Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-23
DENIES MADISON
SLATE IS FIXED
Commission Govt Speaker In
dignant at Statements of
the Opposition.

Special to the Evening Star.
MADISON, Oct. 2S.-James Assem-
bly, Hall was well filled last evening
on the occasion of mass-meeting to
hear speakers on commission govern
ment.
w. Reginald Baker, chairman of the
commission government committee,
introduced Edward A. Isaacs as the
first speaker and chairman of the eve
ming. Mr.. Isaacs briefly enumerated
the points of the new form of govern
ment. He called attention to the fact
hat Madison is one of the foremost
in adopting any new movement for
the betterment of the town and the
toWnspeople. This town was the first
10 adopt the borough form of govern
ment.
Mr.. Isaacs indignantly denied the
statements that have been set afioat,
he said, by the opposition to the ERECT
that there is a slate already fixed. He
further stater- that no borough en-
ploye that is up to the qualifications
need be afraid of losing his job. He
then introduced Commissioner Arthur
Il. Carr, Of Nutley.
Mr.. Carr stated that in that town
the tax rate in 1911 was $l.6o and in
1912 it was increased % points. This
was under the town system OF govern
ment. The next year, under the COM
mission, it was also increased 70
points, but the following year 1t only
Increased points. Out of these in
creases, he said, they spent thousands
of dollars for needed public improve
ments. The sinking fund had been
neglected under the old form of gov
eminent TO such an extent that when
the bonds came due there was not
sufficient money to pay them without
a severe burdening of the taxpayers
you must not judge commission
government by the first years work"
he said, because there are a large
number of expenses saddled upon the
commissioners by the outgoing coun-
Gil and there are many more that are
co-incident with the end of an old
regime and the start of a new"
Former Councilman Otto Ross was
the next speaker. He continued to
drum into the minds Of the people that
the attempt to establish commission
form of government is not an attempt
to 1egislate anyone out of office, that
its purpose is the establishment of a
form of government that is more ef-
ficient than the present system. Com
mission government, he stated, is not
an experiment. 1t has been tried and
not found wanting. Nor is it any up
heava1.
"Just to illustrate" he said, 81
thought that railroad matter was
settled and everything ready to be-
gin work, but when Councilman Van
DE Water, as chairman of the rail-
road committee, after having taken
his time to meet the property own
ers along Kings road and come to
an agreement with them, reportd the
options to the council on Monday
night there was no second to his
resolution to the effect that the coun-
Gil confirm the agreements. So the
matter was laid over until next Mon
day. 1t also took all of the commit
tees of the council and several meet
ings of the council to decide whether
or not Mrs. Wright should be allowed
to place two small signs on street
corners, indicating where her inn
is Commission government is more
simplified, the responsibility is fixed,
and through this Capitalization of
power and fixing of responsibility
there comes a more efficient and
more effective form of government"
Mr.. Ross stated in addition that
there is a clause in the contract be-
tween Madison and Chatham for the
building of the joint sewer disposal
plant that says that there shall be
re-apportionment of the first cost, in
terest charges and other costs at the
expiration of five years. When the
plant was started it was thought
that Madison having five thousand
and Chatham having two thousand
population, that an adjustment of
flve-sevenths for Madison and two
seventies for Chatham would be
proper.
But" said the speaker, "the re-
apportionment is to be made on the
amount Of usage the plant gets from
each of the two towns and for the
purpose of ascertaining this there
should be readings every month But
We have had no report, he declared,
, the comparison of the relative use of
the plan by the two towns for the
past two and a half years is lost.
Meantime Chatham is putting as
much water into the plant most of
the time and more a good part of
the time as is Madison
Commissioner j. Frank Murray, of
orange, was the next speaker He
gave short history of commission
government, starting at the begin
ming and following it down to the
present day. He told that the new
form is complete Improvement over
the old form in Orange
AT the end of the meeting Chair
man Isaacs read two letters, one from
Mayor Donnelly, of Trenton, and the
other from the mayor of Vineland.
both iextolled the merits of the new
form and wished Madison much luck
IN their try to be made next Tuesday.