Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-06-14
COUNCIL BALKS
IN BRUNSWICK
Refuse to Endorse tina Com
mission Government.
special TO the EVENING NEWS.

new BTunSWlck, June lf.-lu
Board of Aldermen went on record at
the meeting of common council last
night in opposition to the commission
form of government. The board re-
fused to endorse this form Of govern
ment as a body by a vote Of eight
against it to four for it. One mem
Der, Alderman Joseph F. Feaster, VINO
signed the petition for a special cleo
ton for such a government, was alb
sent at the time the vote was taken.
The aldermen voting in favor Of en-
dorsing the movement were: Messrs.
VIM. Goodwin, Cary Nicholas, Jos.
Ridgeway and Edw. Burt all democrats.
Those voting against it were Aldermen
James H. Curran, Peter Kinney and
Charles A. Oliver, democrats and AL
dermen Ralph Holman, Clifford Mott,
William Miller, Samuel G. Skewis and
Charles E. Ttndell.
Communications Read.
The matter came up upon the City
Clerk reading the following communi-
eminent League of New Brunswick,
with John P. Wallis name attached as
secretary and treasurer:
"The purpose of this communication
is to ask that your honorable body en-
dorse the Commission Form of Gov
eminent.
"In requesting the above the League
feels that they are not forwarding an
unreasonable request inasmuch as over
20 per cent. of the legal voters of the
city have signed the petition calling
for the election to be held in this city
at which time they will have the OPP
portunity of voting for this form of
government"
Alderman Oliver moved that the com
munication be referred to the Finance
Committee. Alderman Nicholas moved
that the prayer be granted and Alder
man R~idgeway seconded it. Both these
aldermen have signed the petition for
a commission form of government
election. This motion was lost s to 4
as noted above. The document then
went to the Finance Committee.
City Clerk Elmer J.. McMurtry sta
ted that a petition had been fled with
him containing at least twenty pei
cent. of the voters asking for a special
election on the question of commission
government. Under the law it was
uDlISdJOi IOI AlIl 10 CdlI tlIS ERECTION
for the third Tuesday after the petit
ton was fled or June 27. He could
find no provision in the law as to the
payment of it's cost which would be
about $500 for this city and he asked
an opinion thereon of the Acting City
Attorney. l
Alderman Kinney said the polling
places had been changed since the last
/ n1nnttnn +haro hasn, IL
of twelve as heretofore ard he was
anxious to know whether the new OF
old officers conducted the election. He
also asked which one Of the two
Georges was going to pay for it re-
ferring to former Mayor George A
Viehmann, president Of the Board OF
Aade and Senator George 8. SiTzer.
Acting City Attorneys Opinion.
Acting City Attorney Frederick Wei.
gel said the law provided that the cleo.
ton should be conducted under the old
election boards. The new election of.
fcers could not be named under the
Geran law until July 81 and the cleo
ton would be held under the old lines
with twelve voting districts.
Alderman Kinney thought there
would be difficulty in getting some of
the old election places and more might
be charged for new places. The cleo
ton was apparently called in a hurry
without any plan to finance it being
considered.
Alderman Holman questioned the le-
gality Of the old officers acting since
the board had accepted the new 10
election districts. Some of the peo-
pie now lived in new districts and it
might be illegal to go back to the old
districts. He was in favor of the peo-
pie deciding whether they wanted such
a government or not but thought there
would be a mix-up as to the voting dis
tricts.
City Attorney Weigel replied that
Bayonne held its special election yes
terday under the old election district
lines upon an opinion from the attor-
ney general. Alderman Ridgeway said
he understood such an opinion had been
received in this city. The City Clerk
said he had written a week ago for
an opinion but had not yet heard from
the attorney general.
The matter of financing the election
was left to the Finance Committee.