Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-05-13
G|LLEN MAKES
GRAFT CHARGE
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trimmed-you don't get what you pay
for-and the responsibility for this
condition rests with the engineering
department
"That department is disorganiZed
undiseiplned and inefficient, and we
will have to get rid of two or three
certain gentlemen down there and
give the department thorough over
hauling.
Urges Inquiry.
"This meadow proposition should be
looked into. There are some things
can't tell YOU now, but | can say it's
not right, it's not straight; that's all.
Things are pretty desperate when
you have to take an engineer almost
by the throat to show him where his
work is wrong. If ] had the power
I would reorganize the department
tomorrow"
Mayor Raymond said in part:
zone difficult problem has been to
give the city an economical admins
tration, and at the same time carry
out my campaign promise not to re-
tard the growth and development OF
the city, especially along the lines OF
education and public health. Just
where shall 1t be permitted? This is
the serious and troublesome question
that presents itself every day, not
only to me, but to all the boards and
departments of the city.
son the first day of January, 1914,
the bonded Indebtedness of the city
was $50, 900, 900 and one year from that
date $4,000, 900 had been added to 1t.
This IS about 10 per cent. of the en-
tire ratables of the city"
The Mayor continued that some
thing like $1,000, 900 would have to be
added for other improvements for
which bonds had either already been
issued or would be issued during the
course of the year and that this
rapid increase of the bonded debt of
the city should cause deep study and
that retrenchment for a few years
seemed to him to be a wise policy.
The trouble of retrenchments, he
added was that wherever it was at
tempted reasons were brought forth
against it.
Speaking about the present system
in vogue N all city affairs, the Mayor
said
Economy a Difficult Matter.
Economy under the present sys-
tenn is almost an impossibility. The
scattered unco- -ordinated and loosely
organized departments, each, of ne
cessity working along it's own lines
without regard to the working of the
whole machinery of the city govern
ment, is extravagant and wasteful In
the highest degree. 1t is archaic in
many respects ana a survival or the
old charter of 1885,"
The Mayor then gave an outline of
the proposed new city charter. which
he said should also provide for pur-
chasing agent and a bureau of pur-
chases and supplies under the direc-
ton of the director of finance.
II personally together with the law
department continued the Mayor.
prepared such bill and personally
placed it in the hands of Assembly
man Schoen, but you know too well
the fate of the measure. Animosity
toward me and my administration by
persons in my own party succeeded in
depriving Newark of this much
needed remedial legislation"
Referring to a remark recently
made by Mayor Mitchell, of New
York, in describing the great DIM
Guilty of securing needed legislation
for New York city at Albany and
telling how crippled his administra-
tion was by reason of this, Mayor
Raymond maintained that exactly the
same situation existed in this city.
He complained that this city of over
400 900 people Is deprived Of the
slightest semblance of home rule at
the whim and fancy of political boss
or of legislators from counties possi-
bly, in the most southern part of
New Jersey. He stated that the new
charter should provide for as great
a measure of home rule for this city
as could possibly be delegated by the
Legislature, and that in time a city
such as this should be vested large
measure of home rule by constitu-
tional amendment.
Public Service Payment.
In paying a tribute to the work of
the different city departments the
Mayor said
There Is one important case in the
law department which was COM
menced in 1911 and which has been re-
vived under this administration. That
Is the action against the Public Ser
vice Corporation for the alleged short
age in the payment of the per cent
due to the city provided for in the
original franchise ordinance. With
out going into the details of the case
I will content myself with saying that
the hearings before the referee have
been resumed and are being pushed
with force, and it is hoped that the
city will profit as a result of the liti-
cation in the not too distant future
The Mayor again expressed his op
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