Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-28
HITS EDWARDS
IN COAL CRISIS
Runyon Says Governor Ig-
nored Welfare of Public
Speaks Also of Roads

Monmouth county today, returned
to the charge that Governor Ed
wards ignored the welfare of the
public in his handling of the Goa
crises. The federal government.
authority ceased when the Goa
and a state commission should bt
created with adequate authority t.
prevent inequalities of distribution
n to guard against p~rofiteering
He scored Governor Edwards indif.
ference to the course followed ir
4 New York by Governor Miller. Tit
commission Governor Edwards Sc.
lie led a few months ago, according
to Mr.. Runyon, has never met an6
has no responsibility.
The Republican gubernatoria
candidate asserted that not only
had the governor been unable tc
cope with the Goa situation, but he
had shown his ineficiency in the
policies Of the State Highway Com,
mission. Mr.. Runyon promised thai
il elected he would not call into
consultation Job Lippincott or any
other representative of the paving
Trust. He renewed the charge thai
DIR. Charles F. Kraemer of Newark
had been offered appointment tc
the highway commission through
Lippincott and the latter's asso.
ciates.
Mr.. Runyon said: while it is
true that the people are aroused to
a high state of indignation over the
misdoings of the Edwards highway
commission, I believe the day is
coming very rapidly when they will
also definitely place the blame in
Governor Edwards for failing to see
fhak khA ~o@~ 80 H. {1
properly supplied with Goa at fair
prices. No matter how industrious
and faithful the miners may be dur
ing the balance of the winter, there
is bound to be a tremendous short
age of coal. The federal govern
ment has no Jurisdiction over the
distribution of coal in the individual
states. Its jurisdiction ceases when
the coal is delivered to the state
border-line. To prevent the charg-
ing of extortionate prices by unfair
dealers among the coal merchants,
and to prevent inequality of distri-
button of coal among the people, 1t
is absolutely essential that a COM
mission be created clothed with
adequate power.
1.-THE Republican party stands
committed to the passage of a law
AAiiiAa l tiiC IA pdooCu dllucT lllC
leadership of Governor Nathan Mil
Ter by the Republican legislature of
New York. Governor Edwards, not
wi~thstanding the crisis which con-
fronts us, has insistently refused to
call a special session of the legisla-
ture to accomplish this important
end. The Democrats, in their plat
form, suggest no constructive mea-
sure whatsoever toward helping the
difficulty. Instead, they are content
70 rest with the s~o-called coal COM
mission appointed by Governor Ed
wards. which is absolutely without
authority and which, I am told, has
never been called together and has
never functioned. 1t Is only by the
election of a Republican legislature
and a Republican governor commit
ted to prompt and radical action on
this important measure that the peo-
pie can be safeguarded during the
coming winter. This inactivity of
Governor Edwards in a trying emer-
gency is just another of the many
examples of the inefficiency and in
ability Of the Democratic executive
to carry on the state government.
Governor Edwards has spent so
much of his time thinking about the
Atlantic Ocean and it's wetness that
he has not been able to cope with
the coal situation, any more than he
has with the highway situation. One
of the most important functions Of
the governor is to select men for
office and submit his appointments
for ratification and approval to the
state senate. We have been recently
astounded to read in the public press
that DR.. Charles f. Kraemer, one of
the leading Democrats in the City of
Newark, had been approached by
MI. Turner and Mr.. Lippincott. wei
known representatives of Warren
Brothers, who constitute the patent
ed pavement trust. and rendered a
position on the State Highway Com
mission. which Dr.. Kraemer refused.
II assure the people of the state
that If I am elected governor, I will
have no need for Mr.. Turner or Mr..
Lippincott or anyone else to select
members of the State Highway Com
mission, or any other public offices
in the state. Nor will I appoint to
Office men who by we'll proven tes-
timony have been shown to be either
dishonest or mentally incompetent.
I thought that perhaps Judge Sill
yer would explain to the people of
Morris county when he was there a
few days ago., his vote in the matter
of Senator Fitzherbert. but from all
the newspaper accounts, he careful
ly avoided the topic. A majority of
the senate found Senator Fitzherbert
guilty of abetting in an attempt TO
obtain $4,000 from the Commercial
Acetylene Company, in connection
with the passage of a bill through
the legislature. Notwithstanding the
evidence. Judge SilZer. then a mem
Der of the state senate, voted that
Senator Fitzherbert was not guilty
but in voting he said that Senator
Fitzherbert was a mental weakling
and a tool of others. Nevertheless,
he voted to keep him in the senate.
When the popular storm of indigna-
ton arose through the public press,
he, with other Democrats. Joined in
a letter reuesting Senator Fitz-
herbert to resign.
II do not think l need to pledge
myself not to appoint or keep in puc-
lie office n man who is a mental
weakling or who is dominated by
sinister influences"