Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-09
EVANS ASKS TO
Be ENLIGHTENED
Would Like to Know if Public
Welfare Committees Plan
Is Investigation"

A conference between Walter A.
Evans, director of the Board of Free
holders, and DR.. Laban Dennis, presi-
dent of the public welfare committee,
win be held in Director Evans's office
at the Court House at 1880 o'clock
to-day:
The conference will be over what
privileges should be accorded the
members of the public welfare COM
mittee who wish to investigate the
Hconduct of public affairs. Dr. Dennis
says the object of the investigation
Is simply to aid, II possible, the free
holders In the conduct of public bust
ness.
I'VE do not want to nose around
and muckrake." said DR.. Dennis.
I'VE simply want to help the county
officials make for the best. We want
TO conduct a constructive investiga-
ton and by no means a destructive
one. There must have been some
error in refusing the reporter ad-
mittance to our meeting on Friday
without an explanation" he continued
It should have been explained that We
were simply having friendly talk
over matters pertaining to the county
and would not have anything to give
out for publication"
Mr.. Evans last night stated that ac-
cording to his Ideas the matter to be
discussed today would be one in
which the public would be interested
and there would certainly be no OBJ
lection to members of the press being
present
Director Evsns's Letter.
Following is the letter which Mr..
Evans wrote TO DR.. Dennis:
"Court House.
Newark N. j., Feb. 7, 1914.
DR. Laban Dennis, President Public |
Welfare Committee of Essex |
- County, Incorporated, e65 Broad |
Street. Newark, N j.:
Dear Sir-I beg to acknowledge re- |
ceipt of your letter of the 9Th instant,
IN which you suggest that l invite by |
letter the Public Welfare Committee I
of Essex County, Incorporated, TO |
make a study of county work. with I
the promise of my assistance and
advice.
I'm reply l desire to say that the |
Board OF Chosen Freeholders or the
County of Essex is the governing
body of the municipality, having been |
elected by the voters of the county to
perform this important work. Every
meeting of the board and of every
Committee thereof is open to the
public and every citizen will be given
the fullest opportunity at any time
consistent with the proper conduct
Of the public business OF the county
TO make inquiry into any phase OF
the county government OF OF any OF
the Institutions thereof, and to that
extent such members of the Public
Welfare Committee of Essex County,
Incorporated. as are citizens and tax
payers of Essex County are neces-
sarily included
AT a recent meeting OF the Clinton
Hill Improvement Association took
occasion, on behalf of the Board Of
F'reeholders. to extend an invitation
to the members of that association to
visit our county Institutions, SO that
they might become familiar with the
work which the Essex County Board
of Freeholders is accomplishing. The
statement which | made at that meet
ing and the invitation extended at
that time | now wish to extend to all
citizens and taxpayers of Essex
County who are interested in learning
what the Board of Freeholders is ac-
complishing.
Position Frankly Stated.
IN order, however, that there may
be no misunderstanding as to the
position taken by the Board of Free
holders, I wish to say that this in
AfIdIltII uOtE iDl E&ttilu u OdhcidEi6 |
who NAV be employed for the osten-
sibie purpose of advising the free
holders as to methods and policies,
but whose real purpose may have a I
less patriotic origin.
Let me be perfectly frank with I
YOU. Or. Dennis: If the members of
your committee are desirous of OBJ
tanning information as to the methods
and policies of the Board of Free
holders they will be given the same
courteous consideration that any
other citizen of the county will re-
oeive in making such inquiry, but IL
for political or other similar reasons,
an Investigation is contemplated by
Hgour committee, that fact should be
Openly stated SO that there may be
no misunderstanding about the mat
ter.
"There has been a suggestion that
the real purpose behind the meeting
Of your committee said to have been
held on Friday night in the city of
Newark, was to embarrass the present
county administration. Whether this
is so or not. there Is a distinct i'm
preston that your committee is re-
luctant to take the public into its
confidence, for if the newspaper ac-
counts are accurate the representa-
tives of the press we're excluded from
that meeting. Such an attitude is just
the reverse of the attitude Of the Board
of Freeholders. At every session Of
the board as well as at every meeting
of the committees thereof, representa-
tives Of the press are invited to be
present and they and all other citi-
zens are given every opportunity to
learn all of the details connected with
the management of every depart
ment of the county government
sInasmueh as the meeting of your
committee above referred to received
wide publicity in the press OF the
county, / feel that it is only fair that
a copy of this letter should also be
published and I therefore take the
liberty of sending a copy to the press.
Very truly yours,
(Signed) WALTER A. EVANS.
Director of the Board of
Chosen Freeholders."