Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1920-11-27
CL|FFS|DE'S $500 fire ENGINE
COULD NOT co TO FIRE; IN REPAIR
SHOP, AND CAUSES COUNCIL DEBATE

Everything was moving along
smoothly at. the meeting of the Cliff
side Park Borough Council meeting
last Monday until Councilman Post
stated that it was shame the way the
Fire Department was being run. Then
the fireworks began.
On Monday afternoon fire broke out
in the Coppoletta house in Edgewater
Heights and the fire engine for which
the borough paid $500 was in the
garage for repairs. The hose cart was
hurried to the fire and then it was
discovered that there vas not enough
hose ON it because the hose had not
been removed from the engine when it
was sent to the garage.
Mayor Cadien was as indignant
about the state of affairs as was Coun-
Gilman Post. The mayor said that the
New Year would see radical changes
in the Fire Department and that the
entire department would be re-organ-
lied
Conditions in the Fire Department
are in disgraceful state, it is alleged.
When hose breaks at fire it is not
reported to the Council, it is said, until
several months after the occurrence,
as happened at the fire in Edgewater
four months ago. At that time three
lengths of hose broke but it was not
reported to the Council until three
months later.
When the garage man was asked
why the repairs on the engine had not
been completed sooner he is reported
to have said that she did not know
there was any special hurry for the
engine" And fire liable to break
out any minute! The chairman of the
Fire Committee and the men in charge
of the Fire Department, it is alleged,
do not seem to realize the necessity
of having everything connected with
the department in first class condition
at all times.
Fire Chief Hunt and Fred Naedler
endeavored to defend the members of
the department from the attacks of the
mayor and councilmen but Mayor Ca
dien successfully answered every
charge or excuse made by them.
Only limited amount of business
could be transacted at the meeting as
only three councilmen, Post, Sammis
and Mcclure, were present. The suit
testing the validity of the coming law
again called for considerable atten-
ton. Attorney Agnew estimated that
the suit would cost the borough in the
neighbOrhOOd of $1,000. The Council
voted to employ Mr.. Swami, the man
who assisted in coming the borough to
help the attorney defend the suit, for
about ten days at q fee of $50 a day.
Councilman Post thought that as the
state had passed law giving munich
palities the power to zone, it would
be reasonable to expect some assist
ance from the attorney general. Mr..
Agnew said that he had never known
the attorney general to do this.
McClave and McClave reported that
the Aurora avenue and the Lawton
avenue improvements would cost ap-
proximately $1,000 more than the esti-
mated bids and it will therefore be
necessary to pass new ordinances per-
hitting this increase. For this pur-
pose a special meeting of the Council
was called for Tuesday as only three
councilmen were present Monday.
The Building Committee reported
that permits for improvements cost
ing $4,000 had been granted. Permis-
sion has been granted to William J.
Brockner to erect a newsstand at Pail
SADIE avenue and Hudson place.