Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-12-22
BOARD PUZZLEDBY
DISAPPEARANCE OF
COUNSEL OPINION
Irvington Officials Unable to
Act on Sale of School
Bond Issue.

How q legal opinion intended fol-
the Irvington Board of Education
was lost en- route is a mystery which
the commissioners would like to have
explained. Corporation Counsel w.
Eugene Turton sent the opinion by
messenger from his office to DIR. AL
bion C. Christian, chairman of the
legal committee of The board, but
when the BOARD got the envelope the
opinion was missing.
The school board met yesterday
afternoon to act on resolutions which
would permit the sale of those S77, 600
school bonds that have been held up
by a New York law firm, as told In
the Evening Star last week.
As soon as one or two of the COM
missioners came into the board-room
for the meeting yesterday Secretary
William A. Sherman reported that
DR.. Christian had phoned that the
counsel would not have the opinion
ready and that consequently Or.
Christian would not attend the meet
ing. Remarking that the counsei had
assured him that the opinion would
be at hand for the meeting President
Uriah McClinchie called Mr. Turton
on the phone and was told that the
missive was then on its way to Dr.
Christians home.
AS the latter had said he would not
be present at the meeting Mr.. NC
CIinchie instructed Mr.. Sherman to
get the letter from DR.. Christians
house. The secretary went there and
was told that the physician was out
but that the letter had just arrived
When the envelope was opened by
Mr., Sherman, after his return to the
board room, the opinion could not be
found therein. 1t con aimed only tn
resolutions which the New York law
vers had forwarded for the school
boards adoption and on which the
commissioners were seeking legal
advice.
Mr.. McClinchie again phoned the
counsel who affirmed that the opin-
ion had been enclosed with the other
papers In the envelope. At loss to
understand the situation but power
less to take any action in the matter
for which the meeting had been called
the board adjourned
Asked for an explanation this
morning DR.. Christian said he had
nothing to saw
Secretary Sherman, however, said
that DIR. Christian called him on the
phone last night and wanted to
know what the school board had
done. Told that 1t had done nothing
in the absence Of the legal opinion,
DR.. Christian remarked that the doc
ument was in his possession. He
added that he had been unable to
reach the meeting owing to an auto
mobile accident.
DR.. Christian wanted the secretary
to call another meeting for this eve
ming, but Mr.. Sherman thought that
the time was too late as notices
must be sent out twenty-four hours
in advance. It was also necessary to
have an order from the president to
call the special meeting The latter
was undecided this morning when to
call another meeting. 1t had been
planned to have the matter acted
upon yesterday so that the Board of
School Estimate and the town COM
mission could pass the necessary
resolutions by tomorrow night.
DR.. Christian was much opposed
to securing a legal opinion In writ
ing when the school board met to
consider the case last week. He pre-
scented a verbal opinion from the
counsel to the effect that the board
could go ahead and take it's con-
templated action without fear of
making void previous resolutions re-
garding the construction of the
school In question. Dr. Christian
maintained that the expense of an
opinion in writing would be too great
to be warranted by the facts, but
his contention was overruled by his
colleagues and he was told to get
the opinion In writing.
Asked If the written opinion varies
at all from the verbal opinion, Cor
poration Counsel Turton replied that
1t does not materially, although he
said it was a wise move to have the
matter gone into more deeply than
had been done before.