Palisadian., 1925-10-30
RECORD OF EDWARD A. WHITE BASIS
OF HIS APPEAL TO FORT Lee VOTERS
Running in Response Call of Friends Who Believe Him
to Be Proper Man for Mayors Chair at This Impor
tant Stage of Fort Lees Development.

Edward A. White was born in
Perth Am0oy, New Jersey, in 1871
and was married in Fort Lee in 1902,
and in 1906 became permanent res
ident of Fort Lee Borough. He was
educated in the schools of Perth Am
boy and later completed a course of
mechanical engineering at Warmers
Institute OF Technology; then he as
sumed charge of the engineering de-
partment of his fathers factory.
For twenty-five years he has de-
voted his daily efforts to the up
building of the White Hoist and Ma
chine Company of which he is at
present the principal owner. In line
with the development of modern
building and construction equipment,
his company first replaced their hand
hoists with steam boilers and later
with powerful electric hoists of the
most modern type. His firm Is now
having much success with gasoline
hoists used where electric current is
not yet available during the course
of construction of the building, as
in outlying sections of the city.
Former Mayor White has always
been endowed with the happy faculty
of successfully surrounding himself
with men and women whose energy
refused to be suppressed, no matter
how difficult the task. He is tactful,
kindly and of a genial nature, and
has had 10 years of municipal ex-
perience as mayor of Fort Lee.
Having always manifested much in
terest in the Borough of Fort Lee,
he became candidate and was cleo
ted Mayor November 8, 1918, receiv-
ing plurality of ia votes over then
Mayor Arthur E. Kerwin, and again
defeated the latter in 1915.
At the close of both terms his ad-
ministration was publicly endorsed
and November 6, 1917, he defeated
Samuel ]. Corker by lit votes.
He took the oath Of Office as Mayor
January l, 1914, and during his six
years as Chief Executive of the Bor-
ough he never missed a meeting, al
though the country was at war in
1917 and 1918 and his many public
activities demanded his every men
tai and physical effort.
After the Eclair fire, March 10,
1914, which exacted loss of $3.50, 900
he began an active war against the
water monopoly of the Hackensack
Water Company and was instru.
mental in bringing his fight to the
Fighting Mayors, which organiza.
tion succeeded in compelling a re.
duction of rates and increased water
pressure at the hydrants.
He urged the introduction of a Dor.
ough ordinance to license public
amusement places and taxed Palisade
Amusement Park an annual license
of $500, which is still paid to the
borough.
Planning greater sewerage sys.
tenn for Fort Lee and to overcome
difficulties brought about by lines al.
ready constructed, he took action to
acquire property for the sites of the
present sewage disposal plants.
Early in 1915 he established the
system Of printing the official min
uLSS VI Iu0 1OuHCu meetings., Ill
pamphlet form so that information as
to the business of the borough might
be accessible to any citizen. In these
minutes each month was incorpor-
ated the report of the Collector.
Mayor White each year issued a
plain and comprehensive financial re-
port of the condition of the borough.
Until the time he took Office no
assessments had been levied for sew
ers and steps were Immediately
taken to place the finances of the bor-
ough on a sound footing.
To this end he established a Sink
ing Fund Commission, to provide for
the payment of the borough debts
and appointed Herman H. Client,
Gerome Sardi, DR.. Edwin O'Neil, DR..
Joseph Huger and Lucien P. Druck
Commissioners, all of whom rendered
an invaluable service to the borough.
Mayor White led the campaign to