinuated, but that 1t was only
repairs that came up in the ordinary
routine work of the department, and
that the repairs were very necessary.
Trouble I'm Appropriation
THE trouble lies in the appropria-
ton end of it," declared Commission
er Denman. my appropriation was
cut $500 by the economies, II they
can be called such, although the es-
t'mating committee based their ex-
penditures on a minimum basis.
have laid off men and done all that
can be done towards keeping within
my appropriation, but it is impos-
sible.
1.-THE trouble is that the leaves and
other refuse from the streets are
washed into the sewers and we need
more men than we are employing to
keep the sewers in proper condition
How we are going to pull through the
year on our present stan OF heiI
without impairing the city's health
don't know. We should have at least
81. 900 more, and I wish to make an
amendment to Commissioner Krae-
mer's motion-that the finance COM
mittee of the City Council be request
ed to appropriate 81 900 at the earliest
possible moment for use by my de-
partment This is not a matter OF
politics: it is matter of business"
For fully two minutes after Com
missioner Denman had offered his
amendment no one seconded the mo
ton. Commissioner Charles p. GIL.
len. chairman of the street and high
way committee, then arose.
81 want to say that 1t is through
no fault of the street department
that the chairman of the sewers ano
drainage committee is behind or
his appropriation The streets of the
CITY are in the best possible condi-
ton. We have 225 men at work eight
hours of the day; that's saying
enough The street department is In
good shape and efficient, and if there
Is blame in the sewer department
| it must be kept there.
"As to the leaves being washed
into the sewers and clogging them
I'D. 1t is hardly probable, as l make
inspections right along and the only
chance that some leaves might have
been swept into the sewers was dur
ing the recent storm. Any trouble In
the sewer department is due to sewer
department management, and l Will
not shoulder any of the blame"
Commissioners in Tilt.
In a flash Commissioner Denman
was on his feet with a come back
az Gillen. 1.-THE commissioner shows
himself stupid by making such a
statement. and he is not telling the
truth and he knows it, and he is
stupid and doesn't know it if he says
the streets are always kept free OF
leaves"
The repartee continued when Gillen
arose and said: Commissioner Den
man is the prodigal relic of a de-
funct body that formerly controlled
the board"
'Pd rather be a relic than de-
liberate falsifier," Commissioner
Denman hurled back at Gillen, and
before either of them could proceed
further in the argument Commits
sioner DIR Kraemer arose and sought
to compromise the situation, at the
same time not losing an opportunity
to take a parting shot at the chair
man of the sewer committee.
This is big business proposition
and there might be some justification
in each statement" said Commits
the sewer department had been in
some economists hands 1T might have
been kept inside of the appropriation
but that is neither one way nor the
other. We must help the department
out. now ask that my former mo
ton be put before the board" The
motion was duly seconded and the
finance committee of the City Counci
will be asked to help the sewers ano
drainage department get throusH
the year.
When seen last night and asked
about the 'falsifier" allegation made
by Commissioner Denman, Commits
sioner Gillen said:
"The remark came, when Commis-
sioner Denman lost his temper
through my disclosure of his scheme
to make political capital during the
heIgth of a campaign by endeavorlns
to throw the blame of his misman-
agement on the the other departments
of the board, including the street de-
partment.
II did not take the accusation seri-
ously, considering it the report of an
angry man, uttered when his argu-
ment had been exploded by plain
facts.
II reiterate what I said during the
meeting that the 225 men now en-
ployed by the street department ae-
complish more work in two days than
was done oy the more than 300 en-
ployed during the old regime. Com
missioner Denman grew up with an
extravagant administration and can
not adjust either himself or his de-
partment to the economic policy now
being pursued"