Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-24
NEWS OF THE NEARBY LACkAWANNA TOWNS
MADISON BATTLE
IS WAXING WARM
Commission Government Advo-
Gates and Opponents Score
Each Other.
Special to the Evening Star.

Special to the Evening Star.
MADISON, Oct. 24-With every
hour bringing the voters OF Madison
nearer to the time when, on next
Tuesday, they will have to decide
whether or not this town 'ought. to
have change of government, the
campaign is waxing warm on poth
sides of the fence. Those closely con-
nected with the present government
are almost uniformly against the es-
Establishment of the commission form,
while the leaders of both factlons OF
the Democratic party, the Board or
Public Improvement and some Re
publican leaders are the principal agl-.
tators of a change. Those working
for the new form have been sending
out literaturesevery day to the voters
and have held one s-meeting and
expect to hold more gatherings before
the matter comes to vote
One of the first open movements
made by those opposing the govern
ment by commission is a circular tnat
appeared yesterday and is fostered by
William II. Larson, one OF the three
commissioners of assessment. The
circular is headed "Stand Pat on Bor-
ough Government and is as follows:
"It must have been pretty good or
it would not have brought here so
many 'improvers' who are now trying
to foist their ideas on the borough /
1.-THE present movement for city
manager involving an additional year
ly expense of $4,000 of $1,000 is not
called for by any rotten condition OF
affairs in this borough and no COM
mission or city manager can accom-
plish anything without money the
Ia nh re- s,l Ior the fest
trouble our councils have had to con-
tend with.
you can't raise large sums without
high. taxes and we are at the limit
now.
"'There will be no politics in COM
mission government; Oh, mol See
Jersey City.
Taxes will be reduced; Vineland,
a commission city, saved $4,000 the
first year, $4,000 the second year and
raised $4,000 the third year. Not
much saved there.
Tax rates will be reduced You
can reduce rates any time you raise
valuations, which is rather a poor
way, as one fourth of taxes raised go
to the county. It's not the rate but
what you pay that counts. Every
thing is to be very lovely If you elect
good men for commissioners. Tt is
just possible the bowling alley selec-
ton might not go through; then what?
Also possible standpipe decorators
might lose out; what then2 Also just
possible that these good men might
not turn out our assessor, collector and
borough clerk, whom various cliques
are after; then what? Will they still
be good men,
"(Written and paid for by w. H.
~ soi,, ~
Up. .S.-This commission govern
ment scheme, just as Madison is COM
ing into her own, has Got my goat"
I don't like the id thing no way or
no how. w. II. b."
Asked how he could answer the
arguments used in Mr.. Larison's
writing, man who has been one of
the foremost in getting the matter
before the people, reiterated that
there was no intention on the part of
the committee to throw any employee
out of his position, and that anyone
who was rendering dollars worth OF
service for a dollar need have no fear
and that in spite of this protecting
statement that it is no individual slap |
nearly everyone connected with the |
present form Of government is against |
it.
"Mr. Larison's arguments" he said, |
"are very good--for commission gov
eminent. Mr.. Larson thinks, so |
it would seem from his letter. |
that even though the present gov
for Madison has OUT
lived its usefulness, causes dila- |
tory action on public matters, bur- |
dens the property owners with an I'M |
due amount of taxes and makes for |
looseness and inefficiency, that it is
the only perfect form of government. |
How a man could be a perfect gentle |
man and be a loafer, drunkard, wife
beater, brawler and criminal as we'll
l cannot see for the life of me.
but I wish to state that I would |
not accuse any other opponent of |
government of sanctions
ing the postscript that is affixed to
Mr.. Larison's circular That is in a
class by itself Mr.. Larisons other |
are not worthy of my con- |
and ! do not think any adj !
vocate of commission government will |
consider Them