Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-16
SILzER INAUGURATED AS GOVERNOR
GIVES SOLUTION OF N. J. PROBLEM;
CHARGES FLY THICK and FAST
ON PRACTICALLY ALL ACTIONS
Alderman Waters and SofieId
Near Blows as Sensation
al Meeting is Ended

One of the stormiest aIdermanic
sessions ever held in this city took
place last night in the city hall
council chamber, personalities being
induiged in by the aldermen in re-
ferring to other members of the
board and officials not on the board
as we'll; the grand finale being
clash between the first and second
: ward aldermen which for a time
threatened to result in blows being
landed. Had it not been for the in
reference of City Engineer Louis P.
Booz, Jr., who rushed between AL
derman Albert G. Waters and Alder
man John Sofield blows would have
been struck. While Booz placed
himself between the two men other
members of the board prevailed up
on the first ward alderman to apollo
gize and upon the second ward Off
cial to accept the apology.
The clash between Aldermen
Waters and ofield came as con-
clusion to number of wordy battles
those attacking the character, hon
esty and methods of others.
Alderman John J. Clark, who
played an important part in making
things hum during the session, made
the statement during the meeting
shat "a cog seemed to be missing"
as nothing went smoothly.
The action of the aldermen would
lead one of the audience to believe
hat each was Suspicious of what the
her was doing and that each be-
y Ived that one faction was trying to
put one over" on the rest of the
board. This suspicion on the part
of several of the aldermen resulted
in no end of why's, and why nots''
being asked whenever a motion was
made.
At the very outset of the session,
Alderman Clark objected to the
manner in which the bonds of the
newly appointed city officials We're
l,eing approved. The suggestion of
Alderman Waters that City Attorney
David r. Wilentz look over each
bond and approve it as to form, met
with opposition from Mr.. Clark. who
claimed the city attorney had moth
Ing to do with the bonds and that
allowing him to approve them,
rather than the board, was casting a
reflection upon the ability of the
whole Board of Aldermen
Bonds are Approved
The bonds of all the newly ap-
pointed city officials were approved
eventually, Alderman Clark passing
IN some of them. The bonds were
sr various am cunts, ranging from
900 to $4,000. The question of
VAT was to be done with bond of
Joseph Hornsby. the collector of rev.
enue for the past two years, caused
considerable comment but nothing
definite was done, the bond of James
A. Mullen, the newly appointed col
lector, being app. owed by the "aye"
votes of Aldermen Waters, Patten,
Mcclure and Calvin, which Alder
men Sofield and Riedy voted mo-
and Alderman Clark passed.
A lull in the excitement was
caused by a letter from Commission
er of Municipal Accounts Walter f.
Darby pointing out some omissions
which had been made - the local
budget. This was referred to the
committee of the whole for prompt
consideration.
The receipt of four checks. total
hing $2,140 made out to Graham &
McKeon for work done in collecting
Aarbage, which the mayor refused
sign, was the signal for another
Sengthy and heated series of argu-
ments. The mayor stated in his let
ter that If steps were taken to legal
1ze these payments he would be glad
to sign them. The mayors action in
returning the checks for amounts
over $500 unsigned, is in keeping
with the policy which he warned the
board he would use in the future
when he signed the last lot of Gra-
ham & McKeon checks. He told the
aldermen in communication to that
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