Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-07-24

two months to make payments on
the Broadway Improvement in ac-
cordance with the contract, such
sum to be deposited in Broadway
improvement account in anticipa-
ton OF appropriation to be made
for such improvement.
At this point in the meeting the
resolution adopted at mass meeting
the night previous in connection
with the alteration Of the public
schools was presented by Samuel
Locker, 1t having been signed by
him and G.. F. Disbrow. In present
ing the resolution Mr.. Locker stated
1t was<the outcome of an Outraged
public sentiment that has grown
dissatisfied, disguised and weary
| with the course pursued by the
Board Of Education In regard to the
changes proposed to be made In our
public Schools" In outlining the
procedure taken by the board he
said:
"a committee was appointed to
secure sites and figures for same,
an attorney vas hired to especially
advise the board and to draw the
legal papers hat were to pass be-
owner of the property and the
Board of Education, an architect
was hired to draw elaborate plans
without any specific instructions be-
ing given to him as to the extent of
the cost or without having In hand
any appropriation with which to
meet any of the attendant expenses.
Request was made upon your cornell
to appoint two members to act in
conjunction with two members from
the Board of Education that were to
constitute a Board of Estimate; the
Board of Education received a re-
port from its committee offering two
sites with the cost Of each, one site
was Immediately dropped from con-
sideration; the other site a one
that was to be purchased from the
mayor of the city, the cost of which
was about $4,000. The Board of
Education presented to the Board
Of Estimate when 1t met a resolution
demanding an appropriation of some
$4,000 to $4,000 should be made
to pay for thit land and school that
was to be built on the outskirts of
the city. Public sentiment at this
time began to sit up and take no
t1ce. The resolution, as you know,
failed. 1t received two votes for 1t,
one of which was by the mayor of
this city, who, by reason of his posi-
ton. was disqualified from passing
upon a matter in which he was per-
sonally interested. This Is a SIM
pie max1am In law that every busi-
ness mar understands but by some
omission Of the counsel in this case
the mayor received no advice that
such action on his part would be IL
legal. That plan failed by reason
Of receiving only two votes. A little
later 1t Is presumed the Board Of
Education fancied public sentiment
In South Amboy had materially
changed and a second attempt was
made to secure this appropriation
for the we'll understood purpose as
l have outlined it. The same re-
quest was made upon the Board of
Estimate for the same amount Of
omney. The vote as recorded in that
case gives three votes against it and
two votes recorded for It,, one of
which still was the owner of the
property,
Nov, gentlemen, such matters as
this, as they appear to The public
mind, are very hard to understand,
and it was no wonder that public
sentiment aroused itself, but al
thought defeated the little band
were not dismayed, a third attempt
was made. At this time when 1t
would seem as though the board had
arrived at a stage of almost desper-
alton, by some unexplained cause
one of the members of the Board of
Estimates was induced to flop Eel
at this vote and that changed the
v,Nto f,o-, t,yO Lot-r fo~ - o~I
three against 1t into three being for
it and two against 1t. Now the
point that Is raised by the citizens
and that has been a part Of the
foundation Of this action is this
preceding cases in which he appears
to have been vitality interested must
necessarily have produced a feeling
of great disappointment at the de-
feat, and as the same gentleman ives
a member of the committee when
the second proposition came up at
the third meeting, your suppliants
feel there Is ample reason for be-
lieving that the disappointment OF
the mayor of the city gave very good
reason to doubt the legality of his
vote at this third time by reason Of
an af1liation with and interest In
the case on the preceding occasions;
and In view of the doubt that here
exists with regard to the legality
of that action, your. petitioners beg
that you will receive this resolution
and take such steps as In your judg-
ment will righteously determine as
to the proper and regular course
that ought to have been pursued
and as to whether the course hat
was pursued was in accordance with
justice, right and the interests of
this city. The resolution is signed
and there Ia also appended the min
utes Of the meeting"
At the close of Mr.. Lockers re-
marks Mayor Welsh took the floor
and stated Mr.. Locker was a nuisance
to the city; that he never asked the
school board to buy his property.
they came and a SIZED II he would sell
It. He declared Mr.. Locker one Of
the biggest %nuisances he knew of in
the city today. He voted for the
alterations as the school board were
going ahead In accordance with the
law and everything was regular and
the alterations and additions were
necessary. The mayor claimed
there would have been very few
present at the mass meeting had
there not been a meeting Of the
building loan In the same building.
Mr. Locker replied no regretted