Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-06-30
SENATOR EDGE
DISCUSSES NEW
STATE CHANGES
Says Newspapers Should Co.
operate on Efficiency and
Economy Plan.
TAKES A SHARP RAP AT
SHELL FISHERIES CHIEF
Declares He Is a Disappointed
OfficehoIder About to Lose
His Job.
From a stan Correspondents.

From Staff Correspondent.
ATLANTIC CITY, June S0.-In an
interview with an Evening Star cor
respondent today, Senate President
Walter E. Edge. in discussing the
official departmental changes in the
State government that go into effect
tomorrow under the efficiency and
economy legislation enacted during
the last session, made an appeal for
newspaper cooperation, instead of
press hostility, in the interest of the
success of the new plan.
You, of course, are familiar with
the interest l have taken in getting
some action along the lines of econ
omy and efficiency in State depart
mental affairs, which naturally sug-
gested in the first place consolida ton
Of scattered units into more central
lied responsibilities, began the
Senate president. | am not going
over the whole history of this, as 1
think the readers of the Evening Star
are quite familiar with it. Suffice it
to say that the commission was orig
inally Jointly appointed by Governor
Wilson, the president of the Senate
and speaker of the House some four
years ago. The three members ap-
pointed bp Governor Wilson have con-
tinued as members and are members
today.
This commission, from a political
standpoint, as you also know, has
been Democratic, excepting the first
year of its life. The history of the
various consolidation bills that will
finally become laws tomorrow is
we'll known. Both Governor Will
son and Governor Fielder time after
time approved of the bills in general
form. Some detail changes were made
in the bills, but in the. judgment of
most people that greatly improved
them. Those details primarily gave
the boards power to select their su-
bordinates in the shape of directors,
etc. rather than the governor as the
boards must be responsible for results.
These boards go into power on Thurs
day.
Raps Charles n. Bacon.
1T does seem to me that the news
papers can do a great good by en-
couraging rather than discourag1ng
the work" went on Senator Edge.
But just see how the Philadelphia
Record treats the matter tthe senator
referred to a clipping from that pa
PERI. Talk about partisanship on the
part of the Republicans. This Phila-
delphia Record stuff is almost treason
on the part of a disappointed office
holder, who presumably loses his sin
ecure under the oyster Commission
consolidation bill. 1t is pretty difficult
to bring about reform when the public
are asked to gulp down such d mess
as the inclosed, and naturally ii is dis
couraging for the new boards as well.
or course the new boards cannot take
the scattered units together and do
a lot with them in few days. But
the whole scheme is bringing together,
as you know. cognate and similar
functions into one main channel, and
that is precisely the way every sue
cessful business man conducts his
business.
The same scheme is being carrier
out in Illinois, Minnesota and many
other States of the Union where at
tempts at economy and efficiency have
been undertaken.
What we want, and | think deserve,
is some encouragement from the press
of the State rather than deliberate
effort to help bring about failure for
future political effect the senator
contineud after a pause. There is
only one way to consolidate, and that
is to consolidate. The legislature
could only take existing de-
partments and bring them together:
not imaginary departments. If the
press of the State, the people of the
State or the platforms of both politi-
cal parties of the State meant any
thing in their promises along these
lines they must have meant just pre-
cisely what the legislature has done.
AS to the future of these depart
ments, that is, of course, up to the
boards, not the legislature.
Il haven't as yet arrived at the
conclusion that men interested in
State development cannot give some
of their time without pay when they
have efficient subordinates of their
own choosing. Certainly our numer-
GUS State charitable boards, boards of
education, boards of agriculture, etc,
disprove any such suggestion.
Question of Appropriations.
"On the question of appropriations,
the new consolidated departments
have precisely the same amounts that
the various separate departments
have had before they were consolidat-
ed, and under the appropriation bill
departments. Radical changes, of
course, cannot be made in a hurry.
The new boards are empowered under
the acts to codify the various laws re-
ferring to the different departments
under their control and to gradually
evolve proper workable main branch
of the government.
LAS stated, little help on the part
of the press of the State in a most
important matter, purely from nom
partisan standpoint, would seem to me
patriotic duty. The bills were
passed by a Republican legislature
and the boards of control named by
Democratic governor. There is no
reason for this partisanship talk on
the part of anybody. / personally, of
course, do not want to be drawn into
this, but | am naturally very desirous
of seeing this attempt to introduce
business principles into State affairs
work out successfully and we'll, which
it will with proper encouragement and
support"
Senator Edge, who is a Republican,
could not get over that Philadelphia
Record criticism. The article that
aroused resentment was written by
Bureau of Shell Fisheries, who goes
oR of Office with the change in con-
ditions. Bacon is down in the books
as Democrat.
The article in part is here given:
Bacon's Criticisms.
The grand program of economy
and efficiency will go into effect next