Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-16
N 'DERMOTT QUITS
ECONOMY BOARD,
BLAMING EDGE
Moving Spirit of Recent Probes
Declares 1t Is Useless to
Continue.
SCORES ATLANTIC SENATOR
AS DECIDED REAcTIoNARY
Says He, as Chairman, With
held Bill to Protect His
Friend Bryant.
SCORES ATLANTIC SENATOR
AS DECIDED REACTIONARY
Especial to the Evening star.l

JERSEY CITY, April 16.-Assem-
blyman Walter l.. McDermott today
resigned from the Economy and Efi-
cheney Commission. He issued a
statement explaining his action, in
Which he asserts he has found it
useless to attempt to do the work
for which the commission was insti-
tuted. He blames Senator Edge, pres
ldent Of the commission, for hamper
ing the body in its work, and criti-
cises Senator Edge particularly for
neglecting to introduce in the Legis-
lature the bill TO reorganize the State
department of labor. Mr.. McDermott
says:
Useless to Continue"
Il have resigned from the Commits
sion on Economy and Efficiency. for
1t seems to me quite useless to con-
tlnue q work which has now proved
abortive for two years. In that time
much money has been spent and
nothing accomplished. Furthermore,
lind my views so divergent from
those of Senator Edge. the president
of the commission, that ] believe Il
would be somewhat difficult for us
to cooperate any jonger, for,
although he is the president, in fact,
the author of the commission, he con-
ceiVes that he has the right to with
hold from introduction in the Legis-
lature bill recommended by the
commission.
Protected His Friend Bryant"
Il believe the public will learn with
some surprise that Senator Edge
never introduced the bill for the re-
organization of the labor department
h1ch he and three other members
of the commission recommended, not
" outstanding the fact that the COM
| mission had expressly promised the
Legislature that 4 bill on the subject
should be introduced. The only bill on
the subject actually introduced was
my bill, resulting from the report Of
Mr.. Mount and myself. The bill which
Senator Edge and the majority of the
commission recommended was never
touched. senator Edge did not hest
tate to introduce bills doing away
with scores of officials, but he de-
liperately held up this particular bill
afeeeting his close political friend,
Colonel Bryant. He advised that the
offices and salaries or scores OF men
| be abolished at a stroke, but he
! recommended that the salary OF
Colonel Bryant be continued at Sc, 900
to the end of his term, although he
at the b same time reported to the
Legislature, over his own signature,
that this salary was "extravagant'
and should be reduced to "a, 900 1t
would be Interesting TO see how Sena-
tor Edge would square his obligat ation
to the public with his solicitude for
friend
"says Edge Was Partisan
Senator Edges known partisanship
and partiality were the basic causes
for the skepticism with which the
economy bills were received by the
Legislature. He organized the COM
mission on a partisan footing, with
four Republicans and three Demo-
Gratis, and when Mr.. Mount and my
self were appointed to the commits
sion he tried to have us rejected.
The plans of the commission were
complete in outline while it was still
Republican body, for Mr.. Mount
and myself did not participate in its
discussions until after the summer
vacation, which was ordered, by the
way as soon as it was clear that we
were entitled to remain in the COM
mission. The moment / attempted a
line of investigation which touched a
friend of Senator Edge he showed
the measure Of his impartiality by
doing all in his power to defeat the
object of the investigation.
mo one in the Legislature was
fooled by Senator Edges protesta-
tions of -partisanship, and | do
not believe that he will have any
more success in convincing the pub
lie. )"