Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-06-07
AT WILDWOOD
CITY HALL REVIEWED
Employees Increased $40 Each.
Policemen Refused In
crease. Permission is
Asked TO Blow up
Barge
M. E. CHURCH TO RAISE FLAG POLE

AS Memorial Day fell on Thursday
this year, the City Commissioners held
their meeting for the last week in May
on Wednesday afternoon, May 29th.
The first act of this meeting was the
reading of his regular weekly report by
Finance Commissioner Ryan, showing
that the sum of $456 Is had been re-
ceived by his department for the cur
rent week. Street Commissioner Hen
dee next reported that he and City En-
gineer Weir had made a thorough tour
over the streets where the new sewer
main and side lines had been laid.
They claim to have discovered some
minor matters that need adjustment
before they will approve the bill for
balance due as presented by the ewe
contractor, Stanley M. Kalbach.
When Mr.. Kalbach was present at a
meeting of the commissioners on May
II, it was given out then that a perfect
understanding had been arrived at in
regard to the city's countel-claims and
that the balance of $1246 claimed,
would be allowed. The probabilities
now are that Contractor Kalbach will
have to agree to some slight reductions
before final settlement can be had.
There is no dispute about the main line
sewer work; the misunderstanding
that exists is in reference to the extra
side er branches and other extra
work that the contractor had been
asked to do, because he had the equip
ment and could readily do these extras
in conjunction with his major opera
tions. 1t is an old story this, about
disputes where changes and additions
to a contract are asked for. A pretty
general impression prevails that the
city 'got" a good sewer job and got it
cheap. Life is too short TO quibble
over tribes in an operation of the mag
nitude of that sewer job and consider
ing too, all the chances the contractor
had to take on it. Never again will
the city fare so well as it did on the
Kalbsch work.
Under date OF May 22d, J. Fithian
Tatem advised the commissioners that
he had asked the State Board of Public
Utilities to fix Monday, June Sd, at IL
o'clock a.. M. as the time for hearing
the petitions of the Five Mile Beach
Electric Railway company and the
West Jersey Electric company relative
to the subject of raising fares and fix
ing stopping points, and 10 the discon-
tinuance of discounts on electric light
bills.
Water Superintendent Brown ap-
peared before the commissioners to give
his weekly report, and in addition TO
ask for an increase of salary for the
employees in his department, On mo-
ton of the Mayor and seconded by
Mr.. Hendee, an increase of $40 per
month for each water department en-
ploye was conceded. Archie Henrick,
stationed at the Pine avenue pumping
station, whose salary now is $50 per
month will be advanced to $50; Walter
Trout, who has been getting $40 will
now receive $50; Launcelot Leaning is
moved up from $85 to sos, and Chris
tian Leaning from S95 to $105. After
taking care of the water department
employees, the commissioners felt they
had done enough for neday and hence
the other increases asked for were laid
on the table for the time being.
GA petition signed by the members of
the police force had been presented,
praying for an uniform advance of 10
per cent. on all their present salaries,
which are as follows: Lester w.
Smith, $105; r. w. Norcross, $50;
Sherman E. Lockwood, $50; w. s.
Crawford $50, and Howard Cattell,
$50. In urging the necessity for an in
crease in their wages, the police officers
laid stress on the fact that for about
five months in the year they are on
duty n hours weekly. Their demand
was laid oyer until the meeting on
June 9Th. q
o. M. Cobb and Warren Holmes,
drivers and c~aretakers of Wildwood's
fire apparatuses, also petitioned the
commissioners for an increase of $40
each in their monthly salaries. The
first named employee is now paid $50
per month and the latter so. Light
and fuel is furnished gratis to these
fire house keepers. Action on their
petition deferred until June 9th.
A communication received from Cape
May County Improvement League was
read to the commissioners by City
Clerk Whitesell, in which was EN-
bodied the request that Wildwood City
90 nfrihnta 1 To the work of cleaning