Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-06-17
WATER BID. ASKS
$4,000 MORE
Request Causes WrangIe, But
Matter Is Finally Straight
ened Out

AAa - tIC Ao1N AaSCNAho " 49,
Board of Aldermen for a bond issue
of $4,000 was supplemented last
night by SIS, 000-more when the mat
ter was brought before the aldermen
in the shape of a resolution for issu-
ance of $4,000 in bonds by Chairman
Waters of the finance committee.
This is the first Appropriation asked
by the Water Board since il was
voted $241.0 600 OF its budget last Jam
nary. The request for the additional
$4,000 slice the last meeting was the
cause of a warm debate.
After the resolution had been pass
ed on first reading the discussion was
opened by Alderman William c.. Will
son who asked IL the resolution had
anything to do with h matter be-
fore the board hast week for $45, 900
and If so whether the present resolu-
ton was regular.
Comptroller Olaf j. Morgenson ex-
planned the request of the Water
oar for the additional $4,000 by
stating that the board had already
spent some $4,000 toward extensions
and improvements. Some of the pres
ent bond issue is to cover these ex-
penses. he declared. He said that the
matter had been brought up at the
last meeting, not as a resolution, but
simply as a recommendation passed
by the Water Board and read at the
meeting of the aldermen.
The policy of the water board was
to lump their small expenditures for
extensions into one o issue to be
requested of the aldermen, the comp
troller explained. In that way small
issues of a few thousand dollars at a
time could be avoided. he said. and
the issuance of the bonds simpliied.
BY the agreement under which the
budget for the Water Board was
drawn up last year, the comptroller
said the appropriation at the first of
the year was to cover all current and
running expenses, of operation and
maintenance, all further a~ppropria-
tons to be for extensions to the sys-
tenn. The board had adhered strict
ly to the agreement, the comptroller
said, as all moneys asked for under
the $50, 900 bond issue were to be
used for extension.
Alderman John j.. Clark too occa-
sion to attack the city attorney be-
cause the bonds had been drawn up
by bonding attorneys. h attorney
explained that he had made an excep-
ton in the case of the water board
bonds because it was necessary to
have them framed by bonding attor-
neys in order to facilitate the sale of
the bonds in Wall street.
Mr.. Clark wanted to know why it
was that the city attorney, receiving a
ttldilleI Ol 9l,IUU yearly, COulu not
frame the bonds Accommodations
Ira r. Grouse replied: THAT would
be all right If we were lending the
money. but we're not. When you're
lending the money o make the
other fellow pay the lawyers ex-
penses. And that's just the case
we're In"
Comptroller Morgenson stated that
the president of the Water Board had
informed him that the aldermen had
been provided with an ftemized state
ment of the Water Boards expenses, |
although he had not seen the state |
ment yet. The comptroller gave a
stater-ent of the funds that had pass ,
ed through his Office, showing the
Water Board to be in excellent inan-
P..tal condition. An appropriation of
ab%1 900 was made to the board last |
naAr. he said. The income for the
n9tesent year was calculated to be
about $280,000. which should leave a |
balance of $4,000 from taxes on
water meters. service, etc. Receipts
actually collected up to June /,
amounted to s120,748. At the rate of
about $4,000 per month the board
should collect a surplus of about
June Is, had amounted to s95,402, for
salaries. fuel n supplies.
The figures show that the board is
working well within the figures set
and SHOULD have a Mrger surplus
than expected, to turn back to the
Board of Aldermen, Mr.. Morgenson
explained.
Other Alderman Business.
Considerable routine business of i'm
portance was aiken up by the Board
of Aldermen between spasms when
there wasn't al argument on. An
ordinances for the municipal regula-
ton of jitneys aud omnibuses was
IN acoad Of tic n rcf raadinO Tbara will |
be a public hearing July 2. Under an
opinion by City Attorney Goldberger
the effect that one of the three read
ings of an ordinance may be passed If
the ordinance is voted upon by title,
the reading was dispensed with. The
city attorney was directed to repre-
sent the city at the gas hearing be-
fore the Public Utility Commission of
Newark Jun 20, when the Perth AMI
boy Gas Company is to put up its ar
gument for the increase in gas rates.
An ordinance appropriating $1,000
for the grading of Laurie street from
Groom street to Brunswick avenue,
was passed at first reading. The issu-
ance of $13,975 in bonds for the pur-
chase of two automobile street sprink-
lers is provided for in an |
which passed second and third
reading at the session last night. The
fire committee recommended that the
IluD1dH6 ana 1dTiItlu Ire anu I1OSc |
Companies be combined and provided
with a new engine or fire truck. |;
II Thomas N. McCarter, president
of the Public Service Company could
have been present at the session last |
night he would have received three
several and distinct jolts, each one
harder than the first. Mr.. Clark re-
ported hat the Public Service had
erected a twelve. foot pole on State
street near their ticket office on which
was the sign, Tickets for sale here"
or words to hat effect. 1t seems that
this sign is so constructed and placed
that if a jitney were to stop under it
the sign on top of the jitney would be
scraped off. or perhaps the entire top
would be torn off. 1t is also a very
nice place for the jitneys to stop,
which seems to irrftate the authorities
in a certain well known public utility
railway corporation. With these
things liz mind. Alderman Anderson
won the instant support of the entire
board when he move that the Public
Service Railway Company be given
just forty-eight hours to take down
their pole. 1t was also reported that
the Public Service had erected their
little pole without he permission of
anyone in the city government. l.
The board also passed a resolu-
ton directing the railway company to
repair their tracks on State street be- |,