Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-20

year. The method of publishing
an annual report, as pursued In
other counties does not exceed
100000 a year, so it will be readily
seen that Middlesex County is going
the limit to give the taxpayers
every possible chance to inspect
these reports. AS has already been
said they have been published in
both papers and this is the first
year there has been a curtailment
of this to reduce expenses.
Mr.. Hayes then addressed two
communications to the Board of
Freeholders requesting information.
His first letter of October 11th re-
quested furnishing of a list of roads
upon which work was done either
by way of construction, repairing,
graveling, or maintenance, during
the present year, upon which state
aid was not receive,.." He further
stated that he had the total amounts
expended upon roads upon which
state aid had been received. Anyone
who is at all familiar With municipal
work knows that at NJ time during
this year has any state aid been re-
ceived by Middlesex county in the
construction of county roads and
thdl LiiO Otliy eili that LAO DN0i SiN GIN
by the State Highway Commission
has been in the repair of roads.
through motor vehicle moneys which
is applied on the repair of all roads.
Mr.. Hayes letter accordingly SEEM
ed foolish, but nevertheless the
board courteously replied pointing
out this situation an1 requesting Mr..
Hayes to state definitely what he de-
sired, and the board would be only
too glad to furnish him with any in
formation at it's disposal anu to af-
ford him the fullest opportunity to
examine such records az he cared to
examine.
Mr.. Hayes answer to this cour-
teous communication was a malic-
ious insinuation that the Board was
Withholding information and that
the Board was in some pre-arrange-
ment with contractors. Mr.. Hayes
in making this wild assertion takes
the precaution to say that this is
story" that he had heard, and he
takes the further precaution to pro-
tect himself in writing as Chairman
of the Democratic County Commit
tee, "a body. whose financial respon-
sibility is somewhat in question in
view of the recent appeal for $1.00
contributions) thereby escaping per-
sonal responsibility.
His purpose in seeking this infor-
nation is of course for use as cam
paign material. Notwithstanding
this fact the Board of Freeholders
have been and still are willing to
give him whatever information he
desires, but only when he meets with
the ordinary requirements of COM
mon decency. His method of accus-
ing the Board of Freeholders first
and then requesting information in
order to back up this accusation is
at wide variance with what should
have been his legal training. Such
methods don't even dignity denial in
the absence of the sources from
which Mr.. Hayes obtained this in
formation.
This Board cannot attempt to ans
wer every irresponsible anonymous
rumor that might be circulated es-
pecially around election time. If
Mr.. Hayes will give the source of
his information and be specific in
what he charges it will be pleasure
to immediately answer him.
Mr.. Hayes further takes occasion
to say that his representatives were
SJSSbSd ~ Oiit tHS SOuuly 1I6dSuEGI -
Office by Mr.. Hilker. The fact of
the matter is that his representa-
tive was there during the entire
meeting of the Board of Freeholders
last Thursday and was there when
the meeting adjourned and Mr.. Hill
ker at no time elected him. He was
told, however, and in very plain
way that If this campaign of mis-
representation and malicious and
deliberate mis-statements were per-
sisted in that neither he nor those
who paid him for his work could
expect the Board of Freeholders to
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