Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-31
c. O.P. NOMINEES
FOR FREEHOLDER
REMAIN SILENT
Democrats Pledged for Full
Publicity in office--Public
Welfare Statement.

While the three Democratic candi-
oates for freeholder in Essex county
have pledged to the public welfare
committee free access to their rec
ords If they are elected, and in dong
SO have declared themselves for the
widest publicity in the office, the
committee has received no reply from
the Republican candidates. The DEM
ocrats, Angelo II. Bianclli, Michael N.
Higgins and Louis Lewis, have each
written personal Inducements Of the
committees plans on the other
hand, the three Republicans have
entirely ignored the committee.
After the nominations were made
the public welfare committee issued
letters to various candidates for the
office of freebooter, asking for a
statement of their attitude with re-
gard to giving citizen organizations
access to their records. 1t was def
initely stated that such access was
10 be used for no political purpose
and with no other object in view
than constructive criticism with the
idea of helping county officers to per-
form their work more easily and ef-
ficiently.
Eighteen letters were sent out and
these elected fifteen replies, the Re-
publican candidates being the only
ones who ignored the questions.
Harry Schrader, who is q candidate
as a progressive Democrat wrote
u reply In which the letter of the
committee was treated as unreason-
able. 1t is as follows:
Gentlemen: Your letter received.
am a candidate for the Board Of
Freeholders, and II elected / will
ondeavor faithfully to represent tho
people of Essex county l am satis-
fed, however, that the elected MEM
bers OF the board should perform the
duties entrusted to them without any
outside interference.
1Frpnlxly / do not see why the
elected representatives of the people
should not be given full control OF
the affairs of the government, nor
why they should be criticized II thoy
refuse to permit outsiders to come IN
aud tell them what to do, even though
saese outsiders may have the best OF
intentions.
Il am also sorry that the public
welfare committee is evidently go-
Ing into politics. Your letter to me
would Indicate that your committee
expected to take some action, either
for or against certain candidates,
ouch action to be based upon their
Willingness or unwillingness to per-
nit your committee to overhaul tho
records of the county. OF course, IL
there Is a charge that anything is
wrong In the management of the
county, that would be another mat
ter but / have heard no charge TO
that effect, and in the absence or
such a charge / would certainly OBJ
feet to your committee assuming that
there was something wrong in the
management of the county and med
ding in the affairs of the county.
IT want all the support j can get,
but If have to stullify myself IN
order to get it will have to get
along as best ] can without 1t. Yours
very truly,
'.HARRY SCHRADER,
progressive Democrat
OF this letter, the committee IN
g report, says:
'Mr. Harry Schrader in a straight
forward and manly letter stated that
members of the board should per-
form the duties entrusted to them
without any outside interference.
This attitude while showing COM
mendable independence assumes, of
course. that public officers can adj
minister difficult problems more eff
ficiently than an expert who makes
such problems his business. This we
cannot concede to be the case.
MIR. Lacombe, Mr.. Malta and Mr..
Harrison have not replied and 1t Is
assumed from this that they have
not changed the attitude indicated
by them in their vote in the Board
of Freeholders.
1.-THE public welfare committee
has no interest whatsoever in what
political parties these candidates be-
long to, nor any personal interest in
any of the, candidates. 1t is desired
merely to present to the public the
names of men who have 6iven their
written promise to do all in their
power to let the public know at any
time what the public has right to
know"