Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-02-08
DENIAL MADE
BY GARRETSON
Says He Did Not Acquiesce
to Employment of Special
Counsel Wight.
EXPLAINS HIS POSITION
Exception to State
ment Made by Attorney in
Letter to F. A. Seaman.

Alderman-at-Large Ferd. Garrett
son takes exception to an important
phrase OF q recent letter from At
torney James s. Wight to Alder
men f. A. Seaman, given publicity
yesterday. Mr.. Garretson particu-
iarly denies that he acquiesced In
the employment OF Mr.. Wight as
special city attorney, as commended
by Mr.. Wight In the latter's letter
to Mr.. Seaman, although agrees that
the duties OF special attorneysh1p
were explained to him before taking
Office on January i. Mr.. Garretson
when seen today by a NEWS report
err, made the following statement:
air. Garretson's Statement.
sMr. Wight in a letter to the
press and Mr.. Seaman in a speech to
the Board OF Aldermen have refer
red to- a conference in which we
three were present. I feel that In
fairness to myself ] should give my
version of this conference for the
information of those who may be
interested.
"a few days after election Mr..
Seaman and myself were talking
over city matters. Mr.. Seaman had
had experience and / was anxious to
familiarize myself with details. In
the course Of that conversation l
said to Mr.. Seaman that ! did not
understand why MI. Wight was en-
gagged as special attorney to the
Commissioners of Assessment on
Street improvements and had
drawn 100000 for that service
during 1910 when in all the prevt-
Gus year the Commissioners had
gone along without special counsel
and depending on the City Attorney.
I think that after that conversation
Mr.. Seaman must have mentioned
IT to MI. Wight for in q half-hour or
so Mr. Wight came to my Office and
said, 'Ferd, I think ! can show you
where ! have saved the city money
by my work with the Commission
ers and | would like to meet you
and Mr.. Seaman and talk it over
/ agreed and it was decided that we
should meet at 4 o'clock that after
noon In Mfr. Seaman's store.
accordingly at the appointed
time Mr.. Wight came to my Office
and we went over together and met
Mr., Seaman. / mention these de-
tails because when / entered the
store T. had nothing In mind but Mr.,
wis desire 20 Justify his acts as
special counsel To the Commissioners
Of Assessment WHO had been asaAsH-
ing paving ana eve work. 1 had
some Knowledge of the methods OF
making these assessments and ask
ed Mr.. Wight to cite a case where
the court had upset an assessment
and he mentioned only one-that
Judge DAILY had given no decision
In the State street matter ana as
this came after my experience on
the Commission / knew nothing
about 1t.
my recollection Is that about the
close of the conference the Conyery
Place matter WIS casually mention
ed by Mr.. Seaman or Mr.. Wight and
it was explained to me that for
such matters the City Attorney re-
cetved extra compensation and that
1t would not add to the city's ex-
whether Mr.. Wight or the
City Attorney did the work. ! had
been given to understand that the
City Attorney was too eaSy-goins
and didn't get the work through,
hence the necessity of special coun-
sell.
II remember saying that II it was
no more expense to the city to have
Mr.. Wight doing the work than II
would be IL the City Attorney did
1t 1t made no difference to me and
l was satisfied. 1 was expressing
satisfaction with Mr.. Wight's ex-
PLANTATION, which was the object OF
the conference.
II no more acquiesced In his EN-
ployment than / did in the employ
ment OF tho present City Attorney.
This conference took place several
weeks before / took Office"
MFR. Nights Letter.
The letter written by Mr.. Wight
to Alderman Seaman, to which Mr..
Garretson takes exception, Is as fol-
lows:
Jan. IS. 1912.
MIR. Fred A. Seaman,
High and Smith streets.
City.
Dear Sir:
II have received your letter OF
January 20th, 1912, and though
you have not answered my letter OF
January 9Th, / nov answerSyours OF
the 2Gtsa, IN order that you may I'M
derstaad that I acquiesce IN the
statement OF facts as given by you.
You know we'll that Mr.. William
q. Voorhees, did not give me any In
structians as 10 employment In the
matter OF Ccnvery place. Yon alone
gave me Instructions, you stating
lasct you had submitted the matter
TO the committee OF the board. Mr.
Carretso1 az the ~fncoraing alder
Lan-as-lsfge n~cuniesced in my EN-
PIGMENT at your solicitation.
81 regret very much that your
hotshexdsd action has involved the
city Id al ~Unsaeialy disturbance.
Your cs,nfinned vindictivef;ess would
lead tae cifs into much trouble
should anyone pay attention to 1t.
canaos desert the work at this
stage. a1u must nase susno stronger
authority than your resolution un-
der dase OF January goth, 1872
which Ii not avea seconded, let
alone passed.
Yours respectfully,
JAMES s. WIGHT"
qna y Fsg NEWS has The