Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-12
HEARING ON RECALL g
PETITION AT CITY HALL
Owners OF Nearly One Million
Dollars Worth of wildwood
Property Petition Commits
siOners TO 90 Slow.
100000 Ordinance
Killed
SMITH&H ENDEE FOR STREET ORDINANCE

james e. Whitesell, city clerk, under
a gruelling in the matter of the recall
at the hands of Lewis Starr, Esq,
counsel for VIM. H. Bright and a num-
Der of large property holders, gave testi-
mony before Edward I. Berry, Acting
Court Commissioners OF Camden, on
Tuesday for three hours, defended by
H. H. Voorhees, and John Harris, of
Camden. After 1t being agreed that
Bright as prosecutor, was a bona fide
resident Of the Third ward, City of
Wildwood, ex-Judge Starr placed
Whitesell on the stand and after being
sworn by Berry, he stated in answer
to the questions, that Wild wood was
conducted under the Commission form
of government as per the Walsh Com
mission Act. This form of govern
ment was adopted at an election and
the three commissioners elected Sep
tember II, 1912, aud Whitesell was
appointed city clerk September "a,
1912. The original petitions were pro-
duced as we'll as the certificates and
the three amending petitions aud all
were submitted as evidence. The
main objection, Whitesell stated, was
that after comparison with the registry
lists, and the names removed of those
not registered, no street address and
other small defects, he found that the
petitions did not contain 15 per cent. of
the total number of. voters, which
would make the petitions legal. The
clerk throughout the cross examina-
ton always used the remark, "Yes, if
you don't use the names withdrawn
by petition.u By this he alluded to the
petitions presented later on signed by
some of the original signers asking
that their anne be Withdrawn from
the petitions. The first petitions were
filed with Whitesell on December 10,
1918, and was followed by a second
amending petition on December IL,
1918. The required number OF signers
is 105 and it now appears that there
will be that number and 1t is only
a question of waiting for the decision
of the Supreme Court, after hearing
the case on Tuesday, February l6. at
Trenton.
Superintendent Chalmers of the
Wildwood schools, reinforced by COM
m~unications from County Superinten-
dent Aaron Hand and State Commits
sioner of Education q. N. Kendall,
made an earnest plea for the erection of
the proposed 500, 600 high school build
ing, before the city commissioners yes
terday afternoon. Mr.. Chalmers was
we'll prepared for an attack from all
sides and in rendering his appeal stated
that the question of the school would
only mean an additional IS cents on
the $1,000 of assessment and that the
school children needed better accom-
modations. In concluding his remarks,
Mr.. Chalmers lurched forward into
the political arena and openly declared
the whole case of the petitioners against
the erection of the building as the work
of rival political powers who do not
represent the school going children.
He said the petitions only represent
113 children, equal to about 10 per cent.
OF the entire school. The petitions are
misleading, according to S~uperinten-
dent Chalmers, and one does not know
os~rAuyo x,aouya ho0oaoo 80 4I1 at
that the petitions related to both ordi-
nances, that of school and streets.
The commissioners at this point denied
any knowledge of a political move and
ex-Sherif Bright and Edwin s. john
son took the negative side. Mr.. Bright
explained that politics had not entered
into the contest and that each signer
had signed the petition in good faith,
and personally addressing Mr.. Chal-
mers, said that he could have his own
opinion, but the signers of the petitions
represented the best people in the city
and nearly one million dollars worth
of assessed values in property. Ed
win 8. johnson, upon being heard,
stated that as he understood the situa-
ton, the people were in favor of the
school, but not in favor of spending a
large sum OF money for a property.
Commissioner Ryan informed Mr..
Johnson that if be had q site for sale,
the Board Of Education would be only
too glad to consider it, but Johnson in
reply stated that he had none and il
he had he would not offer it, as people
would say he had an axe to grind.
The controversy ended, all wishing
to talk having done so, the 500, 900
school ordinance was presented for
final passage and all three commission
ers voted against it. Mr.. Ryan Re.