Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-10
PUBLIC WELFARE
PROBES SCOPE
TOLD BY DENNIS
Nothing Political, Latter Tells
Freeholders, in Proposed In
quiry by Committee.

DR.. Laban Dennis, president of the
Public Welfare Committee of Essex
County, Inc, yesterday sent letter
to Director Walter A. Evans, of the
Board of Freeholders, in reply to a
request from Mr.. Evans as to just
what the scope of the proposed inves-
tigation of county affairs by agents of
the welfare committee was to con-
sist Of
In his reply, DR.. Dennis explains the
proposed survey and states emphatic
ally that nothing Of a political nature
is to enter into the work. The letter
in full follows:
Dear Sir-The constructive survey
of public institutions and activities in
Essex county will be carried on by the
New York Bureau of Municipal Re-
search, acting as a representative of
the welfare committee.
"Dr. F. A. Cleveland, one of the di-
rectors of the New York bureau, will
be in charge of the entire survey and
particular the technical work.
"Dr. Cleveland Is a recognized au-
thority in city budget-making and
finance. He was the chairman OF the
Presidents Commission on Economy
and Efficiency and in this capacity
made a survey of the federal govern
ment. organization and business meth
| DDS.
HE has been engaged in the reor-
| ganization of the New York Mutual
Life Insurance Company as we'll as
the custom house at the port of New
York He Is known as the author of
| Funds and Their Uses Municipal
Administration and Accounting Or
| ganized Democracy etc.
| "Surveys" in other Places.
III. R. Sands was for a number of
years in the division; of the United
States Census Bureau, which inves-
| tigates municipal finances and has
since that time given his entire at
| tention to municipal work. He has
been engaged by the Bureau of Pub
lie Efficiency in Chicago, has made
surveys in Los Angeles, Portland, At
lanta, Pittsburgh and Springfield,
Mass He has just completed the ad-
illustrative code for Portland. Re-
Gently he made a county survey of
Mulnommah county, Oregon, and will
in two weeks begin a study of Allie
gheny county, Pennsylvania
wv. B. Holton has been engaged
| in surveys of public works, road
making and repairing. He has been
engaged in Borough President Nc
Aneny's reorganization in Manhattan
| and in the reorganization of the
Philadelphia city administration. He
has made special studies in Portland,
Toronto, Pittsburgh, Springfield and
Reading.
"Mr. Sands and Mr.. Holton will be
engaged in such financial accounting
and municipal office problems as will
come before the welfare committee in
| carrying out its survey.
wv. A. Averill will represent the
committee at it's local office and will
organize the citizen contact work and
will direct the survey of the educa-
tional work of the county.
| He has been school teacher in
| this country and in Germany, where
he served two years as an exchange
teacher for the Carnegie Foundation
| for the advancement of teaching. He
was engaged in the recent survey of
the New York city public schools
1 under the direction of the Board of
Estimate and Apportionment. He
| has installed bureaus of school eff
cheney In the education departments
of Rochester and Schenectady and has
conducted school surveys in Reading,
Pa, st. Paul, Mimi, and Hampstead,
L. I.
Director Evans refers to a possible
political motive on the part of the
committee in a letter to DIR. Dennis,
which we quote: If the members of
your committee are DESTROYS 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 receive in
making such inquiry, but If for po-
litical or other similar reasons, an
Investigation" is contemplated by
your committee. that fact should be
/ openly stated so that there may be
no misunderstanding about the mat
ter
"Know Your County,
'The entire movement is not asso-
ciated with any immediate or recent
situation. political or otherwise, but
is merely further step in the know
your county program, which the
committee has persistently advocated
for over three (3) years.
ut is absolutely impossible that
| politics in any way be a motive or
enter into this survey, which is
designated to be constructive and
helpful. 1t will be the policy of the
committee to submit all facts
gathered by the investigators to the
heads of the departments concerned
for complete confederation before any
publicity is given to them.
1.-THE representatives of the commit
tee will not work as outsiders, but as
employees of the public welfare COM
mittee itself, and as such will act
entirely in that capacity and not as
an outside organization.
THE primary purpose of the public
welfare committee is first to know the
facts about what the government is
doing and how it Is doing it, then
with knowledge of facts, to help to
organize public opinion in support of
! officers who are trying to serve the
| public efficiently.
'LABAN DENNIS"
If the Board of Freeholders gives
consent at its next meeting, Thurs
day afternoon, the Bureau of Munich
pal Research and it's sponsors, the
public welfare committee may go
ahead with it's probe and study of
county offices and institutions.
Director Evans, after a conference
with the representatives. the would
be investigators yesterday afternoon
In the freeholders' room in the Court
House, announced that he would refer
the matter to the board for action. Mr..
| Evans refused to commit himself as
| 10 how he regarded the propo ed