Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-05
SAYS FORDYCE
PROMPTED BILL
INCREASING PAY
Declare He Instigated Measure
Giving Civil Service Com
missioners 1000 More.
COL. MULLIKlN DECLARES
ACT WAS NOT OFFICIAL
Issues a Statement Defending
Commission from All
Blame in Case.

thority, that the bill introduced BY
Senator Ramsay increa sing the
salaries of civil service commits.
sioners, which caused Senator Slocum
to denounce Edward H. Wright, jr.
! the recently appointed commissioner
! Thursday night. was givenzto Senator
/ Ramsay by Colonel Alex Fordyce. jr,
( one of the present commissioners.
/ Colonel Fordyce. when asked by &
reporter for the Evening Star whether
he had had the bill drawn up anc
delivered to Senator Ramsay, refused
to commit himself. saying that he was
in hurry to catch a train.
The bill in question was one raising
the salary of the commissioners from
50, 500 to $4,000. 1t was introduced by
Mr. Ramsay, and was Immediately
referred to committee of which
Senator Slocum was chairman.
Bill Kept in Committee.
repeated efforts on the part of Mr.
Wright, who was appointed to succeed
Colonel James r. MullilSin on the
commission, to get the bill out of com.
mittee failed and resulted IN elasl
between Mr.. Wright and Senator Slo-
cum Thursday night As result oi
the clash Senator Sloeum succeeded
in having a resolution adopted by the
Senate denouncing Mr.. Wright as
unfit to hold public Office and de-
manding his resignation. What ac-
ton the governor will take in the
matter is not known.
-. In nv
ception of Colonel Mullilin, who was
kept in the dark on the matter, were
interested in the bill, it is said. Mr.
Wright and Colonel Fordyce, how
ever, were the ones most active In
trying to get the bill out of com
mittee.
Colonel Muliikins Story.
Colonel Mullikin in a statement is
sued to the Evening Star declares
that Mr.. Wright was never officially
asked to have the bill introduced. Hf
also asserts that If the salaries of the
/ commissioners were considered IN
adequate the members of the Legis-
lature would have been willing to
listent to their arguments. The
colonel further admits that he heard
the bill was introduced by Senator
Ramsay at the request of one of the
commissioners. The statement in
full is:
LAS president of the Civil Service
Commission L want the public to
know that the episode in the Senate
Thursday which resulted in the pas
sage of a resolution calling upon Ed
ward II. Wright, jr., to resign the
position of civil service commissioner,
resulted from no official action taken
by the commission in either the prep
aration or. introduction of the bill in
creasing the salaries of the commits
sioners.
"Never a word was uttered at any
meeting of the board that would in
dicate a desire on the part of the
board or any single member of it
looking for such legislation and the
first knowledge I had of such a bill
press.
l have just been informed from
a trustworthy source that the bill
was given to Senator Ramsay for
introduction by one of the present
commissioners, but IL this true, he
kept the matter from me and | was
neither consulted as to his purpose
nor informed of his action. If any
of the other commissioners knew of
this effort to increase salaries they
kept the matter strictly confidential
and said nothing to me at any time
or in any place that they knew such
bill was to be introduced. How
Mr.. Wright came to be interested
in the bill / am unable to state. He
certainly was never officially asked
to have the bill reported or acted
upon.
GAS the matter has attained wide
publicity and has brought down on
the commission some adverse criti-
cism ] feel that this statement is
due the public in the interest of true
civil service reform, and as the Of
fetal head of the commission ! ask
that the commission shall not be
charged with anything that has oc-
CURED in connection with Senator
Ramsays bill.
"The duties required of the com
missioners are of such a character
anu 50 Hldullolu lildl justice tdHllol
be done to the work devolving upon
the commission unless some of the
commissioners at least devote all of
their time to the service of the State,
and II the salaries now provided by
law are considered inadequate for
the services rendered have no doubt
that the Legislature would be willing
to hear arguments to the effect that
they should be increased"