The Monmouth inquirer., 1895-02-14
The County investigation.

Mr. John E. Lanning lawyer
from Asbury Park, has take upon
himself to investigate the aiairs q
Monmouth County on behalf OF sever
= petitioners. The investigation
,yas commenced with the ayowed OBJ
iect to show up the unbuslnessiiRe
method in bidding and faulty con-
s+ruction of several costly bridges
and rn,nors were rife that the Free
holders had been guilty OF criminal
negligence in the performance OF Vlleir
d,ties SO far the astonishing Tea
tnres which were promised have faIiea
to materialize and the investigation
has now settled down into hunt for
something that might Warrant the
continuation Of the search Except a
few minor irregularities and lack OF
competition in bidding IN some ~
stances. the investigation has not re-
sulted in unearthing anything very
detrimental to the Board. Not iindlng
ANYTHING in the large bridges fhat
tended to show collusion between
any member of the Board and the
bridge builders the investigation mas
resolved itself into search into the
huilding Of all small bridges Of the
County Ia the hope Of finding some
thing Of a eliminating nature against
the members. The Commissioners
should at once stop this senseless
nonsense. which is costing tax-pay
ers so much money Mr. Lanning has
been allowed all the latitude that he
could possibly expect from them ana
if he has not taken advantage OF the
time to fully Investigate the doings
of the Board It is his own fault. At
the next meeting the Commissioners
should talk very plainly to MIR Lam
ming and tell him that he must have
a definite point in view in his exani-
nation Of bills and before he enters up
on the investigation of a bill he must
tell what he intends to prove This
examination Of all the bridge bills IN
the County just to prolong the lnves-
tigation is a senseless waste OF time
and money and should not be per-
mitted any longer. II Mr. l4anning
or any of his hackers have anything
of Il terminating nature against any
person on the Board it is now due
to the taxpayers that they be
made public, or acknowledge their
inability TO do so. The press Of Mon
mouth county are not doing their
duty in non demanding ut once a
termination of this useless expendi-
ture Of the public money II Mr..
Lannimg desires TO continue the iii
vestigation let him or hiS hackers
make an ayowal of what he intended
to prove and not so along in a hap
hazard. senseiess and unbu-ineSsiiiSe
manner that is not adding to his
reputation as a lawyer or IL citizen.
While there was II possibility of Mr..
Lanning unearthing something of IA
eliminating o gross negiectful ma
DuFt we kHI)l Stltfft. DAt 80 tHc ittSC9
tigation is now being carried on, it
cannot possibly do any gcou, as Mr..
Lanning is depending entirely upon
the members of the Board TO furnish
him proof Of their own cuipabiity.
We We're il full sympathy With Col.
Pintard Of Red Bank, when he re-
quested on behalf of the taxpayers
that stop should be put 70 the in
vestigation, but a. additional devel-
opments We're at once promised we
understand the request was not
pressed. 1t is now high time that
a stop be put to the proceedings, as
it could be carried on forever "a the
manner now being pursued
The deeIination of Gen SewelI
,f an oxpepAiyp dinner t4at N-a~ TO