Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-09-01

that the Railroad Company would have
to pave from the latter avenue wss lost.
Yeas-Barton, Barrett, Ireland, Kelley,
Southwick, 5; nays-Beyer, Clement,
Doughty, Ham, Knauer, Lingerman,
Leeds. Lee, Long, Parker, Rose, South
err, -.
On motion the Ordinance was read the
third time and engrossed.
Mr.. Leeds motion to suspend the rules
and pass it was defeated.
Mr.. Rose moved when Council adjourn
it be to meet next Monday evening for
general business. Carried.
APPROPRIATION ORDNANCE.
Mr.. Knauer from the Finance Com
mittee reported substitute for Ordi-
nance No. 125.
Mr.. Leeds moved that the City SoIici-
tor give his opinion on each item as
read. No changes were suggested until
| the item for lighting the streets was
reached when Mr.. Rose moved to in
crease it from $25 600 to $27. 500 upon
Mr.. Lingerman's assurance that the
former amount was not enough, and
| moved to postpone action until Mr..
Lingerman's Committee submitted an
itemized estimate ofthe amount IT quired.
Carried.
Mr.. Kelley moved to reduce the
| amount for the Board of Health from
$4,000 to $500. He said the Board
had $4,000 in the Bank and $500 was
enough.
Mr.. Leeds did not think it wise to
cripple the Board of Health at health
resort like Atlantic City.
MIR. Lee thought the revenues of the
px,r md H1
account of there being less building the
coming year.
Mr.. Barrett thought 81, 500 would be
sufficient.
Mr.. Kelley's amendment was adopted.
The item apprOpriating $100 for
Grammercy Park was stricken out.
The item of $65,O0O for the Water
Department. led to considerable discus
sion.
Mr.. Lee said the Department had on
hand $4,000. He thought the Com
mittee has resorted to deception. and
wanted the Departments fiscal year to
commence September 1st instead of
August LIST. He made motion to that
effect and to increase the amount of
anticipated revenues from $65 900 to
100000. He hoped Council would con-
slider the matter well before raising the
tax rate to high figure. He thought
his motion would make difference of
about twenty-eight cents in the rate.
The coming winter would be hard one
and taxes should be kept down.
Mr.. Leeds said the Water Department
had uee, in the next sixty days, for ali
the money it had on hand, and the result
would be that it would have to borrow
large sum for eleven months to run the
Department..
Mr.. Southern said it was a simple
question. We must give the Department
money enough to square up or repeat
the borrowing process again next year.
Mr.. Lees motion to increase the
amount to 100000 was defeated II
to 5.
BRIGHTON PARK.
Mr.. Rose said there was no appropria-
tion to pay the back bills, of about
$11OO OF the Park Commissioners. The
Commissioners had been appointed by
Council to do a certain work and he
thought it had cost too much. Ii the
amount of $11OO had been legally ex-
pended the City was liable for it, and it
ought to be paid.
The City Solicitor was asked to give
his opinion as to whether the City had
clear title to the property.
Solicitor Endicott said the inquiry left
him on pretty close grounds. The deed
dedicated Brighton Park for the benefit
of the owners of surrounding properties.
In 1891 they could not spend money up
on it. In 1892 the question was again
raised, and the lawyers had different
hn lodi Of ho ~
last year, was, he believed, generally
He held opinions somewhat at variance
with some distinguished gentlemen. but
upon the whole was inclined to think
the City could legally pay the bills. Mr..
VOORHEES,, an eminent lawyer, said it
was public park, and that the City
could expend money upon it. Mr.. Endi
cott was inclined to think so himself
but there were doubts about it.
Mr.. Long wanted to know if the
Solicitor or any one else had ever seen q
deed of the property? He would like to
know more about the title before paying
any more bills.
Mr.. Leeds said the Council appointed
the Park Commissioners, appropriated
money to improve the Park and ap-
proved every contract, and instructed
the Mayor and City Clerk in certain
matters relating to it. He thought the
bills should be paid.
Mr.. Kelley wanted to know if any
Committee of Council had right to ex-
ceed the appropriations.
Mr.. Endicott said, "No."
Mr.. Kelley said that they had exceeded
them $67 900.
Mr.. Southwick said every Committee
of Council had exceeded the appropri-
ations at some time or other.
Mr.. Parker said, "If that was so put
us all in jail together" He would like
to see the whole Council going up the
street in the "hurry-up" wagon, and the
Park Commissioners trudging along in
the rear. Uaughter.)
MIR. Kelley said Brighton Park should
be kept in repair by the adjacent prop
erty owners. He was opposed to appro-
priating money illegally. If we have
done SO before, it does not make it legal
to do it again.
MIR. Parker thought we had better re-
fuse to pay the bills, and let the Park
Commissioners get it if they could. Let
them take the whole matter into Court
if they want to, and let the Court settle
iJ once for all. The city has no valid
title to the property as yet.
Mr. Brinckle Gummey, President of the
Park Commissioners being present was
invited to address the Council. He ex-
planned that the Commissioners thought
they had $4,000 to expend when as a
matter of fact they had about $1,000.
They had not been informed that ~, 700
had been transferred to another appro-
priation without their knowledge, and
| the Commissioners were not expected to
be posted on legal points. He thought
the Commissioners should net be GEN.
sured too severely. They had spent
$1,800, outside the city's money, col
lected from property owners. They did
not ask the city to pay cent Of that
amount.
Mr.. Kelley thought the Commissioners
should have known what amount of
money they had right to expend. 1t
| was their business to know. The Comp
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