Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-06
WEDNESDAY EVENING. MAY 6 1914.
COMMISSION RULE AND POLITICS.

.eould stronger illustration be asked for by sane
and intelligent persons of the danger anu Ioonal IL
ness of commission government for large munlclpal-
ties than the conditions developed and exposed IN Jer
sey City at Mondays meeting of the Board Oh o''s
Commissioners?
There was to be no politics in the management
of the affairs of the city partsanshp was dead for
ever and the politician no more mat was Ine
doctrine preached the popular form OF govern
ment was abandoned for the Walsh act rule by oody
of Ave men, and was heralded by oyerzealous news
naners as a change almost sublime and divine In its
ideafity
But how soon have the people come to the idol
shattering point how forcbly is it being brought TO
the attention of the citizens of Jersey City that they
were deluded by false hopes and false representations
when they voted for the change in government
On many occasions within the past eleven months
evidence was forthcoming to show that blunder hao
been committed good deeds in the public interests
by some commissioners could not offset the mistakes
ina general way or the that the laws governing
municipalities operating the Walsh act are not
broad enough sufficient in power for appHcatloh 10
community of Jersey Citys size and Importance.
AT Mondays session of the commission the btcker-
ngs of months eliminated in the following declara-
tion by Mayor Pagan:
sEThere is more politics the government of Jer-
sew City today than there was before ana OF
lower order"
And it will be recalled that there to be no
politics under commission rule.
The row was started attempt TO put
through several appointments. Commissioner Moore
declared that the action his colleagues-Commis-
sioners Hague Brensinger and Ferris-were illegal
and immoral" and that Ferris, having rendered his
resignation to take effect May T. had right to vote
on any question whatsoever. Mayor Pagan agreed
with Moore.
Four separate and distinct times Mayor Pagan
called Commissioner Hague liar" and Hague re-
taliated by charging Pagan with fostering drunken
ness in the police department. Every commissioner
took part in the dsgracefu exhibition of temper and
partisanship
sfruy an edfying spectacle and complication of
the beauties the delights and charms of the hve-man
people of Newark.
The claim advanced right along that the "fve-nan
rule is not ''fye-man rule" but "threeman rule
sustained by this Jersey City object lesson that tells
its own story.
With three members of board of five combining,
they combined in Jersey City it means that three
commissioners, being majority of five commissioners,
can run the city government.
What Jersey City commissioners do, Newark COM
missioners could also accomplish.
ais there food for thought and reflection here?
Newark has a progressive and we'll balanced bust
ness government mbued with the spirit of enterprise
and without any scandals Its transactions public
and its books and records always open to inspec
ton Such scene as that which occurred at the
meeting of the Jersey City Board of Commissioners
is unthinkable for Newark, and under commission
government Jersey City in its administration does
compare with Newark.