Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-11-14

'If there be no further business be-
fore the commissioners, a motion to
adjourn is in order," said Mayor Smith
at the weekly meeting yesterday after
noon and at precisely 1902 by the de-
pendable city clock. The session had
lasted exactly two hours, and again
the seating capacity of the council
chamber was tested to its limit, several
persons being compelled to stand
throughout the entire course of the
legislative routine. Although "the
humid shadows lowered over all the
starry spheres" yesterday, this fact did
not chill the ardor of many interested
citizens nor deter them from vending
their way to city hall. Because of the
gravity of some of the subjects debated
the meeting might have been charac-
terized as tedious, so slowly did the
proceedings drag along, and yet it was
not entirely devoid Of sensations, as
the handclapping on n occasion in
dictated.
1t was announced at yesterdays
meeting that Freebooter Otto G. Koe-
neke must have his surety bond ready
by the 10th of this month. AS stated
in last weeks JOURNAL, MI. Koeneke
was awarded the contract for removal
Of garbage, both wet and dry, for a
term of three years and for the sum of
$50, 300. According to the terms of
the proposals, the successful bidder is
required to furnish a surety bond in
one-half of the amount of his bid or
contract price, to guarantee the faith
full performance of his contract. Hence
the amount of Mr.. Koeneke's surety
bond will be $15, 500.
When the weekly financial report
was called for the following figures
were given out by the head of the
financial department: Receipts from
taxes and assessments $4,626.99, from
water rents S536. II. The income from
water is at low ebb now, because many
consumers have flown, and during the
past week the flow of ''nature's bever-
age" was choked off in AZ places, but
on in only two. For many weeks the
''of service" reports have registered
high, as readers of the JOURNAL must
have noted. No new street connec-
tions were made last week, but we
may have more of these to report later
when the building boom grows
stronger.
The city clerk nex read the written
report of the city treasurer in reference
to the number Of searches made during
the month of October, q in all. The
fees collected by him for this service
amounted to $55. A check in this sum
was drawn by the treasurer to the or
der of the city, only to be credited tenn
porarily, as this sum will be handed
back to him again and be labeled
sssalary." This piece of sired tape''
business is gone through with each
time the collection of search fees is
reported, usually monthly. The pro-
cess is made possible, it is said, by viz
tue of a resolution passed by the com
missioners several years ago. Why no
citizen has challenged the legality of
this act of the board is unex plainable.
In the month of September the tax fees
collected by Treasurer Kay amounted
to $S2.25, and he got every cent of it
by the transformation process outlined
above. The clerk next read the report
of James e. Wigham, city plumbing
inspector. This report covered a period
ranging from August LIST, 1918, to
Nov. 1st of the present year. In this
time As permits were issued and $85
collected for the city for such service.
In this period of Is months there were
four new registrations and six re-
registrations and $26 more collected.
His total collections thus amounted to
Sill, for which sum a check was drawn
by Mr.. Wigham to the order of the
city. All the official reports now be-
ing in communications were next called
for by the presiding officer. One from
the o. J. Childs company, Of Philadel-
phia, manufacturers of and dealers in
fire extinguishing apparatus, asked
permission to submit An estimate on a
fire engine, a hose carriage and hose.
The second communication to be read
was from a citizen of the First ward,
David Wilder, of the Garden Of Eden
fame, corner Pine and Park
Everybody knows the Wilder cottage,
with its wonderful array Of flowers,
more than so varieties, but unless re.
lief is soon afforded from the flooding
of the western section by the high tides
MI. Wilder may cultivate no more
flowers to gladden. the eye, for in his