Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-02-10
FISCHER QU|zzED
IN PROBE OF Bills
Committee Asks Alderman to
Explain Expenditures Mayor
4 Held Up.

A special Investigation meeting o.
the public buildings committee of Com
mon Council was held last night for the
purpose of probing the bills for worl
done by the Newark Hardware -arc
Supply Company. which were held lii
by order Of Mayor Haussling because
the charges were considered excessive
Alderman Frederick j. Fischer, chair
man of the committee. was the target
for the rapid Interrogation of other
| members Of the committee and alder.
men who are not members of the COM
mittee.
1t was Mr.. Fischer who. ordered the
hardware company to build partitions
in. the office OF City Fall Custodian
James Wlsernsn, and 1t was he who de-
ciared the bills O.. X. One of the bills
was for s243 for thirteen and a half feet
Of partition. Other bills probed were
| for q sign costing s35. and iron railing
for the City Hall annex for $50
During the investigation last night
| Alderman Littlefeld asked Mr.. Fischer
II he knew that the plans and specif1ca-
tions for the new Sixth precinct police
| station were being changed. Mr..
Fischer ~disclain,ed knowledge Of any
changes, sss.isA
In self-defense Mr.. Fischer stated
that in accepting what seemed
an excessive bid he acted In
good, faith, and not knowings much
about carpenter work and partitions in
particular. he thought the price asked
by. the contractor was a just one. Mr..
FISCHER said that he did not want, TO
put anything Owe on n man"
The orders had been given, explained
the chairman. after the recommends
tions of Mr.. Wiseman had been made.
He had obtained two estimates. for the
work and finding that that Of the New
ark Hardware and supply Company
was the lowest ordered 1t to do the
work.
Mr.. Hopper wanted 10 know IL he
had endeavored to get estimates from
any other concerns. to which Alder
man Fischer replied that he had been,
given to understand that the price of
s1s q foot for the partition was the
lowest that could be obtained. VI.
81 did not know anything about this
work" he continued. "and I thought
I wat getting the best possible price,"
How about these people who say
they would erect the partition for $3.50
a foct?" asked Alderman Hopper.
1T doubt that they can do this" re-
turned Alderman Fischer
~ think that figure Is pretty near
right commented Alderman Hopper.
who said that he had, inspected the
partition and that 1t was erected from
.lM-inch material.
Alderman Hopper vehemently de-
clared hat he did not intend to have
hie name dragged In the mire.."
'"These bills were given to us and We
we're assured that they were correct.
This latter must be cleaned up and
cleaned up right" he declared.
It developed duripg. the discussion
that a bin for s432 for another parti-
ton erected in the custodian's Office
had been passed at the November
meeting Of the Common Council. 1t
was also learned that h work for
which the second bill of s24S was. rem
dered had been finished, before the bill
for the first partition had been paid.
Alderman fischer here tried TO- ex-
plain that the first partition had been
put up to divide the Office OF Mr..
Weseman to I've him more privacy.
This evidently did not set we'll with
Alderman whitfield. who although not
a member Of the committee, was pres
ent at the investigation. I'm handling
the work in the way you did," he said
addressing Alderman Fischer. you
were able to spend more than $500
without advertising for bids.
Alderman ~Biertueinpfel, who had not
signed the bill for the partition. sale
that the trouble with Il COMMITTEES,
as he found It. was that sometimes sug-
gestiors were made to do certain work
and thai at the next meeting Of the
committee 1t would be found that the
suggested work had been finished. al
though directions to this end had no.
beer given by the committee. He urged
that the system be changed so that no
wort. would be done unless a majority
Of the committee voted for it. He also
recommended that all bills should be
signed at o regular meeting Of the
committee and not at a special meet
ing called just before the meeting o.
the Common Council, at which, these
bills were Il be ordered paid. This, he
said, would prevent any bills getting
through that were not correct.
AS a result of the meeting last night
the bills were tabled. There will be an
- 8 a.