Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-12
Judge KRUGER
ON GOVERNMENT.
Advises Board of Trade Against
Over-Enthusiasm on Com
mission Government.
WALSH ACT ELECTION
COST PUT AT 100000
Scheme to Purchase Little Falls
Water Plant Opposed by
Members.

FORMER GSOllAficu GCBOA 70
piled TO the advocates OF the COM
raissien form OF government at a
meeting Of the Board of Trade last
night when he pointed out the I'M
eonsistencies in some of the state
inents and promises made by the COM
mission followers. The speaker de-
slared that in stating the commission
government has not been recalled In
any place where It has been adopted
the commission leaguers neglected to
add that full term of four years had
not been completed In those places.
The voters there have not had an OPP
portunity TO express their approval
or disapproval, he added.
The expense Of an election in New
ark was estimated at $4,000 by MT
Kruger. who asked his hearers 10
consider what this item would aggre-
gate If half q dozen referendum cleo
lions were held annually under the
Walsh act. which empowers commas
sion form of government.
president Augustus v. Hamburg,
Of the Board of Trade, received no re-
plies when he announced that dls-
cussion of the proposed new charter
bill was in order. The measure was
Assembly bill No. rs. but was with
drawn yesterday morning. The talks
on commission government followed.
DR.. william Buermann, Theodore
S. Fettinger and George M. Denny, OF
the Commission Government League
spoke at length on the numerous ad-
vantages which would accrue the city
II the Walsh act were adopted here,
The present form of government was
criticised for the inability to lay the
blame for any wrong condition on
certain man. Under the rule 1t would
be possible to hold a commissioner
responsible for the conditions gov
erned by his department, it was
stated and IL would eliminate the
present difficulty of securing informa-
ton on municipal affairs. The trade
board members listened TO these ad-
dresses with a display of considerable
interest and the remarks were fire.
cuently interrupted by applause.
Kruger Attacks Plan.
Mr.. Kruger then took up some Of
the statements made by the leaguers.
These gentlemen are making
everything appear very rosy" he said,
but think they are seeing the pres
emit form of government in too black
A light Now, as to not getting the
information and being sent from one
place to the other because of the
eomplexity OF the governmental ma
chinery. can state from experience
that / never found any difficulty il
| went down to the City Hall for some
information or with complaint.
These gentlemen here state that
every time the citizens want to they
can order a referendum on an or
a'nance. Do you know. gentlemen,
what an election in Newark costs?
It costs just $4,000. Now, imagine
= we have about ten a year. Be
sides the people will soon get tired
uf this sort Of thing and will leave
everything to the commissioners.
Another statement was made by
the gentlemen that none Of the cities
which have adopted the new form
have Withdrawn 1t. In answer let
me point out that those who d d
adopt commission government have
not had It four years, that is one full
terun of the commissioners In other
words, they have not had II long
enough to withdraw and change back
10 the old form of government.
1T have heard though that both
Trenton, which has had the new form
of government for some time, and
Jersey City. which has had II only a
few months, are not satisfied. would,
therefore, advise that we go very
slowly in committing ourselves to ia
voring commission government"
The matter was referred back to
the committee to make recommends
lions at a meeting to be specially
devoted to the further discussion OF
the subject.
Opposes water Plan.
The board unanimously went on
record as beng opposed to the pro-
posed plan of the State Water supply
Commission to purchase the plant of
tha East Jersey Water Company at
Little Falls for the sum of nearly
s., n00, 900. A resolution to this effect
was recommended by the committee
on potable water supply a.ong with
report submitted and elucidated by
n, committees chairman, Harrison
ysnDuyne.
Besides disappearing of the pro-
posed action Of the State commission
che resolution as adopted urges the
Board of Street and Water Commits
sioners to flavor an additional sup