Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-01-20
MOVE To PAVE 4
STREETS, BUT
MONEY IN DOUBT
Question Of New School OF
Street Improvements Involved
CANNOT. DO BOTH JOBS
Ordinances Are Adopted al
Meeting of Board Of Alder
men Last Night

DESPITE the fact that the Aldermen
do not know where they are going TO
secure the funds necessary to do the
proposed street improvement work
this year. five ordinances calling for
street paving and the laying of sew
er were passed on their second, third
and final readings at their meeting
last night.
Since the ordinances were first in
troduced two weeks ago the Board OF
Aldermen have learned that the Board
of Education is going to make de-
mand- upon the city for $45O,OO0 with
which to erect anew school building
on the Hall avenue property now own
ed by the school board for that pur-
pose.
With this sum coming out of the
city's funds the amount which can be
expended for street pavements re-
pairs and improvements will be much
less than was expected, 1t was point
ed out at last nights meeting.
The ordinances passed last night
on their second and final readings
call for the paving Of Laurie street,
paving of Herbert street, laying of
sewer in Laurie street, paving OF
High street from Smith street to the
northern terminus and the paving of
east to the water.
Although these ordinances have
been passed it is a question whether
the work called for in them Will all
be done. From appearances last
night it seems that 1t will not. The
whole matter of street Improvement
now depends upon the attitude taken
by the Board of School Estimate and.
the aldermen upon the request of the
School Board Of $450,000 If this
amount Is allowed by the aldermen
all of the work called for in the or
dinances passed last night cannot be
done.
streets are to be paved and which
are to be left until next year for i'm
provement. Here, 1t is expected, will
arise considerable difficulty as under
the present system all sections of
the city are taken care Of whereas
if one or more street improvements
Is cut out, the alderman from that
section is likely to oppose the paving
of other streets.
The ordinances calling for paving
of Laurie street, Herbert street and
Gordon street, together with the Lau-
rie street sewer ordinance went
through regularly, the aldermen vot-
ing unanimously for their passage.
But when High street ordinance came
up for second reading, opposition
arose.
The objection came from Aldermen
Wilson and Waters. Alderman Wat
ers declared he had visited ninety
per cent of the residents on High
north of Washington street and they
did not want it paved. He said he
would not vote for something the
people did not want and therefore
would oppose the resolution.
A derman Clark declared the peo-
pie in that vicinity did want the street
paved and favored the ordinance. AL
dlnance be laid over until conference
could be held with the mayor for dis
cussion as to just how far the pave
ment on High street should be con-
tinued. 1t was suggested during the
discussion that 1t go only as far as
Fayette street if the funds made such
action necessary.
Alderman Riedy said they did not
have the money to do the work, but
that 1t would not do any harm to pass
the ordinance and then let it stand
without any further action being
taken to award the paving contract.
Alderman Anderson took similar
stand.
Finally after a long discussion pro
and con on this matter, Alderman at
Large Wester called for vote on the
ordinance on its second reading. 1t
was passed by the aye votes of AL
dermen Patten, Anderson, Clark and
Riedy over the nay votes of Alder
men Wilson and Waters and Alder
man-at-Large Wester. The same vote
stood in the third and final reading,
the. ordinance thus going through.
During the discussion on the High
street pavement. Alderman Wilson
said that the contemplated paving to
the northern terminus would cost
approximately s15G.000, and such a
job would tie up all of the other paw
ing propositions sehedu ed for 1920.
The changing of railroad switches and
sid.ngs on High street should also be
made before the street is paved. he
said.
When asked why he had not
thought of this side of the matter be-
fore the High street ordinance was
originally introduced, Alderman Will
son replied that at that time moth
ing was known of the demand tor
$450.000, which the school board was
going to make.
It is understood that the mayor will
veto the ordinances for street pave
ments passed last night or refuse to
confirm them until 1t is known how
much the school board is to get from
the city and how much the city will
then have to spend on streets.