Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1898-08-25
AN EVENING OF TALK.
Will Report, 1t Says When it is Proper to
do so-COuncil Adopts System of
Accounts for Offices.

Will Report, 1t Says When 1T is Proper to
do so-Council Adopts a System of
Accounts for Offices.
All the members of Council were pres
ent Friday night in special meeting, ex-
cepting Mr.. Butler, of the Second ward.
The call for the meeting, read by the
Recorder, stated that reports were to be
heard by Finance and Fire Committees,
and to draw certain orders.
The first thing done was to draw an
order for $500 for the laborers at work
upon the city sewer. This action was
upon motion OF Capt. Bowen.
A report was then asked from the Com
mittee on Fire Department. In response.
Mr.. Sellers, chairman, quietly announced
a report of progress.
Mr.. Bowen arose, as Mr.. Sellers sat
down, and said he thought the committee
ought to have something to report. Bids
for the erection of a new fire engine house
have been received and opened, and as
Councilman and citizen, he thought he
had right to know something about it.
1t seemed singular to Mr.. Bowen that the
Committee had nothing to report.
There was silence as Mr.. Bowen took
his seat, and after few moments Mr..
Bowen again addressed the chair. He
said as he understood it, all Council busi-
ness was public business, no committee
can meet in secret and transact public
business. Last Monday night, he said,
the Councilmen were ordered out of the
room where the committee was, and the
bids were opened. Council, he said, had
| a right to know what these bids were.
Every citizen who pays ten cents in tax,
or whether or not he pays any tax at all,
has right to know what the committee
has done.
Mr.. Woodruff, one of the committee,
calmly replied that the committee felt
that what had been done was all right.
AS far as ordering any one out of the
room was concerned, that he denied.
Councilmen were requested to leave the
room. When the time came that an in
tellgent report could be made. Mr..
Woodruff assured Council it would be
done; at present there was nothing to
report.
Mr.. Bowen asked if the committee had
not received bids, but Mr.. Woodruff did
not pay any attention to the question.
He simply said that after Tuesday night
the committee would have a report.
Mr.. Powell said the committee may be
honest, he thought it was; it might have
good reasons for it's actions at its star
chamber session, but he thought they
should be explained.
Mr.. Sellers asked Mr.. Powell if COM
mittees had not the right to hold private
| meetings.
Mr.. Bowen answered the question by
stating that City Solicitor Trenchard had
Informed him that no committee or
Council itself could transact public busi-
ness privately. The public had right
to be present when bids were opened and
had right to know what the bids were.
Mr.. Higgins wanted to know if the
City Hall Committee had not met in pri-
vate sessions and awarded its contracts
without reporting to Council.
This caused Mr.. Ottinger to ask Mr..
Powell, if as Chairman of the City Hall
Committee, he had not ordered people
from the room when bids were opened.
Mr.. Powell admitted that he had, but
said he did so at the request Of another
member of the committee. He admitted
now that it had caused him to do con.
siderable thinking.
Mr.. Ottinger thought that the action of
the City Hall Committee was fully as
bad as that of the Fire Committee. Mr..
| higgins suggested for Mr.. Powelps bene-
fit that chickens would come home to
| roost.
Mr.. Rigging said there was one other
was the insurance upon the new city
hall property. The insurance of build
ings Mr.. higgins contented, was the work
of the Finance Committee and he under
stood that Mr.. Powell without the auth
ority of his committee or Council, had
placed the insurance.
Mr.. Powell was plainly agitated when
he rose to reply. He said he had simply
placed the insurance with j. Ogden Burt,
and had done it by order of the City Hall
Committee ond with the approval of the
Finance Committee.
Mr. Bowen and Mr.. Woodnut declared
that all they knew of the insurance was
that Mr.. Powell had told them that he
had placed the insurance. There was
nothing to approve then, for the work
had been done
The members of the City Hall Com
mittee all denied that they had given
Mr.. Powell authority to insure the prop.
ity.
Mr.. Blew explained at some length that
Mr.. Powell had suggested that the prop
erty should be insured and Mr.. Blew had
questioned the right of the City Hall
Committee to place it. Mr.. Powell
claimed it had and later had informed
the committee that he had placed $4,000
insurance with Mr.. Burt The committee
thought this too much and Mr. Powell