Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-02-08
CITY COUNCIL IN SESSION.
More About the Bell Tract Sewer.
Big Electricity Bills. Resolution
Causes Considerable Debate.
A Short Session

"a tJnVAb oCoslVM
City Council continued their BIZ
monthly meetings Tuesday evening
with every Councilmanic chair filled.
The session was remarkable both for
the short time consumed in disp0s-
ing of business-one hour and fifteen
minutes and for the fact that not a
bill from the Street Committee was
presented for payment.
The cost of the electric power for
running the sewer pump at the Bell
Tract has been very high, costing
$22.63 for the past month and $4,000
for the preceding month, and Presi-
dent Coombs requested the Sewer
Committee to look into the matter,
and determine if any of the current
lis going to waste
A resolution was presented in the
course of the evening urging the rep
resentatives of this county in the
State Legislature to push through a
certain Senate bill enabling cities to
appropriate money for school pur-
poses in excess of the present bonded
limit for cities, so that this city might
4 have $4,000 additional available for
completing the new school building.
On motion of Mr.. Parks, Mr.. Burkett
! objecting, the resolution was ordered
laid over for two weeks, so that it
could be determined if the amount
i named would be sufficient. The mo-
ton carried
Shortly afterwards, Mr.. j. D. Car
penter was given the privilege of the
floor. Mr.. Carpenter said that no one
had critized the Board of Education
more than he, but that he thought
the resolution urging the Senator and
| Assemblyman to push through the
| bill ought to be reconsidered He
had met Senator Gaunt this week
and the Senator had said that if the
the bill were to pass, the immediate
cooperation of Woodbury. Council
would be necessary, and even then
might not pass, for in some quarters
there was opposition to such bills
because they might be taken advant-
age of in some localities. Mr. Car
penter said it was necessary that the
building be completed; it would have
to be some time, and the students and
teachers we're running their health
and wasting energy by reason of the
cramped and unhealthy conditions
prevailing in their present quarters.
! Council is not justified in throwing
obstacles in the way of the Board of
Education SO that they cannot COM
plete the building promptly.
Mr. Burkett seconded Mr.. Car
penter's views and said it was
shame to hold back the Board of Edu-
cation
Mr.. Wickersham championed strong
| ly the resolution, saying that he felt
that the responsibility for completing
the building rested upon Council, and
that it was up to Council to take
this step toward making the money
available.
Mr.. Bayer said that from a stand
point of economy, the immediate
completion of the building was es-
sential, as the rent of the present
rooms used for the schools amounted
to $1256.00 annually and urged that
Council make the money available.
Mr.. Batten took the opposite view
/ point, from the other members, say
/ ing that when the last amount of
money was appropriated for the Board
of Education, Council was assured
| that it was sufficient to meet present
needs. There has been a misunder-
standing all around in this matter,
said Mr. Batten. am opposed to a
law increasing the present bonded in
! Jdebtedness of cities.
President Underwood, of the Board
of Education, said that Mr. Belts, a
! school authority, had informed him
1 that the only way out of the difficulty
was additional legislation, and that
Mr. Batten has misunderstanding
of the situation when the last amount
was presented for the use of the
Board.
4 On motion of Mr. Wickersham, the
motion to lay the resolution over
for two weeks was reconsidered.
Messrs Batten and Parks voting
NO
A vote on the original motion was
i then taken, and the original vote to
lay it on the table was reversed, with
the two above-named members vot-
4 ing Aye"
Mr.. Burkett then moved the adop-
tion of the resolution, which was
done, Messrs. Batten and Parks again
being the minority.
President Coombs called the body
together promptly at eight o'clock
and the minutes were read and APP
proved.
4 Mr.. Martin reported that he had
been in communication with Mr.. Is
zard, representing the Woodbury.
Realty Co, 0Bell Tract) and learned
that sewer pipe, 56s feet, had been
laid on that tract, without any con-
tract for doing same being made.
Now the company says that they will
repay the city for this pipe as they
sell the lots on which the pipe fronts,
the total amount being $477.00 Mr..
Martin said it was up to the city to
wait and that the City had been
lame in putting in the materials with
out contract
Mr.. Burkett agreed that mistake
had been made, and that the City
Solicitor says that the city has nc
case at law, and moved that the
o. am ant a q o1,tIiunI lv fho caa, rla !, /,