Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-06-25
FIXING RESPONSIBILITY

Some person who uses paper very common in lawyers offices
delights to write letters for publication in the EVENING NEWS, but
instead of being man enough to sign his own name he deliberately
typewntes the name of some other citizen of the city at the bottom
but takes care that the letter when published is to be signed only by
initials so that the party whose name has been used Wsssnot know
of the fraud. The idea, it seems, is merely to deceive the editor
OF course, technically, there is no forgery because no name is
actually written, a typewriter merely prints 1T, but the intent IS
there just the same.
One Of these letters was of such a nature that the EVEN
ING NEWS felt that the name ought to be published along with
the letter and the editor wrote to the person whose name was type
written at the close of the letter asking permission to print the name
along with the letter. The party addressed fastened to the EVEN
ING NEWS office and denied all knowledge of the letter to which
his name had been attached. Needless to say, the letter never found
its way into type.
w are now in receipt of another letter under date of June %
which bears the same earmarks of fraud. There is no signature,
but the name Of a resident Of this city is typewriter although
only initials r to be published.
This letter purports to be a reply to the editorial published in
THE EVENING NEWS recently on commission form of government
in which we stated that under commission government there would
be no such mixup as we now have as to who Is the head L the ponce
department. The letter encloses a clipping from the Newark Evening
News telling about the question that has been raised there as to
who is acting mayor while Mayor Gillen is away.
Under the commission form of government for cities there are
five commissioners elected, each one having entire responsibility for
a certain department of the city management. The commissioners
themselves choose one of their number to act as mayer, the office
being more honorary than anything else, the mayor, OF course, pre-
siding at the meetings of the commission. The law provides that
the commissioner who heads the Department of Revenue and Fin
snce "shaI be vice president of the board and, in case of vacancy in
the office of mayor, shall perform the duties of that office"
Some joker in Newark has raised the question that even though
Mayor GIen is away there is no actual vacancy in the office of may
or, so who is acting mayor? For a little hot weather pastlme the
question is being bantered about among the municipal employees in a
'how-odisAnnY' style. But if anything serious should happen
that required the attention OF the mayor before the mayor could re-
turn it would be found that the commissioners would meet and the
commissioner in charge of the Department of Revenue and Finance,
who is designated a s vice president of the board, would preside
Naturally, then, he would be in charge until the mayor returned.
But as far as running the city is concerned, the pom, the EVEN.
ING NEWS made in its previous editorial, there is not the slightest
doubt as IS who is responsible for the conduct of the affairs OF any
enc OF the departments.
The man who sent the letter to the EVENING NEWS type
writing the name Of another person at the bottom in order to give
it the appearance of authenticity, thought he was DONG something
to discredit commission government; instead he only succeeded In
dicrediting himself.