The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-09
F~REEHOLDERS' TILT
SPEEDWAY CONTRACT SIDE
TRACKED BY BALDWIN.
Member Of Committee and Didn't Know
About $1,000 Job-Cut Out Fee for
County Engineer.

Considerable surprise was expressed
by Freebooter F.. L. Baldwin, a MEM
Der of the Essex County speedway
committee of the Board Of Freehold
ers, at the meeting of the board at the
Court House yesterday afternoon. when
F~reeholder Watson chairman of the
committee, recommended that the con-
tract for erecting a Storage house on
the speedway be awarded to a man
named Quinn, the contract price for
the work being $4,000.
CAS- a member of the speedway COM
mittee. L know nothing about this
matter" said Freebooter Baldwin.
That's not my fault" replied the
chairman of the committee; you did
not attend the meetings"
Simply because l did not receive
notices. replied Freebooter Baldwin,
who claimed to be in ignorance of the
actions of the committee. He followed
this by asking when advertising for
the bids had been ordered. Mr.. Wat
son replied that every action of the
committee had been regular, and that
the action questioned by Freebooter
Baldwin had been taken at a regular
meeting.
81 don't like the proceedings said
Freebooter Baldwin, land 1 ask that
the board delay r~atifying the action
of the committee" When the vote was
taken Baldwin was sustained.
Freeholders Baldwin and Watson had
another tilt when the latter offered
a resolution which, If adopted, would
ehave allowed County Engineer Drum
a fee of 8 per cent. of the total cost OF
a new bridge to be erected over the
Morris and Essex canal at Central
avenue.
Freebooter Watson championed the
cause of the county engineer, and when
the legality of the action was ques-
toned by Mr.. Baldwin, said that he
had been informed by the County
Counsel that the payment of such Q
fee would be entirely legal, adding thai
other members of the board had ex'
pressed their belief that the county
engineer was entitled to it.
II think payment for all such work
is Included in the salary paid the
county engineer" said Mr. Baldwin
and Freebooter Watson, in an under
tone, said something about precedent
Freebooter Ougeltree also opposed
the 5 per cent. clause, and it was ex'
plunged from the resolution before II
was finally passed.
The Morris County Traction Com
pany was granted permission to lay
its tracks along Springfield avenue
from Millburn to Maplewood by thu
adoption of a resolution from the COM
mittee on roads and assessment, which
had been prepared by County Counse
Elvin w. Crane. The franchise is tc
run forty years, and the company Is
required to file a bond guaranteeing
that it will begin work within ninety
days, and that the work will be COM
pleted before May /, 1908.
SANFORD D.. Harris, In behalf OF tbs
contractors on the new draw bridge
across the Hackensack River at thu
Plank Road, sent a letter to the board
asking for the final payment on tn
contract, amounting to sic. 10, whicl
has been held up by the board, AM
that the company be released from it
bond of SIPS, 900. The letter said tina
the work had been completed on DE
cember 1, 1906. and that all payment
had been made except the final one
The letter was referred to the com
mittee in charge of the Plank Roat
bridge.