Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-03
PARTISAN SPLIT
ON PAVING VETO
Waters Falls to Win High Street
Improvement
REIDY LOSES ON LAURIE ST.
Mayor Gives Several Reasons
In Letter Explaining
His Action

ignoring all partisan political lines
and distinctions in bitter wrangle
over the ordinances for the paving
of Laurie and High streets the Board
Of Aldermen at its meeting last night
sustained the mayors veto on the
High street and Laurie street ordi-
nance. The issue which seemed to
be in doubt on both measures as the
various speakers argued for or
against were decided by the follow
ing votes on motions by Alderman
Wilson not to sustain the mayors
vetoes.
Laurie street: Not to sustain the
mayors veto, Aldermen Wilson, An
derson, Riedy and Grouse; to sustain
the veto, Aldermen Waters, Patten
and Clark.
The effort of the aldermen to psss
the ordinance over the mayors veto
failed for lack of a two-thirds vote,
necessary in order to override the
executives disapproval.
The vote on High street stood: Not
to sustain, Aldermen Wilson, Waters
and Grouse; to sustain the veto, AL
dermen Anderson, Patten, Clark and
Riedy. The four to three vote def
nitely upheld the mayors stand on
the High street ordinance and def
nitely killed the measure.
Accompanying the ordinances as
returned unapproved by the mayor
last night were letters explaining the
mayors reasons for not approving g
the ordinances.
The mayor stated his reasons for
not approving the ordinances as fol-
lows: "I am opposed to the expendi-
ture of any more money for street
paving at this time. The amount of
this class of work already finished
and that which has been approved for
this year, shows good progress along
these lines. ~
''The question of the high cost of
living is the most important now fac
ing our people, and the expenditure
of any more money that is not abso-
lutely necessary will add to the bur-
den and in many Instances, prove a
hardship on the small property
owner.
"The action recently taken by your
honorable body on the advice of our
city engineer in rejecting the propo-
, sails for the paving of Broad street
and the grading of Laurie street on
account of what he stated was the ex-
cessive price. indicates that this is
not the opportune time to engage in
additional work.
II understand that committee
from the police department and also
a committee representing the Mun1o-
ipal Electric Light employees will wait
on the Board of Aldermen for the
purpose Of securing an increase in
wages for the men they represent.
"These matters must have serious
consideration at this time and If act
ed upon favorably. will naturally add
to the taxpayers burden.
"The committee appointed to con-
fer with the representatives Of owners
in relation to the purchase by the city
of the gas house property cannot re-
port until the latter part of Septem-
ber, so at this time, we are unable to
say what their decision will be.
'In view of these facts and with
the feeling that the property owners
along the street covered by this ordi-
nance can wait until next spring for
this Improvement. If they have some
assurance that the same will be done
at that time, feel justified in Veto
ing this ordnance
The mayors Litter accompanied
the ordinances for the paving of High
street from Smith to Fayette street
and Laurie street from Groome street
to easterly terminus
Bidders on Paving
The following firms were the sue
cessful bidders for the work of grad
Ing Laurie street, and for the paving
of Broad street and Hall avenue:
Grading Laurie street, Peter ]. Nc
Keon, $3.50; paving Broad street,
East Jersey Bridge Company, $751;
$40; and for paving Hall avenue,
East Jersey Bridge Company. s2,-
453.50.
The following bids were received for
the paving and grading. Grading
Laurie street. Peter Hanson, $6,S50;
Jens L. Mathiason. $1,000; East Jer-
sey Bridge company, $4,000; Liddle
and Pfeiffer. $9,750; and Peter j. Nc
Keon, $6,750.
Paving Hall avenue. Liddle & Pfeif-
fer, $2,935.70 East Jersey Bridge
company. s2,453.
Pfeiffer, $62.562.00 M. Irving Demar-
est, $59,747.50; and East Jersey
Bridge Company. $5S,870.
Three new paving ordinances were
introduced by the committee on
streets last night and passed on their
first reading, indicating that the
board, or at least part of 1t, intends
to pursue as long as possible the
policy of street improvements this
year. The ordinances passed on their
first reading call for $4,000 for paw
ing Hall avenue with Belgian block
from Catherine street to easterly end;
100000 for paving Broad street from
Front street to East avenue; $4,000
for grading Laurie street from
Groome street to New brunswick
avenue; $1,400 for the purchase of
lot No. 28. block No. 1877, in order
to open up the right of way through
Maple street; and unestimated
amount for grading and laying sew
er on Arnold avenue from Penn
street to Amboy avenue.
There was little fuss over the vote
to not sustain the mayors veto on the
Laurie street ordinance, the Republi-
cans and Democrats standing well on
their party lines.
Alderman Albert G. Waters. Demo-
crat, who had voted to sustain the
mayor in his opposition to the paving
of Laurie street then gave the signal.
for debate on the High street veto by
saying that he was opposed to the
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