Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1915-10-30

"The last public statement OF
Mayor White" said Arthur E. Ker-
vein this week, "brings the situa-
ton down to final analysis. All
our trouble is in the engineers Of
flee. He clearly shows that, and
how I paid out $4,000 to Engineer
Clark, and how he paid $4,000 to
Mr. Mason, HIS engineer. But
nowhere does Mr.. White prove that
l did not pay the larger sum for a
great deal more work. So that di-
sposes of more Of his juggled figures.
"Have you looked over the books
yourself to verify Mayor Whites
figures ?" he was asked.
mo, l haven't. l don't have to.
| know the figures. l know that l
only paid out money for engineers
services at prices that were in vogue
at that time, and which l did not
create. The whole thing Mayor
White is trying to prove is that l
wasted the public money. am try
ing to show that l ran the borough
government more economically than
he has; that l spent more money for
improvements, and had lower taxes.
"That is a plain proposition. How
did do it? By magic? By juggling
figures? By what then? By just
putting the taxes at the lowest limit
and not spending the peoples money
beyond that figure. Mayor White
raised taxes, he says, because he
uncovered derelictions of. duty in
former administrations. By what
process is any administration going
: to cover up? That is a mystery to
me. / can't understand it. A Dor
rough is put into debt in one way
only: By due process of law. The IN
debtedness continues to fall due when
bonds mature. Has the borough ever
defaulted on it's interest? Not that
I have ever heard of. And 1T isn't
going to, either. 1t takes nervy
hand to come into control of a NUM-
cipal government and find that the
taxpayers have been hoodwinked for
mere political jobbery when there
never was any such thing. What
MAYOR has ever dared to be bold
enough to cover up his tracks In this
fashion? Can any councilman bring
up a time when he was a party TO
any process of covering up!
"A former councilman said the
other day he could not understand
how Mayor White had discovered
so much in the way of covering up
He said he went through two admin
istrations and that sort of thing
would have been impossible. Now, |
don't know why all this personal
abuse of my record started. l can't
for the life of me figure 1T out, ex-
cept that most of it was inspired by
Editor Kelly. Editor Kelly is a self
glorifer. He always wants to point
with pride to things he has accom-
plished. He never wanted to have the
Park licensed for fear it might
Iegalize' it, and then he would be
unable to fight it. Don't license the
Park was a strong point In those
days. Then came revolution and
: an endeavor to license the Park out
of existence, and the borough
wouldn't consent to that, and there
was a big row on. All this time
there was big suit on to kill the
Park, or curb it, and the Kelly
crowd laid down on the job! That
suit is still on the docket. Why
don't they bring it out again? Why
didn't they contribute the money de-
manded to carry on the suit? l am
not a defender of the Park, but l
don't see where there has been any
serious damage it has done any
body. Almost 100000 in new
homes have been built in the section
adjacent to the Park in the past two
wears, and more are planned.
$50 Editor Kelly came up to Fort
Lee and began his old tactics OF self.
glorifcation. At the beginning OF
this campaign he said there was no
power to beat Mr.. White. Well,
maybe there isn't. But if he is
beaten Mr.. Kelly will have furnished
the ammunition that put him out OF
business. He may not have the salts
faction of clarifying over his victory
in electing Mayor White. And if he
should fail, mark my words, he will
Law it on somebody else" :, :.
"Mayor White has been very adrolt
in all of his statements against me.
He first disclaims any desire to be
personal. Then he goes ahead and
tells all about how l mismanaged
things. All of this with the direct
and positive purpose of discrediting
me before the voters of the borough.
He. seeks to lower public estimate of
me. which is an effort to damage me
and my reputation. | don't believe
he has succeeded, and this is the
thing that is going to be decided
next Tuesday. .,, uu,,
"Mayor White has a tax rate OF