Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-01-14
Wildwood City Commissioners
Fix January 24fh as Date For
Mercantile Ordinance Heaninq
GAS COMMITTEE SUBMIT A REPORT

at 40 p. m. The delay in opening the
session was due to the lateness of the
street director, who did not arrive until
ten minutes after the appointed hour
for the gavel to fall. All available seats
for spectators were occupied and a
number of persons were compelled to
stand. This was the day set for the
introduction of the new mercantile
ordinance. Taxation In any form is a
subject of primal Importance to every
citizen; and curiosity to learn about the
changes contem plated in the revision
of the license schedules for 1921 prob
ably accounted for the large attend
aDce To the disappointment of all,
however, the. new tax ordinance was
not ready for introduction; and as there
has been much criticism offered rela-
tive 10 some of the proposed changes, a
motion was passed fixing Monday,
January oath, at two o'clock In the
afternoon, as the date for a public hear
ing on the matter. Any taxpayer may
have the privilege then Of making
suggestions.
The first :nstallment of the after
moons proceedings was the reading and
approval of the minutes taken by the
city clerk at the January 4th meeting
Then reports were called for. No tax
report was submitted this week; neither
a report of water rents. A brief report,
however, of the city's operating section
of the water department was read as
follows: Consumers having water
turned off for the winter, 6; on, L;
bursted service pipes repaired, l.;
stopped meters repaired, 10; new con-
n~ections to water mains, 8, at the fol-
lowing points, for the Wildwood Bun
galow Company: East side Of Park
Boulevard, south of Glenwood avenue;
north side of Juniper avenue, west Of
railroad, and northwest corner Of Lake
Road and Wildwood avenue. One fire
hydrapt was installed in Wildwoo
Crest, at Heather Road and the beach,
near Crest Pier.
The reading by the city clerk of an
annual report submitted by the city
electrician, and a similar report OF the
city clerks Office, was something Of an
innovation. The electrical report show
ed that during the year 1920 the sum Of
1892. 20 had been collected in fees; that
1929 certificates had been issued, and 800
permits granted.
In 1920 the city clerks records show
receipts as follows:
From mercantile licenses $l3, 421.25
81 dog licenses 116 16
rent of lodge room 1880
public service st.
permits . $50 90
miscellan's sources 3.55
municipal court
fines 1856 90
Total , -. $l4,854.46
Communications were next In order.
One from the Board of Trade stirred up
again the matter of the menhaden fish
fertilizer factory on Richardson's chan
mel, along Rio Grande road, by asking
what, if anything, the commissioners
are doing looking to the abatement OF
this alleged nuisance. No definite
course of action has as yet been decided
upon. but something is promised soon.
The city of North Wild wood and the
borough of Wildwood Crest have agreed
to aid financially and otherwise in the
Gaze, the com missioners claim, and
official action In this direction by these
two municipalities is awaited before the
city of Wildwood can start the neces-
sary proceedings.
Another communication was read.
II was from Fsirview, New Mexico,
and signed by Harry E. Weir, former
city surveyor of Wildwood. This letter
reiterated his previous demand for the
payment of surveying fees claimed, to
the extent of SASS "Unless this
bill is paid promptly" said Mr.. Weir,
81 shall bring suit Tor collection. LII
looks to me very much as II Commits
sioner Smith is trying to pass the
buck" Some of the auditors must
have thought this last sentence sounded
funny, for they laughed out loud.
Commissioner Smith became nettled,
denied that he was trying to ''pass the
buck, y and repeated his former defense
that there was nothing on the minute
book to show that Mr.. Weir had ever
bsen officially authorized to do the
in question The letter was or
dered to be received aud fled. The
surveying for which Engineer Weir
asks pay was done In 1919.
AS per request Robert J. Kay, chair
Of the Board Of Trade committee