The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-04-01
EDGES PLAN FOR
BUSINESS RULE
Atlantic Co. Senator Has New
Ideas Of GubernatOrial
Functions.
HAS WIDE EXPERIENCE

Raised In a Business Atmosphere,
From Office Boy to Owner of Great
international Business, He is Anxi-
Gus to Try His Hand at Being the
"People's Manager of New Jerseys
$15,ooo,o 900 Annual Business.
From the Trenton Sunday Times
Advertiser.)
Sound business principles applied
to the administration of the public
government of New Jersey-a fifteen
million dollar annual business turn
over"
That. in a line, will be the shibbo
leth of Senator Walter Evans Edge, OF
Atlantic. County, in his campaign fo1
the office of Governor-a shibboleth
that has guided the entire private and
public life of the Senator from boyhood
up.
In approaching Senator Edge for an
interview at his Atlantic City office.
one is Immediately conscious of a com
| pOSlIS p1CluiO VI JIM -
abundant good nature and u~nassumins
democracy. He will be found before
stack of mail, reading letters and die
tating answers to his secretary, all at
the same time, even while patiently
tolerating a constant interruption by
the telephone from friends or the
many departments of his extensive in
ternational advertising business. YET
he greets the visitor affably and cour
teously. informally and democratically
There is no body guard or office boy
to hold one up. Edge is to be zen al
once without any formality or frills
Edge is Edge, and he doesn't pretend
to be anything more.
Senator's Views.
Discussing his political ambition
the other day, the Senator said, a
haven't the time or the inclination &c
assume such a responsibility unless ]
can render much more than a mere
political service. | believe implicitly
in party organization and in govern
ment by parties. but l believe that the
governor of New Jersey ought to be
more than the titular leader of his
party. l believe he ought to be the bus
mess manager, if you like, of the gov
eminent of New Jersey-the business
agent of all the people, regardless OF
partisan affiliations or politics. II
other words, party and politics consti
tute the means to the office, but the
end of the Office ought to be service
to all that the party and the politics
aoenoncihIa thar1for roau ho fTc+fHnE
and properly credited"
Senator Edges freedom from blind
p~artisanship is doubtless largely re
sponsible for his success in state pol
itics. He never has been restricted by
the narrow confines. His impartial man
agement of the economy and efficiency
commission during the administrations
of Governor Wilson and Governor
Fielder indicated his broad political
vision. Then it is well remembered
how Edge, when acting-governor OF
the state during the period when Gov.
ernor Fielder was attending the Pana.
ma exposition, came out promptly and
frankly in a number of public speeches
pleading for the people of New Jersey
to support President Wilson Loyalty in
the crisis with Germany.
In reply to a question concerning
the lines along which he would apply
business principles were he the gov
ernor of the state, the senator out
lined his policies briefly, succinctly
clearly
He said: "Of course, my chief rea
son to be governor is because of the
I---u -Ls.L - 14-F,.-oJ -
that man who is given the privilege
of officiating as the highest executive
officer of the great state of New Jer
sey; and because of the desirable
record which / shall have carved If
am able to serve the state as | thinb
| can.
But I should like to be governor IL
order to push along to a completion
the task of economy and efficiency
consolidation of departments and in
PRODUCTION of business principles into
the state government, a task that ]
have endeavored to help in a small
way to i%naugurate while a member
of the legislature,
New Jersey today represents approx
imately a $15, 900, 900 annual business
And you know that a $15, 900, 900 bust
ness, eve in these days, is a big bust
ness and can be conducted with the
best results only through the applica
ton of business principles from the
fountain head down.
"In my twenty-three years of active
business life, / have ~endeavored tc
study the vocation of successful bust
ness, both from the standpoint o.
modest business interests and from
the standpoint of rather extended
business interests. | have neve!
claimed to be a politician. although
as you know, l have been intensely
interested in public life; but | dom
believe that it takes a politician tt
handle the throttle and brakes whe1
the ponderous machinery of this grea
state is in motion. / believe it takeI
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