Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-10-06
BY
Mr.. W|L[NTz
City Attorney Quotes 0rdin-
ance Under Which He Is
Appointed-Gives Views


in a statement to the Evening News
today, tells where he stands on his
representation OF cereain persons of
whom the Evening News took some
objection in a recent editorial. Mr..
Wilentz quotes the ordinance under
which he is appointed showing what
his duties are and also quotes Prose-
cutor Joseph E. Stricken, who has
advocated the appointment OF a city
prosecutor to represent the city IN
police court cases. The statement
in full follows:
In the numerous articles and edi-
torials recently published in the
News in its attack upon me, both as
city attorney and personally, posi-
tive statements are made that have
been attorney in cases against the
city of Perth Amboy. If this charge
by the News is true, 1t is indeed a
serious situation. If the charge is
untrue, then the editor of the News
is guilty of vicious persecution.
Since the beginning OF my term as
city attorney l have not represented
any person in claim against the
city, and the News knows that. I
have never refused assistance to the
police when called upon for such
assistance where local matters are
involved. Where a man has been
charged with crime in the local
police court or any other police court
in the state, the issue involved is not
between the city and the defendant,
but between the State OF New Jersey
and the defendant, and the News
knows that.
l have an absolute right to repre-
sent persons charged with crime in
the local police station. It is not al
all in conflict with my duties as city
attorney. The great John w. Davis,
who Is the Democratic candidate for
president of the United States, num-
bered among his clients men who
have served terms in county, state
and federal penitentiaries and Mr.
Davis so stated. City attorneys al
over the state are representing per-
sons charged with crime in the
criminal courts, and the News knows
that.
If the police court of the City OF
Perth Amboy has become so busy
that the police need the aid of an
attorney, then the city should follow
the advice of Prosecutor Stricken
who on several occasions during the
past few years has urged the city to
appoint a city prosecutor to prose
cute all cases TO be tried before the
police court, in accordance with the
following act which was passed IN
1916:
"An act respecting proceedings in
certain criminal courts in certain
cities of the second class in this state
and to regulate and increase the
powers of the police courts, record
er's courts and similar municipal
courts known by any other name in
any such city and providing for the
appointment and compensation of a
city prosecutor and regulating the
compensation of judges or recorders
presiding over said courts"
At this time a copy of the follow
ing ordinance adopted in 1913 de-
scribing my duties should be of in
terest to everybody in this contro-
versy:
An Ordinance
ITO fix and regulate the salary and
compensation OF the city attorney,
BE it ordained by the City Of Perth
section l. That the annual salary
and compensation of the city attor-
ney shall be the sum of twelve hun
dred dollars to be paid in equal
monthly payments of 500 each; and
such further fees for suits and ae-
tions or other court proceedings in
which the city orbits officers or de-
partments are concerned, and for
such other services, as may be ap-
proved by the council or any of the
departments of the city, and he shall
be reimbursed for any and all ex-
penses incurred by him in and about
the business of the city.
Section 2. All ordinances and
parts of ordinances conflicting with
the above ordinance be and the same
are hereby repealed"
My connection with politics and
with the city of Perth Amboy has
been clean. I fear no criticism If
permitted to make reply thereto in
the columns of the newspaper carry
ing such criticism. The considera-
tion granted me by the News on
Saturday in publishing substantially
my reply to some of its criticism was
unexpected. 1t was, therefore, all
the more appreciated by me as an
act OF good sportsmanship on the
part of the editor of the News.