Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-17
GROSSCUP TELLS
STOKES'S ERRORS
Contradicts Former Governors
Speech Alleging Waste in,
State Government.
Special to tho Evening Star.

Special to tho Evening Star.
VINELAND, Oct. 17.-State Treas
urer Edward e. Grosscup last night
answered former Governor Edward
c. Stokes's speech of the night be-
fore in Camden in which Mr.. Stokes
criticised the Democratic admins
tration.
Mr.. Grosscup spoke before the
Cumberland County Democratic
Committee, and said that Mr.. Stokes
had been using the truth carelessly.
He said in part:
1T is not the desire of those who
seek office as Democrats that the
slightest hint of exaggeration shall
creep into the presentation of the
facts. 1t is not necessary to show
that those on our ticket shall be
represented as standing for anything
but what they actually do, and it is
not necessary that we tell anything
but the truth about the records of
our opponents. 1t is also to be our
purpose to see that the other side
does not get away with any of the
exaggerated propositions that they
are now trying to cram down the
threats of the voters of the State.
ernor now, purely as Republican
campaign orator, but Mr.. Stokes must
be held accountable for what he says
when he addresses public audiences,
particularly when he grossly mis-
states the record.
ITO an audience in the city of Cam
den Thursday night former Governor
Stokes painted a word picture of ex
travagance permeating every depart
ment of the State government. He
said that the pledges and promises of
the Democratic party had been
wantonly and wilfully broken. He said
that not one official was deemed I'M
necessary. Gentlemen, if he has been
correctly quoted, he said what was
untrue.
ut is perhaps best that shall use
my own department of the State gov
eminent as an illustration. l am the
State treasurer. I have to do with
the money of the State, with it's dis
tribution amongst the banks and
banking institutions and with the en-
forcement of the law that provides
that two per cent interest shall be
received for all deposits of State
money.
THAT law is perfectly clear. It
was passed in 1902, and it contains
the words all public money There
is no room left there for guessing.
But do you know, gentlemen, that
from the time that law was passed
in 1902 until the time l became the
State treasurer New Jersey never col
lected a nickel for interest on what
are known as the special railroad
balances which money the State is
responsible for. On October 81, 1902,
this balance in the treasurer's hands
amounted to 1856, 1895. Not a nickel
was collected for interest The next
year at the close of the fiscal period
1t amounted to five dollars less. Not
a penny was collected in interest.
So it continued down through the
line of years until the amount, upon
which the State was entitled to 2
per cent. interest and upon which 1t
did not get a cent, reached a grand
total of $7.136, 531.3S. The interest on
this nice, little amount would net |
the State a total of just about
$4,000 At the present time the
State is collecting interest on this
railroad money at the rate of about |
$4,000 per year. Mr.. Stokes Is play |
ing upon his imagination.
The Republicans profess that they |
live in great terror of a free-trade |
bugaboo. Here is a specie of free |
trade that perhaps you have never
considered before. This vast sum
of money was distributed among a |
n
vored banks of the Republican adj
ministration to be used by them In !
their daily business without paying a I
nickel for it.
when Mr.. Stokes became a power
I'm State politics he had a gentleman
brought from his county, and made
night custodian of the capitol at
Trenton. This same gentleman also
had contracts for the work of the
convicts at the State Prison and the
State House was used as his business
headquarters. There, at least, is one
official who was deemed unnecessary
because that sinecure no longer ex-
lists. Another place that this present
administration has done away with
is that of secretary of the State
School Fund held for years by a mem
Der of the Republican State Commit
tee whose salary was increased from
$4,000 to $4,000. Mr.. John S. Ware, /
my deputy, now attends to this work
In connection with his other duties.
There is another place that Mr.. Stokes
must have lost sight of.
do you know, gentlemen, that
with the enaction of this interest and
with the savings effected in the State
Treasurer's office that the admins
tration of this department Is now
costing the State just about one third
of what it did under Republican rule.
With the $4,000 collected as-interest
on railroad money. the SO 900 saved
from the School Fund secretary's sal
airy, about $4,000 saved in the consoli-
dation of the State Treasurers report,
and $500 that was formerly spent for
bank checkbooks, which must now be
furnished free of charge total an
nual saving of about $16.500 is eff
fected."