Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-03
FIGHT ONF|RES
At JAMESbURG
When Shall the Department
Leave Borough Question
at Council Meeting
[By Evening News Correspondent

seemed to be the spirit OF the August
meeting of the common council at
borough hall Monday night and for
the first time in a quarter of a CEN
fury a negative vote was recorded
on a resolution presented by q
member.
Mayor Elmer Patten started the
rumpus when he offered objections
to the practice of the fire depart
ment leaving the borough without
his personal permission.
Mayor Patten said that he was
tired of the ''citizens chewin' the
rag at him, as he was the head OF
the town, and if so desired to know
just what was going on. He partic-
ularly referred to Tuesday night,
July &c, when the apparatus went
to Rhode Hall and saved ten stacks
of grain for Cornelious Pierson and
then to the farm house of Christie
pher Kilbourn.
Fire Chief Lokerson was IN his
feet in an instant in defense of his
action, and said that while enough
equipment was left behind to take
care of ordinary fires with the wa
ter pressure n several hundred
feet Of hose shat ne nsed proper
judgment. but if he had over-step-
ped his authority he was willing to
apologize.
Mayor Patten then made 1t plain
that a plot was In the making to an
tagonize him. He said that when
the apparatus was first purchased
his permission was always asked,
but of late he was entirely ignored.
He said that while he had but a
short time to serve he was going
to have a show down" and wanted
to know who was who in the
towns affairs. Chief Lokerson again
came forward in defense of his ac-
ton and said that he was no insur.
gent, but that his judgment was al
ways considered as good as any
other, and that when the equipment
was purchased by the firemen that
he was one whose permission was
to be given to take the apparatus
from the town. At this point Coun-
Gilman Hutchinson took sides with
Fire Chief Lokerson, but he was
alone. To produce the show down"
that the mayor requested, Mr..
Hutchinson offered a resolution
that the fire chief be the sole judge
when the apparatus should be taken
out of town. For some minutes in
tense silence prevailed when Coun-
Gilman Hausser ordered a resolution
that the mayors permission be
sought first and Hutchinson offered
objection that a resolution was al
ready on the table. Finally Jacob
Wyckoff seconded the Hutchinson
resolution hat received but Hutch
inson's vote and was lost.
Councilman Hausser then offered
a resolution that the Mayors per-
mission be sought first, then the
chief and his assistants in order of
seniority. An amendment was of
fered naming that of the borough
clerk. This was about to be put to
a vote when Hutchinson interposed
once more with an objection saying
that Clerk Brooks was but an APP
pointed Office holder and could not
be responsible to the voters. Mr..
| Brooks asked that his name be with
drawn.
Again Chief Lokerson was before
the council asking questions that
| seemed to be a question as to who
was responsible and to what extent.
Many different were offered.
AS it stands, the mayors permission
will be sought first, then the fire
chief.
The matter of final passage of the
resolution for the issuing of park
bonds for $500 to improve Me-
mortal Park was deferred until the
| September meeting, when the citl-
zens will be asked to come before
the meeting and give their views on
the matter.
William C. Crosby, a member of
the w. c. r. u, was before the
council on a personal matter. lie
said that as a member of the union
he was for the raids conducted
against the "b~oot1eggers' last fall.
He was before the council to let
them know that he had written a
| letter last week to Walter Suydam,
a lawyer of New Brunswick, in be-
half Of John Intravatola, convicted
and sentenced to pay $1,000 and
| spend thirty days in the county jail
He asked that the Jail sentence be
remitted. He said that he wanted
the council to know that he was still
for the enforcement of the proh1-
bition laws and only asked clemency
as he thought the local man a
been punished enough.
Chairman Wyckoff of the clean
| up" committee started to give a re-
port of his findings at the home OF
| Samuel Ray and Robert 4etman,;
whose places had been complained
of when Mr.. Yetman objected to
every part of Mr.. Wyckoff's report
that concerned his premises, ana
quite a wordy battle ensued, that
finally ended in a draw, but with
PROMISES from the councils repre-
| sentative that Mr.. Yetman would
obey the law as he was told to dc.
Fire Chief Lokerson was before
the members in a peaceful errand
this time and asked when the coun-
ell was going to make repairs 10
the fire headquarters, purchase the
needed I)se and dispose of a set OF
automobile gears that were laying
around useless that would do some
one good. He also asked that the
town authorities look forward some
wears and see that the dam at Lake
Manalapan was given 10
preven washouts that would be a
menac to .Jamesburg If it broke
loose once more. Mr.. WyckoH SAID
that the owners and lessees were
looking after that part of the lake 5
protection at critical times.
The September meeting was SET
as the time when the citizens VIII
be asked to come to h councli
meeting to give their views on the
community nurse question h a was
put before the meeting by MIR.
Hutchinson. Mayor Patten said that
he had never heard officially that a
nurse was proposed and thought the
people should have the ~"say-so" and
49, 10000 ,,nyrhnrc