Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-08-11
NEWS FROM OUR
CORRESPONDENTS.
Items Of Interest from Hd-
joining Touns.
HAPPENINGS AIOHG The SHORE RESIDENTS
WHAT is GOING ON ALONG THE SHORE.
SPICY NEWS GATHERED HERE AND
THERE BY OUR REGULAR CORREsPON-
DENTS. EvERYBoDY's BUSINESS.
ATLANTIC CITY.

ATLANTIC CITY.
| Mr.. and Mrs. Littlepage; Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas Scull and daughter were among
the Atlantic City visitors to Pitman
Grove over Sunday.
| The West Jersey & Seashore R. R.
brought to Atlantic City on Saturday
| 152 cars on regular trains and 46 cars
excursionists, on Sunday 81 cars regu-
lar and 172 excursionists. The Police
Pension fund brought down 9693 pas
sengers in ten sections. The regular
trains carried or brought enough other
| passengers to swell the total for Sunday
| to over 10000 people on the w. J. &
Seoshore r. R. The Reading brought
100 making in all 240O on all the
roads. On Saturday the Reading
brought 1873 cars of excursionists and
and 100 cars of regulars, on Sunday 70
cars OF excursiOnists and SO cars of re-
gulars. Tht total number of passengers
carried was $4,000. The reports ofvery
| large numbers of wheelmen coming
dwindled to a few below 5000. The
motor trains carried between Somers
Point and Atlantic City on Saturday
| and Sunday $500 passengers.
PROCEEDINGS OF COUNCIL.
The adjourned meeting of the City
Council occupied about an hour and one
half, and considerable important busi-
ness was transacted.
A communication was received from
| the Water Commissioners protesting
against Councils action at it's last meet
ing for awarding contracts for 1000
meters. Also a writ of certiorari,
| through the Neptune Meter Company
was read, carrying the recent award to
| the other three companies to the Su-
preme Court; also a certiorari in the
DOnnea case, and another certiorari in
the Gabel case and the Frank Laughlan
license matter All were referred to the
Law Committee and City Solicitor.
Licenses were granted to Lewis
Kuehnle, Atlantic and South Carolina
avenues; Theodore Gross, wholesale.
After recess to informally consider
the right of way through the Lee-Henri
property on the Boardwalk, it was
finally agreed to await the return of Mr..
Henri from Europe, which will be in
about two weeks, when it is expected
some mutually satisfactory adjustment
of the pending differences will be made.
On reassembliDg of the Council Mr..
Barrett moved to reconsider the vote of
the last meeting awarding equally to
four bidders the contract to furnish 1000
water meters.
Mr.. Lee wanted to know the object of
the motion. Talk was open on the
streets that something had been done
affecting the integrity of the members.
Mr.. Barrett replied that only one COM
pany-the Neptune complied with
the specifications, and thought it best to
reconsider the vote and award them the
contract.
Mr.. Lee opposed the reconsideration
unless all contracts were declared void.
He thought the Courts should settle the
whole matter as it had been carried there
by the certiorari proceedings.
Mr.. Ham said that one bid was legal,
and that did not debar throwing out
those that were illegal. The matter had
been left with the Water Commissioners
and Council had done all they asked
it to.
Mr.. Leeds favored reconsideration. 1t
was an open question. Ii other COM
panies had not complied with the speci-
fications that should not prevent dealing
with those that had. The Neptune Com
pany supplies parts of meters. The
others do not, and would have the city
at disadvantage and could charge ex-
orbitant prices.
Mr.. Barrett favored getting the meters
as soon as possible.
Mr.. Lee said if the contract was
awarded to one company the other three
would fight it and the city would be in a
legal tangle. He thought it better
remain in Court and let it be settled
there. We can buy $50 meters of the
Company that had complied with the
specifications which is enough to last
until the whole matter is settled. There
is DO hurry and nobody was suffering.
Mr.. Lingerman moved to lay Mr..
Barrett's motion to reconsider on the
table, but it was not seconded and the
original motion was carried IL to 5.
Nays-Lee, Doughty, Knauer, Kelley,
LiDgerman.
Mr.. Lee moved that the City Solicitor
be requested to give his opinion.
The City Solicitor, Mr.. Endicott, was
of the opinion that the Council would
come dangerously near the line of con-
tempt of Court if it went ahead and
awarded the full contract to one COM
pany. Its previous action was in the
nature of a contract with each of the
four companies, which Council could not
violate without running the risk of legal
complications. The writ of certiOrari
acts as stay. He advised resembling
the vote just taken on Mr.. Barret's
motion to reconsider, as the easiest way
out of the difficulty. In reply to ques-
the city could legally award the contract
60 OE0 10 ho Novfr,ne
pany.
Mr.. Leeds moved to rescind the vote
just passed.
Mr.. Rose thought the vote was right
but would not oppose Mr.. Leeds motion
that had grown out of the Councils
action. As he understood the matter
one company had complied with all the
conditions and no one questioned the
right to award their contract. The
others had failed to comply and their
case was now awaiting the decision OF
the Court. In the meantime the writ OF
certiorari acts as stay, and no further
contracts can be awarded pending de-
cisiOn. He would vote to sustain the
Solicitors opinion.
Mr.. Leeds motion was adopted un-
animOusly.
Mr.. Ham then offered resolution
authorizing contract to be made with
the Neptune Water Meter Company for
| the purchase of $50 water meters.
Adopted unanimously.
Mr.. Rose moved that the City Clerk
notify the Assessors to meet Council with
| the duplicates next Monday evening,
August 16. Motion carried.
Mr.. Lingerman asked for an appropri-
ation of 9l5 to pay for numbering the