Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1911-01-14
Lights or No Lights,
That's the Question
Pleasantville May Be In Darkness After
Saturday Night Borough Temper
arily vii! Have No Contract

A special meeting of the Borough
Council was called by the Mayor for
last Thursday evening to consider the
electric street lighting question. There
were present the Mayor and Councilmen
Conover, Leeds, Zentmayer and Kellum
The town is furnished with lights by
the Pleasantville Heat, Light and Power
Co., whose fve-year contract expires on
Saturday, Jan. l4th. Under which they
agree to furnish SO or more arc lights
to midnight at $50 each per year and
3S or more incandescent lights to mid
night at $40 each per year, the Council
having the privilege of ordering all
night service at any time when the
charges would be $75 and SIS respec-
lively. This contract the company
sought to have renewed, but the Council
had decided to make one-year con
tract at the rate of the five. Mr.. John
P. Tompkins, secretary and treasurer OF
the lighting company, was present, and
stated that they could not make a con
years at the prices quoted, that they
had recently equipped their plant with
most modern electrical machinery and
are furnishing lights equal to any in
the country and much better than most
plants are furnishing in the large cities,
and that price quoted is as low as can
be named consistent with good service.
The Council did not feel disposed to
make contract for so long at the prices
named, believing that to do so would
meet with much criticism from the peo-
pie, and as there was no chance of get
ting together on lower figures the mat
ter was upon motion laid over until the
next regular meeting, and as the con-
tract expires on the l4th the Council
decided to take chances of being in
darkness from that time until the first
Monday evening in February. 1t ap-
pears that many citizens want all-night
service but the price is greater than
they care to pay for it.
A representative of the Reading Rail
road was present in an endeavor to have
Madison avenue crossing discontinued
and divert the traffic by way of Lake
street to Franklin avenue Mr. Coulomb,
an attorney, explained the act relating
to same. 1t was stated that if the
Council would grant the request the
company would maintain fagman at
the Franklin avenue crossing during
the summer months. The Mayor sug-
gested that fagman should be placed
at the New road crossing, as the travel
there is very great Action deferred
A communication from the Solicitor
was received giving his opinion in re-
gard to the procedure necessary to col
lect money expended for placing of curb
in front of property along Shore Road,
built under proceedings taken by the
Borough. Whereupon William Connolly,
Doughty G. Turner and Charles Allen
were named as commissioners of assess
ment. The engineer was authorized to
prepare map showing all curbs put in
by Borough to date on Shore Road and
submit same to next meeting of Coun-
ell.
The Mayor, who was authorized to 90
to Trenton to get information in regard
to drains for proposed laundry, reported
that he had been but could get no salts
faction whatever.
Mr.. Reiner having declined the posi-
tion of Overseer of Poor, Jacob s. Year
icks was duly nominated and confirmed.
A light was ordered on Woodland ave-
nue. as requested by Elwood Risley.
A stove and fixtures for the jail were
purchased.
A contract with the Red Men was en-
tered into for the lease of the Council
chamber at SIS per year and the ground
on which the fire house stands at $50
per year, the borough to pay the taxes
on the ground.
Council met at noon on January lst
for organization, Mayor Crawford pre-
siding and Councilmen Samuel Price,
Harry Conover, John F. Ryon, Elmer
Leeds and Louis Zentmayer being pres
ent, Councilman John Kellum being the
only absentee. The following appoint
ments of officers made by the Mayor
were confirmed by the Council:
Clerk, Nehemiah Andrews.
Solicitor, Judge E. A. Higbee.
Engineer, S. j. Clark.
Street Supervisor, George Biggs
Overseer of Poor, Frank Reiner.
Janitor, Pardon Adams.
Council Committees.
Finance-Ryon, Conover, Leeds.
Ordinance-Price, Kellum, Conovcr.
Streets-Leeds, Ryon, Zentmayer.
Lights-Zentmayer Kellum, Price.
Poor-C Conover, Price, Zentmayer.
Education-Kellum, Ryon, Leeds.
Police and License-Ryon, Leeds. Price.
Public Property - Conover, Kellum,
Zentmayer.
The Borough appropriations for the
year 1911 were passed by the Council
as follows:
Borough Accounts ,.........,. $500
Road Account ....,,,,.s.,,... 1900
LIGHT Account .-... 20O0