Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-07
CITIZENS LEAGUE
ASSAILS COUNCIL
BelIevilIe Men Bitter About Al
legged Indifference to Eff
ficiency Suggestions.

The Citizens League of Belleville
at spirited meeting last night. gave
further evidence of its attitude
toward the Town Council for ignor-
Ing some of the suggestions made by
the league recently looking for an
efficiency probe of the towns govern
mental branches by unanimously
passing a resolution requesting the
Town Council to desist from passine
ordinances changing or establishing
offices in the town until an under
standing can be reached between the
Town Council members and the Citi-
ems League.
To Consider Ordinances.
President Charles Granville Jones
outlined the purposes of the meeting
and advised the assemblage that II
was called TO consider ordinances
about to be passed by the council,
and also to consider the advisa bility
OF afiHating with the public welfare
committee of Essex county. Lack of
information on the latter subject was
responsible for its tabling until the
next meeting.
Regarding the ordinances Mr.. Jones
advised that the impression pre-
vailed that the intention of the coun-
ell to create the offices OF water De
nartment and sewer department was
an apparent attempt to abolish the
offices of assistant tax collector and
superint endent of the water depart
nent. The council at its last meet
ing passed a resolution instrueting
Town Attorney Joseph A. Connolly
10 draw I'D ordinances creating both
departments. The action was subse-
511ent TO the councils receiving a
Communication from the league re-
ouesting that an efficiency expert De
engaged to make a general survey OF
the town. No action was taken on
the request.
Questions Councils sincerity
The councils procedure in this re-
sr,.et was commented upon by Frank
a. Chairman. who questioned the sin
certtv of the councilmen and mayor,
who attended the meeting or the
league in the Belleyille Club and
promised their support to the meas
IRE. Mr. Chairman contended that 1t
was not the leagues intention TO
NEEDLE with the affairs of the coun-
purpose of the league prior to the
election.
Councilman Frank J. Carragher adj
dressed the meeting, and thought
that an outside expert should not be
EMPLOYED when local talent could do
the same work Referring to the
audit of the books of last year, the
councilnen contended the $1,000 paid
Ernst & Ernst, certified accountants,
was an unnecessary expense, mas
much as no change had been made
in the previous audit, made by Lewis
r. Huxtable. Requested by MIR. Jones
to acquaint the meeting With the con-
tents of the ordinances creating the
new departments, Mr.. Carragher re-
piled that the ordinances had not yet
been formulated, and he was not
familiar with their contents. Asked
directly by the president II he would
confer with the league committee be-
fore voting on the ordinances, the
councilman said he would not.
Introduces the Resolution.
ADVISING the meeting that appear
snces indicated that something was
evidently wrong and the league
should take some action in this re-
spect. william K. Randall offered the
resolution requesting the Council to
DELAY passing the department ordi-
RANGES until an expert could be en-
tagged and a survey made. Former
Counsel Tndrew L. Boylan
thought it an opportune time TO pass
The resolution. inasmuch as the Coun-
Gil had taken no action on their
former request, and, In fact, ap-
parently ignored 1t by passing the
resolution requesting the town attor-
new to draw up the new ordinances.
The resolution was passed unanf-
mously.
Commission Government Rumors.
Councilman Carragher advised the
meeting that his presence was due TO
rurnors circulated throughout the
town that it was the leagues inten-
fion to advocate commission form OF
He advised that the
present Council had been organized
hut one month, and as yet were not
familiar with existing conditions. He
thought that a conference between
the executive committee Of the league
and the legal committee of the Coun-
oil would be productive of good re-
suits. Incidentally, he reviewed his
last two years administration, and
advised that in many things he had
been kept in the dark regarding their
true import. A slight censure was
rendered the members of the league
by the councilman, who criticised the
jnaccuracy of the individual mem
bers prior TO the formation OF the
league.