Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1916-02-19
James D. Moore Talks
On Commission Form
Of Local Government

The residence of Mrs. Franz Boas,
In Franklin avenue, was the scene
last Monday afternoon of an impress
sive gathering of the ladies forming
the Equal Suffrage League of the
Palisades. The occasion was made
more particularly interesting by the
announcement that J. D. Moore, of
the Fort Lee Borough Club and
County Commissioner of Inheritance
Taxes would deliver an address on
Commission Government"
"About twenty years ago." said
the speaker, "the leading American
cities awoke to the fact of the failure
of their previous forms of govern
ment, whether partisan or bipartisan.
Each city seemed to have achieved
its own particular form of scandal.
Each city began in it's own way to
seek better solution; among them,
st. Louis, Philadelphia, New York
and Brooklyn. In 1900 came the
Galveston flood, and it was as a re-
suit of this calamity that this city
evolved the commission form of gov
eminent, with the referendum and re-
call. Under this system the city
proposed to hold it's officials respon-
sible for their deeds or misdeeds.
Later, Ashtabula, O., adopted what
is the most advanced form of all
business government, that of a bust
ness manager 1t was President Will
son, who as governor of New Jersey,
did so much to create the Commission
Government laws in this State"
Mr.. Moore spoke of the powerful
opposition to the legislation on the
part of all the public utility corpora
lions in New Jersey. He said that if
any community in New Jersey, say
Cliffside Park, now desired to change
it's form of government to the COM
mission form, it was only necessary
to get the signature of twenty per
cent. of the registered voters, in this
case about eighty men, to petition,
and present it to the borough clerk.
Thereupon, on the third Tuesday
thereafter the clerk would call a
special election and the majority re-
suit would determine whether or no
the government should be changed.
To be legal, however, the total vote
cast must be at least thirty per cent.
of the vote cast at the previous gen
eral election.
Mr.. Moore told his interested listen
ers that if Cliffside Park were to
adopt Commission Government, its
governing body would be reduced
from seven to three, and the salary
increased from nothing to $1,750 a
year, the mayor to receive $3.50 more
than each of the others. In case any
member did not live up to his duties
he could be subject to recall and
ousted from Office by special cleo.
ton.
The great thing about the system
was that under it, municipalities were
set free and given chance to develop
individually. The law under which
communities exist now was framed
as far back as 1874, with slight
notifications shortly after the Fran
co-Prussian War. The great problem
of factory regulation which Edge
water now had to solve is not pro-
vided for in the old law. Again,
Cliffside Park and Fort Lee had
problems utterly different from those
of Edgewater.
In the whole matter of local gov
eminent, said Mr.. Moore, New Jer-
sey was one hundred years behind
Ohio, and such states as Texas,
Kansas and others. The three forms
of government in the world were the
autocratic, the monarchic and the
democratic. The first was remark
able for it's efficiency; the second as
sured to it's citizens contentment;
their thinking and governing was
done for them; the third, which was
our own was based on the co-opera-
ton of all it's members; greater re-
sponsibility was placed upon the pub
lie at large.
Mr.. Moore referred to the example
of a neighboring borough, under the
ancient bipartisan form of politics,
which in the last campaign planned
a bipartisan ticket which was elected
with the exception of but one candi-
date according to prediction I'M
Outstanding. Under Commission Gov
eminent parties in local elections are
obliterated. Any man by getting a
petition signed by half of one per
cent. of the registered voters OF the
town could get his name on the bal
lot where it would be placed in al
phabetical order with the others
Men elected to office under this sys-
tenn hold office for four years, unless
recalled.
Mr.. Moore in closing his address
said that there were three hundred
large cities in the United States
under Commission Government. His
remarks were received by the ladies
with the most intelligent attention
and interest, and at the close were
heartily applauded. President Mrs
E. Yancey Cohen said that the sub
ject was full of meaning to them as
an equal suffrage organization, as
they desired only the best men IN
office.
Refreshments were enjoyed by the
members and the large number OF
their friends present. Tea was
poured by Mrs. William Dana and
Mrs. Yates, of Edgewater.
D.. 4 ~o1 Mor Turnod