Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-25

who may come within the range OF
the commissions action. If the susp.c-
ion arises that the commission is pre-
pared 10 save or sacrifice any man,
its usefulness will end.
THAT the determination of the
other members of the commission has
been based upon personal considerH-
tions is shown by the fact that, al
though the salary OF the present
labor commiss oner is declared ~
them TO be "extravagent,' il is seri-
ously proposed to continue this Eek
travagant' salary until the end OF
the term of the present commissioner
because the Constitution forbids re
duction of salaries during an incum-
bent's term of office. If the tenure Of
his office We're terminated like that OF
all the other oftic ais dealt with. II
would not be necessary to continue
this extravagant salary for private
benefit at public expense. Other
salaries we have proposed to Abolish
altogether. The salary of the com-
missioner of labor t is proposed 10
retain for his benefit. although il Is
admittedly extravagant.
1.-THE determination to retain the
commissioner of labor in office (alone
among the ninety and more ofhclals
embraced within the recommends
tions of the reporD, Will be the more
difficult to justify when 1t Is addea
that the administration of the labor
department has been shown to be eN-
travagant and irregular. It would be
hard TO conceive a more wasteful use
of public funds than that in the work
of this department.
'rhe present commissioner has been
at the head of the department for ten
years. In the first year of his term
the cost of the department was
SIC, 800; he now asks for an approprla-
ton exceeding 100000.
THE efficiency of the department
seems to have declined from the mo-
ment of his appointment. lie gave
little time TO 1t himself, coming TO
Trenton only occasionally. The lrreS-
ularities in managing the department.
are rather peculiar. They appear to
amount to deliberate disregard of
the law. For instance, the commits
sioner is required to sue for penalties
for infraction of the laws protecting
workers in factories. In ten years no
suit for this purpose has been brought.
Inspectors Don't Inspect.
The law requires the assistant
commissioner W ltl6DNNls iit ANNo III
inspecting. but. at the high salary
of $4,000, is retained in the office tf
do unimportant clerical service. II
the office is another clerk. who is
carried on the roster as a 'specia
inspector" at $1,000 year and ex-
peuses. This clerk, also. does no in
speeding whatever. although the Law
requires inspectors to devote eight
hours per day to their work. The law
also requires inspectors to have nj
incompatible occupation. Notwith'
standing. one inspector is a prac-
Using lawyer. and another is i'll the
real estate business, With an office
used also by the department.
some inspectors are engaged In
the merely clerical task of ISSUING
working papers to children. This
work should be relocated to clerks
In Jersey CITY it is done voluntarily
without compensation, by an officer
of the schools. The system seems
wastcful.
"The salaries of all the inspectors
with one exception. are at least S.5O0
and their expenses far exceed those
of the inspectors of the Tenement
House Commission. Some inspectors
who are carried on the roster as Eek
perts" although the statute does not
mention any such employee, have re-
ceived salaries as high as $4,000