Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-26
LEWIS REPLIES
To HIS CRITICS
State Commissioner Refers to
Third Rate Campaign Fiction
Bv Special Correspondent.

By Special Correspondent.
TRENTON, u 26-Commis-
sioner Burdette G.. Lewis, of the De-
partment of Institutions and Agen-
ciess today accused State Senator Ed
ward /. Edwards, of manufacturing
third rate campaign fiction in the
contest for the Democratic nomina-
ton for governor. Mr.. Lewis is peeved
over a charge of the State Senator
that New Jersey institutional Jobs are
hlied by non~-residents, many of whom
served under Commissioner Lewis
when the commissioner had a job UNI
der the Mitchell administration in
New York.
Commissioner Lewis said: II have
not recommended or suggested a sim
gle human being. upon the New York
city payrolls, for employment in any
New Jersey institution or agency. On
the contrary, with the heartiest ap-
prevail of the state board, 1 recon-.
mended to the joint appropriation
committee of the legislature last win
ter that they appropriate sufficient
funds to permit each institution to
become a training school for Jersey
men and women who are ambitious
enough to better their positions by
a period of institutional employment
before they pass on to more remun-
erative work. Some of the required
funds were provided but not enough.
IF the manufacturers of third rate
campaign fiction are able to help us
advertise the vacancies which quail
fed Jersey men and women have for
a left untitled, state boards and
the institutions will be most happy
and, l feel confident, that the Civil
Service Commission will be very
grateful. The truth is that qualified
Jersey men and women have for years
failed to respond to all kind of solicit
tationS and advertisements, and, as a
result, the lack of the right kind of
helpers in several of our institutions
has been most distressing and condi-
tons do not seem to improve despite
the rehabilitation of the soldiers and
sailors.
THE basic difficulty is that Jersey
institutions have, for years, been fore
ed to go to other states for trained
institutional employees because some
of those very strangers to honest in
quiry have failed to see to it that suf-
f1cient funds were provided to the in
s%titution to permit them to keep and
train competent Jerseymen for the
positions which were filed before the
State Board was created. by the ap-
pointment of non-Jersey men and wo-
men. 1t i'll becomes these very peo-
PIE to attacks unfairly at the very
moment when we are rapidly putting
an n to conditions which have led to
the appointment Of non-Jerseymen.
They do not come forward with clean
hands and well informed minds. The
provision of sufficient funds to train
Jersey men and m in institutions
is the wisest economy for the reason
that when Jerseymen are thus train
ed there is more han an even chance
that they will settle down in New Jer-
sey to participate in health, education
al and child welfare work and thus
Jersey will reap the decided advan-
tages their Institutional experience
and training have given them.
Where do the various Guberna-
torial candidates stand upon this non
political common sense program ? Will
they agree 10Y to see to it that the
funds for this service are forthcom-
ing. 2"