Palisadian., 1925-10-23
To the Editor:

wy dIIChllOh was CdllSu W Luc
statement of Mr.. Francis A. Banville,
Democratic candidate for Mayor,
wherein he states that the Borough
Engineers, McClave G McClave, have
received in the neighborhood of $780,.
900 in fees for engineering services
in connection with the improvements
undertaken within the last twenty
two months, and wherein he advo-
Gates the creation of a municipal en-
.gineering department.
1t is not for me to defend or justify
the charges of the Engineers, but so
that there is no misunderstanding,
want to call the attention of the peo-
pie of Cliffside Park to the following
matters:
The Engineers in the Borough of
practically all municipalities in Ber-
gen county, are paid on percentage
basis, that is, if a large amount Of
work is done, the sum is naturally
greater in proportion. If no work at
all is done, they get paid nothing.
There is no charge made by Mr..
Banville that the Engineers get paid
more in Cliffside Park than they are
paid in other municipalities, there
fore, the question resolves itself down
to the merits and desirability of a
municipal engineering system over
that of fee system.
The present Engineers, McClave &
McClave, have been the Borough En-
gineers ever since l can remember,
and have been the Engineers in both
Democratic and Republican admins
trations under exactly the same con
aditions and terms that prevail at the
present time, so therefore it should
be the subject of close study from a
purely business standpoint as to
which is more expedient and desir-
able, considering all circumstances.
1t is interesting to note in this con-
nection that ex-Mayor John c. Cadien
porters strenuously objected to make
any change in the Engineering sys-
tenn only about four years ago.
Mr.. Banville was at all times a
supporter of Cadien's administration,
and never until the last stages of this
campaign, did he ever suggest a
change in the present system.
While the Engineers may have re-
'ceived $4,000 in the last two years,
it is also interesting to note that in
the last six years, including the last
two, the Engineers received total
of about $4,000, making an average
of $4,000 per year, so therefore it re-
solves it down to question as to
whether small municipalities of the
size of Cliffside Park can afford to
create and maintain an Engineering
Department where the expense will
run on continuously even though no
improvements may be undertaken.
Under the policy of my administra-
tion where local improvements are
initiated only on petition and where
majority of the people affected OBJ
ject, the improvement is rejected, it
is hard to foresee how much work
may be done over period of years.
1t is perhaps on account of the great
confidence that my administration has
enjoyed that prevailed so many peo-
pie to petition for improvements.
Forty-eight separate Improvements
have been initiated during my ad-
ministration. Certainly improvements
cannot proceed at that rate for
long period of time in Borough of
the comparatively small size of Cliff
side Park
If it can be demonstrated to me
from a purely business standpoint
that it would be better to create a
municipal engineering department, 4
would be the first one to advocate
it being done.
The Borough of Edgewater is a
poor example to cite because Edge
water is so made up that very few
improvements are made, and the cost
of running the Edgewater Depart
ment would be only a small fraction
of what it would cost to run a de-
partment to carry on the amount of
improvements carried on in the Bor-
ough of Cliffside Park.
Mr.. Banville stated that the Coun-
ty Engineer is paid salary of $4,000,
but he errs in two ways: first, that
the salary is $4,000 per year and Sec
ondly that the total salaries of the
County Engineers Office amount to
$36,540 per year. This does not in
clude all the overhead such as equip
ment, Office rent, supplies, blue prints,
Ford automobiles and one large
automobile and the maintenance re-
quired for these cars, so that the sum
of $4,000, is cited to show what it
cost the county, would be very mis-
leading if not understood properly.
The sum above stated relating to the
county, does not include extra work
involving the examination by ex-
perts of county improvements as we'll
as numerous other items that could |
be mentioned.
In the City Of Englewood where
they have an Engineering Depart |