Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-01
MINORITY CHARGE
EXTRAVAGANCES
That Faction in Education
Board Explains Why 1t Seeks
Department Consolidation.

Charging that the engineering de-
| partment has been maintained at a
cost. at least 10 per cent. more than
| it should be and that there have been
irregula rites in the system of as
signing expenditures, the minority OF
| the buildings, grounds and supplies
committee of the Board of Educa-
ton submitted a report last night
| In which reasons were given why the
engineering and architectural depart
ments should be consolidated.
The minority claims that the rec
ords show the engineering depart
ment cost about $4,000 to MAINTAIN
during the last year. which, IL is be-
leved. is at least ten per cent. more
than 1t should be.
1t is pointed out nv the minority
that the department cost on new
work has been kept down by charg-
ing more to the repair account than
rightfully belongs there.
The Recommendation.
The recommendation in the report
includes the suggestion that the re-
pair department. now included in the
engineering division, be merged with
the general repair department for the
sake of economy as well as efficiency.
II is also advised that the chief
clerk in charge of the plumbing and
heating repairs be transferred to the
Same department at an annual
salary of 81 200. 1t is asserted that
the recommendation for consolidating
the repair department is largely due
to an investigation which has shown
that Roth departments can be main
ia med at a total cost of only per
cent.
The report states that the total sal
arv under the plan recommended is
SC120. which. deducted from the en-
cheering departm ent's present eX-
pense. would effect a saving of abolt
S7781 n wear This does not take into
considera ton the SAVING of general
bookkeeping and simplifying Of ac-
cc1nts which the minority considers
would be Verv noticeable. IT is also
pointed out that an Investigation nf
the systems used in other and larger
cities show that in M instance do
thew maintain douhle-headed depart
ments to say nothing of double
headed repair DEPARTMENTS
Salaries Much Lower Elsewhere,
In none IF the cities investigated
do the employees of the engineering
departments receive higher salaries
than are paid in Newark. continues
the report, and in the majority of
cases the we HluC0 lOWt1.
The report concludes:
Therefore. in view Of the informa-
ton received from the educational
boards of various cities, the minority
recommends that within 2 reasonable
date. say December 81, 1919. the en-
gineering department of the Board
of Education as now constituted be
abolished and the necessary men, as
outlined, be transferred to the arehi-
tectural and general repair depart
ments and the surplus employees be
SUSPENDED on account of lack of
work.
knights Place Would BE Cut Out.
If the recommendation of the
minority are put into effect one of the
results would be the suspension of Su-
pervising Engineer George w. Knight,
against whom charges of doing out
side work were made last May These
charges were dismissed last night on
the ground that they had not been
substa n tiated.
Commissioner Johnson. who caused
the charges against Mr.. Knight to be
brought to the fore, claimed that the
engineer used his own time and that
of his subordinates in the interests of
the George W. Knight Company at a
time when they should have been
working for the board. The resolu-
ton dismissing the charges, which
was squeezed through by a close vote,
stated that the charges were shown
to be of trivial character"