Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-08-18

have carefully examined said plans, and
we are obliged to report unfavorably, on
the grounds that the said plans do not
provide for building with as much
room for the convenience of the officers,
and does not cover the same amount OF
ground by thirty-six (36) feet in depth,
for less sum of money, as plans hereto
fore submitted do, and as we believe that
this city should have the largest and
most convenient building. to meet all
future requirements, for the least sum of
money, we are compelled to act as
above stated.
Mr.. Lee said the whole thing was q
farce that had been carried far enough.
Mr.. Knauer moved that the Committee
of Council meet the City Hall Commis-
siOners, tell them what kind of q building
they wanted. and have plans drawn in
conformity with their ideas.
Mr.. Long said the matter was no farce
on the part of the Council. If the blame
was anywhere it was with the City Hall
Commissioners who would not submit
architect. He had been told right to his
face by one of the Commissioners. that
Council would have to accept their (the
Commissioners') plans or there would be
no City Hall. He wanted the people to
know who it was that was causing the
delay.
Mr.. Parker said that the Commission
ers' architect was one of those kind of
men who knew everything. and nobody
else knew anything, and whenever he
found q man who knows everything"
he felt like taking a back seat. The
architect favored by Council was just as
competent. The trouble is the Commits
vioners don't want City Hall at all
but are willing to keep up the farce as
long as possible while they are drawing
their salaries. For two years they have
gone along submitting plans they knew
the Council would never adopt. If
farce was being played he wanted the
taxpayers to understand what it was,
and who the players were.
Mr.. Lee said the Council had made it
farce by it's own actions. They had voted
down q proposition to meet the Commis-
sioners, and they should not now pose
as reformers. He did not doubt the
ability of the Councils architect, Mr..
Davis, to draw plans, but they should
instruct him as to what they wanted.
Mr.. Rose said the Commissioners
should invite competition, and let all
architects have chance and not insist
on having their own plans to the exclu-
sion of everybody's else. The United
States Government did so and be
thought Atlantic City could afford to.
Mr.. Lee reminded Mr.. Rose that the
United States had its own architects,
and never advertised for competitive
plans.
Mr.. Rose accepted Mr.. Lees correc-
ton, but outside of the Z. s. Govern
ment nearly all public buildings were
built from plans subject to competition.
Why have the Commissioners barred
out everybody but their own architects?
The City architect will furnish suitable
bond to put up Hall for $4,000. and
the City has man to inspect the ma
terial and see that the specifications are
complied with and to reject any insult
able material. The Commissioners have
never presented plan at all in accor-
dance with the wishes of Council until
the last meeting, and that was sent in
with the Assembly room ommitted.
The Committee had told the Commits
sioners, time and time again, what they
wanted, but they paid no attention to
it, and we have been told by them that
we must adopt their plans or have no
Hall. Their plans called for building
too small for the needs Of the City.
Mr.. Knauer said he had spent some
time in figuring on the subject and the
building proposed by the Commissioners
would cost $4,000 at the rate of twelve
cents per cubic foot. Such building as
Mr.. Rose wanted would allow only
eight cents per cubic foot, and it could
not be built of good material at any
such price. That's all there was about
it.
Mr.. Parker said the City need
not lose anything. The contractors
would have to furnish bonds, and the
City had it's own architects to see that
it was properly built.
Mr.. Long said the City need not worry.
The bonds must be sufficient or they
would not be accepted. What the tax
payers want in City Hall is the worth
of their money, and for one he meant to
to see that they got it.
Mr.. Ham said he had proposed to the
Commissioners to pay off their architect,
and let him 60, but they would not con-
sent to any such arrangements. The
plan to have fair and open competi-
ton did not meet the approval of the
Commissioners. Their architect had
already cost the City $500.
Mr.. Barrett said he should like to see
the resignation of the Commissioners
and let the Council go ahead and build.
The motion for the Property Commit
tee to again confer with the Commission
ers was lost IA to 8 the yeas being Lee,
Lingerman and Leeds.
Mr.. Lee reported that the lumber from
the old Boardwalk had been sold at
auction for $40, there Being but one
bidder and none of the Committee
present. The report was adopted after
some discussion and Council adjourned
to meet Tuesday evening.
BAKERSVILLE.
Capt. Walter Fifield was an Atlantic
City visitor on Thursday.
POMONA