, 1904-04-06

cement ana curD1ng where
defective. The solicitor was requested
to render a written opinion as to Coun.
clls power to fill in vacant lots. Philip
T. Baker was present and addressed
Council on the boardwalk matter.
Council then adjourned.
TUESDAY EVENINGS MEETING.
Another adjourned meeting of Coun-
Gil was held Tuesday evening. April
9th, with all members present.
Two letters were read from John n.
Reeve and one from ex-Congressman
s. p. Wolverton, of Sunbury, Pa, con-
corning the raising of their sidewalks.
Both were referred to the street COM
mittee. Mr.. Banks reported progress
on the board walk matter. A petition
signed by the owners of more than
o%ne-fourth in value of the taxable prop
erty of the borough was read, asking
Council to issue bonds to the amount
of $12, 900 for the purpose of widening
Atlantic avenue and building a board
walk. 1t was ordered filed and spread
on the minutes. A motion was then
passed providing for a special election
to be held on Tuesday, May 10th, 1904,
to vote for or against the issue of said
bonds.
The contract for the placing of wood
en- drain trunks in a number of streets
west of the railroad was awarded to
McWilliams & Tronnem at their bid
of S132, the only one received.
ANOTHER GAS AMENDMENT.
An amendment to section eight of
the amended gas ordinance of the Five
Mile Beach Gas company, as prepared
by Solicitor Zeller, was submitted to
Council, but the members seemed to
be very much afraid of the innocent
looking piece of paper as it fioated from
one end of the table to the other, finally
reaching the middle of the table where
it was flung angrily by one of the
Councilmen. Solicitor Zeller came to
the rescue of the amendment, stating
that its adoption was very necessary
for the protection of the property own
ers of Wildwood. Councilman Ham
ilton disagreed with him and said that
he did not think the ordinance should
be hampered by any more amend
ments, emphatically stating that he
was against it and refused to father it.
Mayor Baker tryed to get some men,
Der to offer it, but the Councilmen
seemed to be as fearful of the amend
ment as of a r~attlesnake. Finally
Council did allow the clerk to read it,
at the urgent solicitation of the Mayor,
the amendment being as follows:
"Section 8. Be it ordained that the
said Five Mile Beach Gas company
shall upon the passage of this ordi-
nance and the acceptance of the same
by said company as hereinbefore pro-
vided make, execute and deliver to
said borough of Wildwood a bond in
the sum of SIS, 900 with surety to be APP
proved by Borough Council, condi-
toned that said company shall COM
plete the laying of pipe and SHALL
FURNISH GAS to the inhabitants of
said borough of Wildwood by June l.,
1905, otherwise said sum of Sc, 1000 TO be
forfeited to said borough of Wildwood
as liquidated damages; and i'll default
of the compliance of said Five Mile
provisions of this ordinance the same
to become null and void.n
After its reading Hamilton moved,
seconded by Banks, that the amend
ment be laid upon the table. Coun-
Gilman Harris at this time endeavored
to get the floor, but was called down
under the rules by Mr.. Hamilton.
Philip P. Baker, one of the founders of
Wildwood, who was n of the inter-
ested spectators in the room, asked if
the citizens present would be allowed
to speak on the subject. Mr.. Hamil-
ton did not dare to object to MI. Baker
speaking, even if 1t was in violation of
the rules, and he quickly gave his con-
sent by an audible yes.
PHILIP P. BAKER SPEAKS.
Mr.. Baker proceeded to speak, and
in a voice filled with emotion, told
how necessary it was for the ordinance
to contain a provision not only for the
laying of pipes in the streets but that
it should be plainly designated in the
ordinance that GAS SHOULD BE
FURNISHED to the people of the
town before June ], 1905. He said he
could not understand why any mem
Der of Council should oppose the
amendment and in a delicate way
severely arraigned the Councilmen
who had expressed themselves as OPP
posed to the amendment Mr.. Bakers
remarks had the desired effect and
after he had finished MI. Harris had
no trouble to obtain the floor and was
permitted to speak, as were others,
without objection. Messrs. Harris and
Durham suggested as a way out of the
difficulty that Judge Voorhees,, who
was present, state whether the amend
ment was satisfactory to him. The
Judge spoke and said he felt that he
could not answer this without consult
ing his associates. 1t was finally
agreed that Judge VOORHEES, should
submit the amendment to State Comp
troller Morgan and that the motion to
table the amendment should be voted
| down, which was done unanimously.
The amendment will come before Coun-
Gil again at the regular meeting to be
held next Tuesday evening, the 18th
inst.
The street committee was authorized
to purchase necessary gravel for use in
the repair of sidewalks. The borough
hall committee was authorized to fix
things up around the borough hall,
lay the flagstone, etc, at an expendl-
ture not to exceed $40. The clerk was
directed to write to the water company
and ask their cooperation in making
a test of the water supply in case OF
fire Mr. Ranks asked to be relieved