Palisadian., 1925-10-30
DEMOCRATS IN CLIFFSIDE USING
ENGINEERS FEES TALK AS A VOTE
GETTER; MAR|NI is UNDISTURBED
Mayor Claims Banville Sidesteps Offer Debate in Pub
lic Banvie Declares Mayor Hasn't Produced Actual
Figures; What Its All About.

present Mayor Joseph w. Marini
have been arguing back and forth
through the columns of a Hudson
County daily newspaper this past
week over the question of Engineers
fees.
Candidate Banville started the
argument as his best target for at
tack on the administration and re-
ceived prompt reply from the alert
Mayor.
A second letter from Banvllle said
the County Engineer has 240 miles
OF roadway to care for while thera
are only 16 in Cliffside Park.
In an answer to this Marini said
the County Engineer took care of
new construction work only and the
maintenance of existing roads was
I'D to the budget of 1925. He said
also that there are % not 16 miles
OF roadway in Cliffside Park.
Banville in his second attack made
charges of extravaganza in connec.
ton with engineers fees which
Marini says is unwarranted in that
they receive no more proportionately
under his administration than
under any other.
An answer was forthcoming from
Banville, then another from Marini
until the latest ones which follow:
From Marini
Mr.. Banville's last statement of
ol r. m hn c r
master on the art of side stepping.
He still continues to evade every di-
rect charge made by me. The best
he could do was to pick upon typo
graphical error made in the compos-
ing rooms of a newspaper which he
knew was q mistake and should have
checked up, as he could easily have
done by calling the newspaper Office.
Mr.. Banville still ignores my offer
for a debate before his own friends
at a Democratic rally, because he
knows that he could not avoid facts
as he does by long distance news
paper articles. He started mud-Sling-
ing in this campaign by making it ap-
pear that something was wrong with
the Engineers fees, whereas he only
differed in the matter of the system
employed, and now when he is told
matters of record which show him up
to be insincere, he begins to squeal.
His charges of mud-slinging against
him by me are unfounded, and he
knows it because l have not told one
half that could be told, and he also
knows that his charges of mud-sling-
ing will have no effect because the
people know him and his record.
My record is an open book that will
stand the sunlight, but he is afraid
of his and refuses to come out in the
open where he would have to stand
OF his own feet and not depend upon
his press agent.
Now let him either come out like
a man ON a public platform before
the people who must either elect or
defeat us, or otherwise keep silent.
Joseph w. Marini.
From BanviIle
requested, through the press, that
the Mayor publish the actual amount
of engineering fees paid since Janu-
ary, 1924 to date. including the cost
of the new assessment map and fees
to be paid ON all contracts where
work is now under construction.
"To date the Mayor has avoided
this request and his only statements
are carrying a line of mud-slinging
which l must say causes me to be
very disappointed in the Mayor, and
1 wish to say at this time that l
wish to take no part in any mud
singing, for it is my firm conviction
that the mayoralty of Cliffside Park
or any public Office is not worth 1t.
"The Democratic candidates have
carried on a campaign as gentlemen
i'll political life should and 1 feel at
liberty to speak at this time for my
running mates in stating that the
Democratic candidates will take no
part in mud-slinging."
Francis A. Banville.
What It's All About
So the people as a whole may get
a clear view of the situation the Pali-
sadian submits the following resume
OF the argument:
Many street improvements have
been petitioned for by the people
while Marini was in office. The engi- |
neers are working under a fee sys-
tenn as always in the past. If large
amount of work is done they get more
money than if only little is done
in that they receive 10 per cent of
the cost of each improvement. If no
work is done they get nothing.
Because their fees have amounted
tc tidy sum on the numerous street
improvements Banville saw an oppor
tunity to advocate a salaried engine
saying it would save the taxpayers
money, etc.
The whole thing resolves itself into
a question of which is best, salaried |
engineer or one who gets paid just |
for what he does.
Mayor Marini has declared he is
open minded on the subject and is !