New-York tribune., 1901-09-21
FIGHT OVER DECORATIONS.
PATERSON BOARD OF ALDERMEN QUAR-
REL ABOUT DRAPING OF CITY
HALL FOR PRESIDENT
MEINLEY

While the people of the United States have
sunk all petty differences and spent the week in
sincere mourning the death of President
Mckinley the city authorities of Paterson, n. j.,
have been engaged in a wrangle over the draping
of their City Hall These city officials have
erected their tribute to President McKiney's
memory through storm of contention that
almost amounted to a brawl at one time.
Last Saturday morning the Paterson Board of
Aldermen met to pass resolutions on the death
of the President. 1t decided to drape the
City Hall, but instead of leaving this to the
Committee Public Buildings a special COM
mittee consisting of Aldermen t. C. Wright
Philip Durget and Thomas Brogan. ap-
pointed. This committee gave the contract to
Eugene Gutenberg for $3.50.
Although the comroittee claimed that it had
authority to give out the contract without going
back to the board for confirmation. the subject
was brought Up at the regular meeting of the
board last Monday evening. Ii had been agreed
that the board should adjourn without doing
any business out of respect to the memory of
the dead President, but before the motion could
be made Mayor Hinchfe declared that it should
not adjourn until it had settled the question of
draping the City Hall. He protested against
paying $3.50 for the work.
II am of the same opinion said Alderman
Joseph S. Lang. 1T is exorbitant price. 1t
is 5000 more than any draping of the City Hall
is worth. / have obtained figure from George
Whitehead, decorator of this city. He will do
the work for $3.50 according to a design which
he has submitted
You are out of Order!'' shouted Alderman
Durget, in angry voice, to Alderman Lang.
THE committee has given out the contract to
Mr.. Gutenberg, and he has already started the
work And | want to tell you that he will
hio IL nv
| are making the committee look like lot of
| thieves,''
II move that the contract be given to Mr.
| Whitehead" said Alderman Lang. "and that the
board have it done under its own supervision
would undertake to do the job myself for $500
and make money out of it,
Il don't care for the Mayor Alderman Lang
or anybody elser' again shouted Alderman Dur
| get exctedy. Il don't care II it cost SooOOo.
! All 1 want to do is to give Billy Mckinley a
! good sendoff We went about the job to the
best of ability. and you people have dis
| played poor taste in bringing the question up at
| this time
| Il know that it is unfortunate that this mat
| ter comes I'D at this time" said the Mayor but
| have to catch those things as they happen.
so that we will not be laughed at after II is all
| over
| Il want to be relieved from this committee!"
| cried Alderman Durget. why don't you dis
| charge the committee right away? II does not
matter what you do anyhow; the work has been
! given out. and II will have to be paid for
Alderman Close promptly made a motion TO
! discharge .4e committee. and ii was carried.
Another motion to give the contract TO Mr.
| Whitehead at $3.50 also carried.
| Before they left the council chamber Aldermen
| Durget went up TO Alderman Lang and berated
| him for his interference. The aldermen gathered
! around the two, and for a moment IL looked as
! though they would come to blows. but Alderman
i Lang restrained himself. He said afterward that
! there a retort his lips that would have
| caused a sensation and brought some members
of the committee into the criminal courts If he
had made 1t.
| That same evening Mayor Hinchliffe got City
| Counsel Dunn to serve notice on Eugene Gruen-
| berg the decorator. that the contract which he
had with the committee was not legal, and that
| he must not proceed with the work. Mr. Gruen-
| berg. however had his men at the City Hall on
| the following morning, ready TO start work The
police were called in to stop him. He retained
| James c. Blauvelt TO bring suit against the city.
Mr. Whitehead started to decorate the City
Hall on Tuesday He purchased the material
| which Mr.. Gutenberg had prepared for the hall.
and put ii up for $3.50