Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1920-07-16
City Hall Doings

AACCtlb6 "a W OA0Ss
the roll" By the use of these two
short mandatory sentences, at 1872
O'Clock last Tuesday afternoon, July
18th, Mayor Hendee set in motion, at
City Hall, Wildwood's legislative ma
chinery for the second time in this
seventh month-named, by the way,
after the great Julius Caesar. 1t is a
far cry from the palmy days of Rome
until now, but the student of history
has difficulty in %perceiving anyIms-
terial advancement or Improvement in
political methods and civic manage
ment to-day over those in vogue nearly
two thousand years ago. This is not as
it should be by any means, and fur
nishes one of the most d~iscouraging
features to those who have argued for
a gradual but continual betterment of
mankind from a political standpoint.
Political conditions as they exist to-day
could not have been more deplorable
in the days of Caesar. -
The commissioners meeting on Tues
day was fairly well attended, a number
of hotel owners and proprietors being
present to protest against the threatened
enforcement of a state law relative to
the providing of rope fire escapes IN
hotel buildings three stories high and
over. Another delegation of hotel
women asked for the strict enforcement
of the rule or regulation TO prohibit all
persons attired in bathing costumes
from promenading or the boardwalk.
Toward the close of the session some
excitement was awakened by the at
tempt of Commissioners Smith and
Bright to have a resolution passed re-
quiring a two-thirds c~ontirmatory vote
on all appointments made by the
mayor or the other commissioners.
The minutes of the July 9th meeting
were approved as read.
Tax receipts for the past week were
low, reaching only the sum of 81, 5000;
water rent receipts were also at low
ebb,. being only $221 GA last week.
The field division Of the water de-
partment was not very active during
the previous, week reporting but seven
on services, the repairing of two bursted
pipes and the tapping of mains for
seven new consumers. The maximum
OF turning on" the flow of sparkling
water has now been nearly reached,
and not many. moons shall wane ere
the "off" service requests again become
predominant. 1t is interesting to note
the many fluctuations in various chan
nels to which seashore resorts are sub
jected.
A motion was made and carried, TO
have a certified check in the sum of
5000, drawn a long time ago to the
order of the city by Otto G. Koeneke,
returned to the drawer. This check had
been rendered at the time his bid was
handed in as a competitor for b
garbage contradiction a term of years,
not exceeding FIVE" The contract had
reen awarded MI. Koeneke for a term
of years not exceeding three. When
the Court of Errors and Appeals pro-
nounced this award as illegal the certi-
fed check referred to should have been
returned the contractor at once, but the
matter was neglected.
The city clerk was formally author
lied to purchase a water cooler, to be
placed in city hall. 1t was unani-
mously conceded that this was an
article of necessity, and 1t is to be
hoped that the vessel in question may
be,the means of alleviating many times
the invariable distress suffered by
parched throats.
The city health officer was authorized
to arrange for the purchase of a new
formaldehyde fumigator, or else have
the present device repaired. He was
understood to say that a new outfit
would cost about $50.
In a communication, tanning Myers,
principal of the High school and at
present in charge of the Bureau Of In
formation on the board walk, called at
tention to the broken condition of
many boardwalk benches, and urged
the need Of repairs being made at once.
The lack of a sufficient line Of benches
or seats along our extSpsive boardwalk
front was also commented upon. This
is a matter demanding immediate
consideration.
Messrs. Fassler and Roberts, 1858
Park Row, New York, accountants and
auditors. having been appealed to by
our city authorities, for advice in this
field, replied by asking the commits
to carefully consider certain
suggestions they had to offer relative
to the audit of our municipal accounts.
Instead of the customary annual audit,
a semi-annual audit is recommended,