Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-14
FAIL TO APPROVE
OF COUNTY PROBE
FreehoIders Want to Investi-
gate Before Sanctioning Ad-
ministration Survey.

/ The Board of Freeholders yesterday
postponed action on the request Of
the public welfare committee to allow
survey to be made of the Essex
county administration departments
and institutions until the next meet
| ing of the board, February 20.
The public welfare committee pro-
| poses to engage the bureau of munich
pal research, of New York city, to
make the survey. DR.. Laban Dennis,
president; Miss Emily S. Hamblen
secretary; Rev. F. T. Carter, John L.
Rankin and Edward Blau, of the com
mittee, and Robert r. Sands. of the
research bureau, appeared before the
| freeholders yesterday.
The freeholders We're particularly
DESTROYS of learning the source of the
$4,000 contributions which DR.. Den
mis- had stated yesterday were al
ready subscribed for the work. Al
an informal hearing in the matter
on Monday DR. Dennis had given the
names of four of the contributors
but stated that he was not permitted
to make known the others, and again
declined yesterday to give the in
were former Governor Franklin
Murphy. William T. Hunt, proprietor
of the Sunday Call; Felix Fuld, OF
l.. Bamberger & Co., and himself
The motives of all of these, he de-
clared, were nom partisan, and it was
impossible that they entertained any
desire to embarrass the present
county administration for political
reasons. as had been suggested by
Director Evans.
II do not know the politics of any
of these men except former Governor
Murphy" he said, land of course
everyone knows he is a Republican. ="
He said that it was not the intention
to confine the survey to the county
affairs alone, but to take in all of
the municipalities, including Newark
but that it had been proposed to begin
with the county because it was less
complicated. there were fewer heads
of departments and not so many
books to be examined.
Freebooter Richard r. Malta
wanted to know whether those who
had subscribed to the fund had been
informed that the money was to be
used in a survey of the county first.
utors might have been particularly
interested in knowing the conditions
elsewhere and were not aware that
the investiga ton was to be aimed at
the county. DIR. Dennis did not reply
directly to the question, and when
reminded by Director Evans of the
point of Mr.. Matthias question, he
said that the movement had had such
gradual growth that it was gem
orally understood that the inquiry
should extend to all of the county and
would occupy from three to five years
70 complete. I'VE haven't enough
money yet" he said, land if you gen.
tlemen want to put your names down
for $4,000 or $4,000 we will gladly ac-
cept it. There is nothing exclusive
about u.s."
To this Mr. Malta replied that he
did not believe the freeholders' pres
ent salaries would justify them in
making any considerable contributions
no matter how much they might be
in favor of the proposition. He said
he favored an investigation of the
books and anything else for the ben
eft of the county, but he could not
see the necessity of going outside of
the county for some one to do it, He
pointed out that there were plenty of
expert accountants in this community
who could be engaged and then the
money would be left where it was
spent.
If in the event of an investigation
there was found reason to criticise in
any department he declared it would
be because the board had so recently
been organized under the new sys-
tenn and had not yet had time to
reach that particular point. I'VE
have no fear of an inquiry" he added.
Replying to a question as to wheth-
err the welfare committee had con-
suited the county auditor in the mat
ter. lie said that it had not taken the
auditor into account. The men whom
it was proposed TO engage, he said,
were experienced men and that local
man would not command the respect
of a man coming from outside.
Mr. Malta moved that the matter
be laid over for two weeks, saying
that he desired to investigate a few
things that were dark to him now.