Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1916-01-26
MAYOR TELLS
WHY He WANTS
CITY CHARTER
1t Would Give Him Chance to
Run Things and Hamper
Democrats.
CAN'T SEE WHY OPPONENTS
SHOULD RULE COUNCIL
Outlines His Plans to Church
Club and Touches on "Pur-
chasing Agent"

Mayor Thomas L. Raymond. recoy-
cred from two weeks attack of the
grip, girded his loins last night and
sailed forth to the Mems Club of
st. Stephens Episcopal Church to tell
! the members all about his ideas and
ambitions with regard to the pro-
posed new city charter. The mayors
| chief complaint appeared to be that
he didn't have the entire say regard
ing everything connected with the
city government. What seemed to
gall him the most was the fact that
the DemocratS.had majority in the
CITY Council and put check on some
or his plans. The idea of a Republi-
can majority vote throughout the city,
ana a Democratic majority in the
CITY Council was preposterous, he
thought.
Citizens are led a merry chase to
! ind responsibility in the present city
government. in the mayors opinion.
rms responsibility he said ducked in
and out among the myriad aldermen.
commissioners and other city officials
and not the most determined of citi-
zens could back it into a corner, he
contended. This would not be so with
charter. Then everything would be in
the palm of the hand of one man-the
mayor and il the charter were adopt
ed quickly or the present mayor were
reelected, why Mr.. Raymond would
be the man.
by this system each department
is under direct supervision Of an ex-
pert head. Mr.. Raymond said, respon-
sible to the mayor When something
goes wrong, the mayor finds out what
the trouble is or "knows the reason
why"
Cites Almshouse Case.
Mr. Raymond chose the almshouse
matter as an example of administra-
tion under the present system. When
the almshouse was finished. he de-
clared, the poor and aims committee
OF the Common Council advertised
for bids. The contract was then
awarded, he said, to the highest bid
der. to a man who bid $4,000 more
than somebody else.
This award was thrown out by the
courts after a year of litigation, he
continued. and then another award
was made in which the appropriation
was exceeded by $4,000. 'I do not
blame any member of the poor and
aims committee" the mayor said.
You take men from various walks
OF life. put them in the Common
Council. and expect them to run such
department as the poor and aims
department when they are not in any
way qualified to do it. You expect
them to give the administration that
you would expect from an expert.
"The trouble is with the system.
The mayor has very little power. He
can make some appointments by him
nf IN
proval of the council. If the council
does not wish to approve, it doesn't
approve. The mayor is held RESPONSE
BILE when he is not responsible.
where is the responsibility? Can
you point it out? No. Can you lay
your finger on it? No" The mayor
then explained his proposed charter
under which the various departments
are supervised by a salaried expert
subject to removal by the mayor.
"He can summon the head of the de-
condition exist in your department.
The mayor will find out or know the
reason why"
Worse Than Country Fair"
There is no fastening the RESPONSE
bility under the present system, the
mayor said, and an attempt to re-
move any city official would be
worse than a country fair Mr.
Raymond strongly criticised the pres
ent method of electing aldermen.
''The last election for aldermen. in
my opinion. was a joke, and a mighty
poor one," he said, and declared that
there would be a Republican majority
in the council now were the aldermen
elected at large. as is proposed in the
new charter. In 1914, he said there
was a majority in the city at large of
LOO votes for aldermen of his party,
while the actual majority in the coun-
Gil was twenty to eleven the other
way.
At the election last year. he con-
tinued, there was majorty in the city
at large of 1900 votes for men who
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