PEELIMIis^AEY WORK COMPLETED 51 



"Orange, Febniary 36, 1895. 



"Hon. David A. Depne: 



"'My Dear Sir — Your favor of the thirteenth instant 

 was duly received. Tlie suggestions therein mentioned have 

 had thonghtfnl consideration. 



"As to the matter of compensation to the members of the 

 commission, there appeared but one satisfactory way of dis- 

 posing of it, viz., to make the position honorary, and then 

 rely upon the appointment of men of sufficient probity, 

 honor and civic pride to appreciate the honor, and, in the 

 great and lasting good and worthy repute growing out of 

 the improvement, thereby have sufficient inducement to de- 

 vote their best thought and purpose to the carrying out of 

 the whole enterprise. 



"It was felt that a small salary would sooner or later 

 attract petty politicians incompetent to execute such a trust, 

 and make the pressure for their appointment a burden on 

 the appointing power, while a large salary would be open to 

 other serious objections and tend to make the compensation 

 the object sought, rather than the matter of pride in suc- 

 cessful results. 



"I believe that all of the commission fully concurred in 

 this view. 



"In like manner an even number has not seemed favor- 

 able for a practical working board to any of us. Four to 

 two, as you suggest, is certainly a stronger majority than 

 three to two ; but how would it be should an even vote occur 

 with a possible ^deadlock^ lasting, as it has with some even- 

 headed commissions, a length of time ? 



"Similar commissions elsewhere for similar undertakings 

 generally recognize a number above five as unwieldy, and 

 the efficiency of a board reduced by a divided responsibility. 



"If the right men fill such positions — those competent, 

 faithful and loyal to the trust — there should be no division, 

 but every vote of record "undivided, and this is frequently 

 the case with some of the higher-class commissions. 



"In our board thus far, although questions have arisen 

 Upon which we have had different convictions, yet, after 



