Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-03-08
COUNCIL
TALKS RULES
HettiDgerDemandsS Stand
ing Committees.
LIVELY DEBATE.
Despite Legal Opinion r1r. Hettin-
g.r Carries Three Votes
With His Own.

last night was largely given over to
discussion of rules that attempt to
provide for standing committees, and
Mr.. Hettinger finally forced a vote
upon rules that he offered and his
rules were adopted by vote OF 4 to
3. This action occurred after the Cor
poration Counsel had advised the
Councilmen that the adoption of Het-
fingers rules must be an amendment
to the rules already adopted in 1914
by City Council, and which require
any change in them to be made after
a weeks notice and by vote of five-
sevenths of Council.
Mr.. Hettinger sneeringly brushed
this legal advice aside by remarking
of the Corporation Counsel, THAT is
only his opinion. That don't make it
So" When Mr.. Holmes called atten-
tion to the fact that w. III. Bacon, ST.,
and Albert McAllister had each sup
ported the same opinion, there was
no reply other than a demand for a
vote by Hettinger.
The whole matter came about when
Mr.. Hettinger presented a printed
copy of rules adopted by Council in
1909, which he had amended by pro-
viding for standing committees, and
moved that the rules be adopted by
this City Council The amendment
proposed by Mr.. Hettinger provided
for standing committees for Water
and Sewer, Fire, Streets and Roads,
Lights, Law and Ordinance, and
Printing.
Mr.. Holmes raised the point of Or
der that the Hettinger motion was
out of order as the proposed amended
rules did not fix any duties for the
Standing Committees.
When asked for an opinion upon
this point, Corporation Counsel Bacon
replied that no duties were set out
in the rules for standing committees,
while Section of the same rules
provided that all committees shall
possess such powers and no others as
may be set forth by the action of City
Council The Council further advised
that this amendment would require a
weeks notice of intention and five
sevenths vote.
Mr.. Holmes said he really had no
objection for the appointment of
standing committees if they had no
powers and no duties. He thought
that such committees would be like
the little boy holding the ends of the
lines when father was guiding the
horse, the boy thinking he was driv-
ing. But, he argued seriously, that
when committees are appointed they
should know what they are to do, and
when Council is asked to vote for
such committees, Council was entitled
to know what was expected Of such
committees. In the course of the de-
bate Mr.. Holmes declared that there
had been scandal in the past by rea-
son of committee administration, that
there was always danger that some
committees would assume too great
an authority, would interfere with the
legal responsibilities Of paid officials,
and further that when the present
City Charter was made and adopted
by the people it was done with view
of wiping out committee government
and Mr.. Holmes did not think Coun-
ell should fail to keep faith with the
people.
Mr.. Most asked Mr.. Holmes if he
had not served upon standing COM
mittee last year. Mr.. Holmes replied
that he had through ignorance. Mr..
Most asked if his committee service
had harmed the city. Mr. Holmes re-
ply was that he did not know, but that
one committees action was costing
the tax payers the interest upon s34.-
600 which was tied up in bank instead
of water pipe and service.
Mr.. Hettinger jumped to his feet
and said that he strongly objected to
that statement. Later he launched