Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-31
G|LLEN AIMS TO
FORCE INQUIRY
ON WOOD BLOCK
Hopes to Compel Newark News
to Show Alleged Evidence
to Grand Jury.

Board of Works Commissioner
Charles p. Gillen today said he has
taken steps to place before the grand
jury alleged charges concerning the
granting of a contract for the paving
of Broad street with wood block. He
said he would personally ask Prose
outor Hood to make an inquiry into
the allegations. The Board of Works
which awarded the contract, has in
vited Mayor Haussllns and the New
ark Evening News to have the mat
ter probed by the grand jury. Mr.
Gillen now says he will not wait fol
either the executive or the publishers
of the newspaper to force action.
! Commissioner Gillen also said he
] had consulted with two attorneys
with view to determining wha
+ basis for personal action against th'
/ Newark Evening News there was il
an editorial printed in the newspaper
Friday a week ago. The article In
question criticized the Board OF
Works for it's action in the wood
block matter, and referred to rum
ors' concerning $4,000. 1t inspired
Commissioner Gillen to make bitter
attack on the News's statement when
the Board of Works met on Thursday
last
Besides the action he intends TAX
ing personally, Mr.. Gillen also is act
ing in behalf of the board to get the
matter before the grand jury.
Yesterday he instructed Alfred l.
SWAIN assistant clerk of the Board
of Works, to write to Prosecutor
Hood informing him of the motion
passed by the board on Thursday and
asking him to investigate the wood
| block case.
Mr.. Swain today said he had not
written the letter yet, but probably
would do so before the end of the
day.
Commissioner Gillen and Commits
sioner Charles F. Kraemer today re-
ceived from Mayor Haussling letters
written yesterday asking them to in
form him of the accuracy of the news
paper reports of the assertions they
made at Thursdays meeting.
Eyes, | have received the mayor s
letter" said Commissioner kraemer tc
a reporter today. Il shall probably
answer 1t this afternoon. 1 merely in
tend informing the mayor that the
newspaper reports of the meeting
were substantially correct. 1t seems
to me any further action will be VI
to the mayor entirely. He must make
the next move"
Commissioner Gillen took no such
view of the case.
81 have the letter" he said, land
don't know whether I'll answer it OF
not. l don't intend waiting for the
mayor to make the next move for the
simple reason that I've already made
move myself. Yesterday | called on
Mr.. Swain, clerk of the Board of
Works. and instructed him to COM
municate with Prosecutor Hood and
with the clerk of the grand jury,
calling on them to take action in this
case.
"By the way. the resolution of the
Board of Works passed Thursday was
not so much a challenge to the mayor
and the Evening News to bring for
ward any evidence they may have in
the paving case as an expression by
the Board of Works that its members
desired to put the matter up to the
grand jury.
Now, in addition to having our
clerk get in touch with Prosecutor
Hood. I'm going to see the prosecutor
myself lay the whole matter before
him and ask him to investigate"
As for the Evening News l have al
ready consulted with two lawyers
members of different firms. with q
view to learning what action ] can
bring against the newspaper. They
are considering the matter, and will
probably be able to tell me how
stand in the case by Monday"
Later Dr. kraemer discussed the
mayors letter with Commissioner Gil
len. No definite decision was reached
by them in the matter.