Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-09
FIGHT ON OVER
b IMMIGRATION
/ COMMISSIONER
New York and New Jersey
Clash Over Naming Official
for Ellis Island.
from a stan correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 9.-There is a
nifty little struggle going on for the
job of immigration commissioner for
Ellis Island. The struggle is between
New York and New Jersey, although
New Jersey does not figure in it to
the extent OF having a probable can
didate for the office. New York poll
tieians regard the office as political
plum belonging to it, and it alone.
Senator O'Gorman. as the chief pat
ronage dispenser for New York. has
candidate Senator MARITIME also has
q candidate, but his man is not Jer-
seyman. Senator Hughes, il is said,
has no particular candidate. but il is
reported that he does not look with
favor on the candidate backed by his
senior colleague.
The latter is Frederick \. Wallis,
g Kentuckian, who does business in
New York, and has been to consid
cradle extent identified with certain
phases of social welfare work since
he changed his residence from the
Blue Grass State to Manhattan. Sen
ator Ollie James is too deeply at
tached TO any and everything per-
think well of any candidate who halls
from the Blue Grass region. He
would like to see Mr.. Wallis get the
job and will back up Senator MARITIME
in his sponsorship for Mr.. Wallis.
O'Gorman's Candidate Is Oliver.
Senator O'Gorman has a list of men
who would like TO hold down the job
of immigration commissioner, all of
them being good Manhattan Demo-
Gratis 1t is about decided that when
the final test is made that he viii
name his private secretary, Frank
Oliver The struggle is now going on
quietly in the senatorial cloak-room,
where matters of this character are
usually threshed out before they are
brought to the White House or on the
floor of the Senate Nominally. the
President has the appointing of the
immigration commissioner, but this
is one of the numerous instances
where senatorial custom prevails, the
actual naming is done by senator,
who submits the candidate and his
qualifications to the President, who
then sends the name Of the man Sc
lected to the Senate for confirmation. |
number of strong Woodrow Will |
son men have suggested names of
several Jerseymen. not one of whom |
are seeking the Office. but they have |
been suggested as being the kind of |
men who are qualified for the office |
and arc deserving of recognition be- |
cause Of their known adherence to the |
Wilson cause. As none of the three /
men suggested haze made any per
sonal effort to secure the place, their |
names are withheld. 1t is argued in |
their behalf that New Jersey plays as
important a part in immigration mat |
terS ae New York.
Us Attention is drawn to the fact that |
" thousands of immigrants are landed /
own the Jersey shores every year. That
kills Island is really nearer New Jer-
sey than it is 10 New York, and, any
way, the job ought to go to some good |
Woodrow Wilson man. 1t is pointed /
out that, with the exception of the |
appointment of Otto Wittpenn as I
naval officer Of the port of New York, |
no prominent worker in the ranks of |
the Wilsonites has been rewarded po- |
litically
Say Jersey Jobs Are Due.
The Wittpenn political gift is not |
regarded among the New Jersey Will /
sonites as Wiping off the slate of po- |
litical debts. The naming of Daniels /
to the Interstate Commerce Comm1s- I
sion is regarded as d personal matter I
with the President, as Daniels was his I
personal friend ana that job does not |
come within the purYey of political |
rewards.
At this moment New Jersey is out |
of the reckoning in the matter of the |
immigration commissionership. But |
the struggle between Senator O'Gor- |
man and Senator MARITIME and the |
senators, wi'o are back of him in this |
promises TO be a pretty one. There is |
the possibility of a compromise. Sen |
ator Hughes is staying out of it at |
this time, and while he tentatively is I
giving his support to the New York |
senator, he is in the position of being |
able to suggest a compromise candi- |
date from New Jersey When the |
struggle reaches that point Senator |
Hughes knows of several good men /
among whom he could pick out an |