Camden Courier-Post – February 8, 1938
Details of Possible Legislation to Enable City to Get PWA Funds Kept Secret
ANDERSON AT PARLEY
A conference on Camden’s proposed legislative light plant bill was held yesterday by State Senator Albert E. Burling, Commissioner Frank J. Hartmann and his assistant, Walter S. Anderson. The session was held in Burling’s private office.
Neither Burling nor Hartmann would disclose if they had decided on any action to introduced a bill to provide enabling legislation to obtain Federal PW A funds for the proposed municipal electric light plant, for which voters of the city twice cast a majority vote.
“The conference was held at the request of Commissioner Hartmann,” Burling said. “We discussed possible legislation which may be favorably acted on by the Legislature.
“It was agreed that our plans not be discussed or made known for the present and not until the matter can be more thoroughly analyzed and discussed.”
Commissioner Hartmann was reluctant to discuss the conference.
“Out of courtesy to Senator Burling I do not desire to discuss the matter,” Hartmann said.
Anderson appeared before Burling and the Camden county Assembly delegation at the weekly forum Saturday with suggested revisions in previous bills, after contacting Dr. Clark Forman, of the PWA legal staff in Washington. Today’s conference was the outgrowth of that discussion.
City Clerk Clay W. Reesman, of Camden, asked the Legislators to amend the election law to defer certification of polling places until Fall in years when primaries are held in September.
Cites Election Law
Reesman pointed out that Article 8, paragraph 87, calls for municipal clerks to send polling place lists to county boards of election before March 1, and directs the county boards to certify them back by April 15.
“That was all right when primary elections were held in May each year,” Reesman said. “But now they are held in September except in Presidential years, and the dates should be changed to August 1 and September 1 except in Presidential years. As it now stands, changes are made all Summer after the list is certified, until the original list be comes unrecognizable.”
Clarence Dunkleberger, of the Eleventh Ward, reappeared to ask that a way be found to provide an underpass for school children who cross the railroad tracks between Cramer Hill and the Westfield Avenue section. There are no crossings between Twenty-seventh and Thirty-sixth streets.
Asks About Trade Mark
Dunkleberger said it is his understanding that an existing law requires railroad companies to provide crossings at every other block, but if this is not so, he asked that a bill be introduced to compel railroads to provide crossings every half mile in second-class cities.
Charles Dieck, of Philadelphia, representing non-residents in business in New Jersey, appeared to ask questions concerning the Foran trademark bill which, it is estimated by its sponsor, would provide $10,000,000 this year to help finance relief.
Dieck said he had been unable to obtain a copy of the bill, which was introduced in the upper house last Monday.
“I have been to the Courier-Post and the bills are not available,” Dieck said.
“You come down to my house and I’ll show you the bill,” put in Assemblyman Millard E. Allen, of Laurel Springs, who wants all employees of the publication “led to the guillotine.”
“How can you show him the bill?” asked Assemblyman Rocco Palese, “when they haven’t been printed yet?”
Maybe He Has Got It
“I got my bills yesterday” Allen insisted.
“Was that bill among them?” inquired Burling. “I haven’t been able to get one yet.”
“I think it was, but I’m not positive,” admitted Allen. “At least I have some information on it.”
“I don’t think you have the bill,” Assemblyman Lawrence H. Ellis said. “I was told in Trenton they haven’t been printed yet.”
“Well, I said I’m not positive,” Allen declared. Shortly afterward he left the session.
The legislators voted to dispense with the regular weekly meeting next Saturday, because it is Lincoln’s birthday. They will be resumed February 19.
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