Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1913-06-28
Get SENTIMENT
ON ORDINANCE
Three Members of Health
Bd. an Alderman and Two
Citizens Protest.
TO MAYOR LAST NIGHT
Give Reasons Why Its Pas
sage Would be Detrimental
to City's Interests
TO MAYOR LAST NIGHT

Three members of the Board of
Health, an alderman and two citizens
voiced sentiment against an ordi-
nance restricting permanent employ
es of the city to have been resident
citizens for two years previous to
employment and remain residents
during the term of office, at a public
hearing before Mayor Ferd Garretson
in his office last night. Only Alder
men John j, Clark and f. William
Hilker defended the measure. Dur
ing the discussion Mr.. Clark sur
prised those at the hearing by stating
that the ordinance had not been pass
ed by the council for the sole pur-
pose of blocking the health board in
appointing an out-Of-toWn man as
food inspector. Mayor Garretson
sprung the first surprise of the even
ing when he informed the gathering
that the ordinance did not affect the
Board of Health and would not
hinder 1t from appointing an out-of-
town man, according to an opinion Of
City Attorney G. G. Hommann.
The hearing was informal and
much discussion pro and con was
carried on for an hour. 1t opened
with a talk between members of the
council and Board of Health con-
corning the efficiency of q food in
spector. The health commissioners
seemed to be of the opinion that
there was not a man in the city
capable Of inspecting various kinds
of meat for public consumption, at
least, none had as yet been found.
Harvey Sell, A. r. A. Overgaard and
Leo Schwartz were present as repre-
sentatives of the Board of Health.
Mr.. Sell was the principal speaker.
He endeavored to show the opposing
aldermen that the position of food
| inspector was an important one and
required a man trained in animal
industry.
Alderman F. A Seaman stopped in
| the doorway of the mayors office
just long enough to give one reason
why the ordinance should not be
made effective. That was the danger
Of being handicapped in fighting
| bubonic plague, should 1t infect this
port. He inquired what was to be
done if the health authorities should
deem it necessary to engage a spec
ialist permanently to fight such 8
plague here. Here Mr.. Clark said
| Mr.. Seaman seemed to be laboring
under a misapprehension, as the or
dinance was not passed for the Board
| of Health alone. "Then what in the
world was it passed for?" querled
Mr.. Seaman. The argument present
ed by Messrs. Clark and Hilker was
| that 1t should be made effective to
keep such appointments as chief OF
police, water superintendent, street
commissioner, collector of revenue,
city clerk and the like in the city.
Charles Mindeleff, one of the coun-
| try's leading chemists, and Frank l..
Antisell, assistant superintendent of
| the Raritan Copper Works, were pre-
sented to voice sentiment against
the ordinance on the ground of prin~
ciple. Mr.. Mindeleff hailed 1t as "un-
scrupulous, foolish and a serious han
dicap to the welfare of the city" He
said its adoption was an admittance
| that local people were not fit to com
| pete with outsiders. Mr.. Antisell said
he came up as citizen to express his
views against the ordinance on a
matter of principle. He agreed with
Mr. Mindeleff and both stated it was
certainly better to be In a pocition to
choose frbm 85,000.000 than from a
few thousand men.
Mayor Garretson took no sides in
the discussion He gave the opinion
of the city attorney and said it was
his belief that the ordinance did not
affect the Board of Excise Commits
sioner and Board OF Water Commits
sloners because they could pass or
dinances. The reason why 1t did
not affect the health board, Mr.,
Hommann, had stated, was because
the state law provided that it could
appoint such employees as 1t may
deem necessary" The executive
stated that he had received letter
from Emil Koyen and telephone mes
sages from Rev. William II. Bawden
and Fred ]. Cox, asking him to veto
the ordinance.
During the discussion the adyisa-
bility of having a municipal slaugh-
ter house became a topic. The city
officials talked about alleged dis
eased animals which had been
slaughtered here of late, of which
meat had been smuggled away. Al
derman Clark declared there should
be a mvnicipal slaughtering place
and no private slaughters houses in
the city, and that all meat consumed
here should pass through the munic-
ipal house for inspection. The
health commissioners expressed
hearty approval Of such a plan.