Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-30
IN PUBLIC LIFE
TH|RTY-SIX YEARS,
NOW TO retire
City Clerk James F. Connolly
Will Relinuuish Reins of Of
nee August I.
ALEXANDER ARCHIBALD
WILL BE HIS SUCCESSOR
Friday Night of This Week Will
Witness the Execution
of All Plans.


Gil to be held next Friday night, will
, be the last at which James F. Con-
NELLY viii serve as city clerk. On
al night he will submit his request
retirement, at half pay as pro-
tEhbY law in cases such as his,
7 being fixed as the date on
h se will relinquish his post as
liministrative officer of New
4 'H Connolly will continue to dis
1S 5el the duties of the office dur
The month of July, but will pot
iI1e Incumbent Of the city clerk
3Sy on August :, the date of the
sduled regular meeting of the
frd of Aldermen.
Is the city clerkship is one of the
5*aces that cannot be left vacant for
{#hy length of time( because of the
de power and great responsibilities
sted in the position by law, Com
non Council will in all probability Sc
5kct d successor to Mr.. Connolly next
Eridhg night.
MI. Connelly's request to be retired
uni er all conditions set forth in his
request, will be promptly acceded to
OF of Difference to his wishes, and
4efore the meeting adjourns his sue
lessor will be elected by the alder
men.
Former Alderman Alexander Arehi-
bald will be the lucky man, and us
term of office will begin on August l.
BY this arrangement Newark will
not be without a city clerk for no
longer a time than it will take to
administer the oath of office.
1t is imperative that there be no
delay or lapse of time in filing a
vacancy that may occur in the city
clerkship. Mr.. Archibald will be in
readiness to officiate as city clerk at
the first regular meeting of Common
Council in August.
In the meantime, that is, from now
until Au gust 1, Mr.. Connolly will con-
tinue to discharge the duties of the
clerkship.
Being D war veteran, Mr.. Connolly
could not be removed from office. His
if not a war veteran, will
hold the position as long as the po-
litical party of which he is a mem
Der, controls the Common Council.
There were whispers throughout
the City Hall today, to the effect
that Archibald will have several ac-
tive rivals for the clerlship, but no
names were mentioned. The con-
censrs OF opinion was that the for
Had Fees Abolished.
The, Office of city clerk carries with
Il an emolument of ST. 500 a year.
The of ice. which comes with it an
annual salary of ST. 500. originally
netted the incumbent, besides a
smaller salary all the fees, which
for yes ms had figured in the neigh
oorrooot of $4,000. Mr.. Connely, by
his own request, had the salary fixed
at We arly sum, giving up the fees
10 the c tty treasury.
When Mr.. Connolly gave the first
o. that he desired to retire
rom hiss duties he stated that he
night ha re done so earlier had it not
been for the commission government
petition. When this document was
submitted to him on May 90 he said:
81 had roposed retiring and would
nave donei so early this year If it
we're not hat I believed that I owed
[ TO all sOncerned to perform this
asst great act before retirement"
This work came to a conclusion yes
.erday, and he was given the I'M
yrudging co upliment by the leaguers
hat he had scrupulously kept faith
md accord, ed fair and impartial
treatment, al Id that If there had been
of opinion these had been
honest differ .nees, unbiased by any
policy. except to serve the interest Of
everyone con- :erned.
Beginning d 1878 Mr.. Connolly has
served in va rious important public
capacities for 1iEirty-siX years, varied
bv his service under the second Cleve-
land administr aCion as United States
consul at Osak p and Hiogo. Japan.
Member of Common Council.
Mr.. Connolly was tax commits
sioner In 1873. Elected to the Com
mon Council from the old Fifth
Ward in 1882 he served five years and
was chairman of the finance com
mittee. the duties of which position
he performed wi tn conspicuous credit.
In 1889 Mr.. Connolly became city
and was elected sec
ond term, but after a brief service
resigned in 1894 and was afterward
appointed inter- tai revenue collector
for this district. AS comptroller Mr..
Connolly establi shed a new system
in his office and began refunding the
high interest bonds that had no sink
ing funds. He reversed the policy of
his predecessors by asking bids for
the new bonds from banking firms
outside the city; secured much lower
rates of interest than ever before
and as low as S4a per cent, reduc-
ton from z per cent. on S6,000,000 of
the bonds. Sinking. funds were pro-
vided for the new issues.
Internal Revenue Collector.
As internal revenue collector Mr..
Connolly differed in opinion with the
Treasury Department at Washington
in regard to the income tax and,
holding fast to his opinion, rendered
his resignation, which was not ac-
eepted. A subsequent decision by