The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-01-12
Mayor Advises a Municipal Building


Council on work done and expressing
the wish that cooperation might be
secured for the prompt and equitable
enforcement of the city statutes under
his administration, Mayor Ledger
took up city affairs. The Mayor said:
81 suggest the erection of munich
pal building on our city lot We are
paying out today, and have been pay
ing out for years, all kind of money
for use of rooms for municipal pur-
poses and added to that, we are now
paying out money through the School
Board for suite of offices for the prin-
cipal. We own today as fine and spa
cious lot as there is in our city, CEN
trally located and of healthy elevation
on which we can erect municipal
building at moderate cost, say from
SO, 900 to $4,000, that will be credit
to our city and will oe enjoyed by all,
which will contain rooms for all NUM-
cipal purposes, and in which can be an
office for the Mayor, whose Office is
now and has been heretofore, on the
curbstone.n
"Another matter of Interest," he
said, sis the high rate that the city is
paying the water company for water,
or no water, rs it has been for the past
year las the amount used isn't worth
mentioning The present price paid,
as understand, is about Sill year,
an enormous amount of money an
nually paid to the water company, rs
the city for years has had only very
little use for the water for fire purpos-
es.
'Again, the electric light question
will soon be bobblng up, and | hope
that your honorable body will deal
with this most important matter with
all the intelligence possible, by having
better light, and at a lower rate if pos
sible.
s'The Street Committee should waste
no time in ordering storekeepers and
others living on improved streets, or
even any other streets, TO stop throw
ing garbage and other refuse into the
streets, and if ii is necessary for store
keepers to undo packages on the streets,
to get on their job and clean things up
after them, rs ii looks disgraceful to
go to the expense of improving a street
and have these people destroy its looks"
Action was taken Immediately ON
one of the Mayors suggestion-that of
a municipal building-by the appoint
ment of n committee to investigate the
advisability of erecting City Hall.
This committee is composed of Hervey
5. Holcombe, Stephen J. MCGOWAN,
and G. J. Fisher. An offer was read
from George w. Arnett to sell the
frame building on Coryell street, for
merly owned by Mrs. Fidler, for city
purposes, for $1,000. At present the
city's rentals amount to $3.50 annually.
The Finance committee reported back
to Council bill of City Solicitor l.. IL.
Sergeant for $l4.33, for services as at
torney and court charge in the case of
Treftz VS.. Cooper in the County Court.
Treftz, who was n city policeman, was
sued by Cooper, for false arrest, was in
dicted and found guilty by the jury.
The committee stated that the city was
not bound to support an officer where
it was shown that he had exceeded his
rightful powers; that the City Solicit
tor had not been authorized TO defend
him in the name of the city, and there
fore he had no just claim on the city.
Mr.. Sergeant claimed to have acted by
of the Mayor, A. T. Ely,
and the chairman of the Police Com
mittee, and the case was argued in a
rather heated manner Council de
clined, however, to pay the bill.
Another bill of $50 from Treftz, for
fines and costs growing out of the same
case, was referred to the Finance Com
mittee.
The bills for asphaltum treated stone
rs finish for two blocks of Church
street amounted to S6l4.63. This work
was done as an experiment, and while
the street is giving excellent satisfac-
ton, the cost has exceeded the esti-
mate.
A resolution was adopted fixing the
salary of the Street Commissioner
ut two dollars day when acting I'M
der the orders of the Street Committee
of Council. This committee reported
that the commissioner had so far failed
TO comply with the instructions to re-
move lunch wagon from Bridge
street, and motion was adopted that
the committee secure the cooperation
of Mayor Ledger, and after another
twenty four hours grace remove the
Frank O'Brien was nominated by
Thos. Ryan, as official city reporter.
The Republican members objected to
any appointment to this position,
claiming it to be a useless expense to
the city, but the appointment was
made by party vote of 9 to 3.
The Street Committee was ordered
to make thorough investigation of
the value of asphaltum oil as a dust
preventative on streets Several
stretches of road here are being almost
destroyed by automobile traffic in sum-
mer, and some method of binding the
surface must be adopted in the spring.
Tax Receiver Kramer was ordered to
take legal proceedings against persons
who had moved away from the city
without paying 1908 taxes where he
can locate them still within the state,
having warrants issued and arrests
made TO enfore collection.
Banks Elect Officers.
The annual meeting of the Lambert
Vile National Bank was held Tuesday
morning at which time the following
officers and directors we're elected for