Palisadian. [volume], November 04, 1927, Image 1

About Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current

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"The Palisades arc the Balcony of the World
William A. Mackay, Coytesville
PALISADIAN
r**o*
“Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks.
Sermons in stones, and good in everything."
—As You Like It.
VOL. XX. No. 44
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1927—SIXTEEN PAGES
PRICE FOUR CENTS
CELLA OFFERS WRITTEN EXPLANATION
OF ALLEGED SALE OF BOROUGH LAND
TO JOHN MARSHALL, OF ENGLEWOOD
Says He Simply Acted As Agent For Mr. Marshall—Did
Accept $1,000 But Arranged To Return It “In Man
ner Satisfactory To Prospective Buyer”—Lively
Scenes At Meeting.
That Peter Celia, Fort Lee Assess-,
merit Commissioner, did not sell part j
of the Borough’s property to the Mar
shal! family but simply attempted to
negotiate a purchase of the same for
John Marshall, of Englewood, was dis
closed on Wednesday night at the
regular meeting of the Mayor and
Council of the Borough of Fort Lee
by the reading of a letter from Mr.
Celia and by the verbal explanation of
his attorney, Patrick Henry Maley.
At an adjourned meeting of the
Mayor and Council on Wednesday
evening, October 20, Councilman
Charles Wood, chairman of the Build
ing Committee, reported that he had
interviewed the tenants living in the
home on a part of the Crystal Lake
property in Englewood, owned by the
Borough of Fort Lee, and that in the
presence of witnesses both Mr. and
Mrs. Marshall had said that they own
ed the property and had never paid
any rent to the Borough. When ques
tioned about the purchase they stated
that the property had been bought
from Peter Celia, of Fort Lee, and
$1,000 deposit was paid to him.
Subsequent to the meeting Mr. Cel
ia admitted to reporters that he had
made an offer to buy the property
from the Borough in 1022 and had
tendered a deposit of $100 in case his
offer was accepted. Later this de
posit was returned to him and he was
informed that the property would have
to be advertised and sold to the high
est bidder. This he said was all he
knew about tlie case.
“**-“-111- riiTTUtOi' to tfttf Council-im-e
sponsc to their request for an explan
ation of what appeared to be a queer
transaction Mr. Celia stated that John
Marshall, of Englewood, a son of the
couple occupying the house on the
property, had come to him in 1922
and warded to buy the property for
about $0,090. Mr. Celia agreed to ne
gotiate the sale for Mr. Marshall and
accepted from him checks aggregating
$1,000 to be used in the transaction.
Subsequent to Mr. Marshall’s visit Mr.
Celia wrote the Mayor and Council a
letter stating that ho wished to buy
this part of the property for someone
else, not naming the prospective buy
er, and at that time tendered the $100
mentoined previously. The deposit
was returned to him with a letter
stating that the land could not be dis
posed of at private sale. Mr. Celia
then informed Mr. Marshall and made
an arrangement to return the deposit
money, ($1,000). Mr. Celia contend
ed that the Borough should not be in
terested in his private dealings with
Mr. Marshall and that he had a li
gitimate right to act as an agent for
him in the case.
Mr. Celia’s letter follows:
November, 2, 1927.
Mr. W. S. Corker,
Borough Clerk,
Borough of Fort Lee,
New Jersey.
Dear Sir:
I beg to acknowledge yours ot the
28th ult. informing me that at the
last meeting of the Mayor and Coun
cil, members of the Building Commit
tee had reported that a Mrs. Marshall,
a tenant of a two-family house, at tin
Crystal hake property, owned by tin
Borough of Fort Lee, stated that sin
had paid me a deposit for the sale of
the building, and further informing
me that the Council asked that I kind
ly communicate an expfanation con
cerning this matter at the next meet
ing
It is not a fact that a Mrs. Mar
shall ever paid me a deposit for the
sale of the two-family house, at the
Crystal Lake property, owned by the
Borough. It is a fact that in Septem
ber, 1922, a Mr. John C. Marshall, of
Englewood, came to me and requested
me to take up for him with the Bor
ough Council the question of his pur
chasing this property from the Bor
ough. He gave some money to me to
be used as a deposit in the event the
Borough would decide to sell the
property to him. As a friend of his,
I consented to act for him in this re
gard.
Accordingly I told Harry I). Schall,
who was then a member of the Coun
Contlnued on Pago 2
No Contest For
Mayor In Ft. Lee
Hoebsl And Meyar, Republican
Candidates For Council—Ma
loney, Cummins Opponents
Mayor Edward A. White, head of
the Democratic ticke t in Fort Leo, is
assured of re-election as the Republi
can* party in that Iiorough has offered
no opposition to him.
The Mayor has as running mates
on the Democratic ticket, Martin
Cummins and James Maloney, Council
candidates. They are apparently un
ited in their drive for election and
are running on a platform of a “big
ger and bettor Fort Lee.”
On the Republican ticket is Coun
cilman Louis Hoebol who seeks re
election and Eberhardt (Abe) Meyer.
These gentlemen are conducting sep
arate campaigns. Mr. Iloebel is
pledging a clean administration of the
Borough’s business and submits his
record as a Councilman for the vot
ers’ consideration. Mr. Meyer is. an
open foe of the Public Service Corp
oration and is opposed to the opera
tions of “cliques” among the officials
who vote on important measures with
only the political effect in mind. He
states that every public question as
far as he is concerned, if elected, w'ill
be determined from the taxpayers’
standpoint, —.
William Maloney is 26 years old; is
married and lives at 1675 Bergen bou
levard. He is a graduate of the Ma
donna Catholic school and the Lconia
Grammar and High Schools. For th(
past six years he has been employed
by Birtwhistle and Livingston, insur
ance brokers, of Englewood. He is a
member of the Fort Lee Democratic
Club and the Englewood Elks. He
enjoys a good reputation and is well
known throughout eastern Bergen
County.
Martin Cummins is a young attorn
ey residing at 403 Catherine street,
Fort Lee. In 1020 he was admitted
to the New Jersey Bar after gradu
ating from the Fordham University
Law school and at present ho is a
member of the law firm of Hart and
Vanderwart, of Hackensack and Fort
Lee. He is 27 years old, is unmar
ried and lives with his parents who
are old residents of the Borough. He
is a member of the Fort Lee Demo
cratic Club, the West Fort Lee Fire
Company and the Fort Lee Board of
Trade.
Councilman Louis Hoebel is one of
Fort Lee’s most popular young busi i
ness men, being the proprietor of Hoe
bcl and Sons, Florists, of West Fort
Lee. He won easily when he was first
a candidate for Council and two years
ago when he opposed Mayor White
Continued on Page 2
MAYOR JOSEPH W. MARINI
finishing second term as Mayor of the Borough of Cliffside Park, seeks re
election on his record of faithful, honest and efficient service to the taxpay
ers of the Borough.
ELECT MAYOR MARINI
. .. (.Editorial) ,'B . {
Perhaps the most logical can
didate who has appealed to the
voters of Cliffside Park in many
years is Mayor Joseph W. Mar
ini, who won the Republican
nomination on the merit of past
performance. He has madq a
model mayor. He has pretty
nearly fulfdled all of the high
est ideals connected with Bor
ough hopes. He has been a pro
gressive. He has steadfastly
guarded the taxpayers’ interests.
He has faltered at nothing that
would lead to higher standards
in local government.
As nearly as a man could be,
Mayor Marini has been cool,
quiet, dignified, earnest, always
at his post of duty, and in the
main made the minimum of mis
takes, if indeed, he has made
any at all. His poise has been
admirable.
It would be difficult to im
prove upon an administration so
little infused with indifferent
service to the people. Mayor
Marini is a native of the Bor
ough and delights in feeling the
honor of calling it home. In so
many ways he has beautified the
Borough and made it worth
while, that to recount his works
would be useless where every
thing has been so conspicuously
worthy.
The fact is, looking at Joseph
Marini’s charcter as a man, it is
really exceptional in its exalted
aims and the sincerity of its
purpose.
What more, then, chn be said
of him than that he is Cliffside’s
most outstanding Mayor. The
whole Borough’s history does
not hold record of a man who
has aimed higher or behaved
more admirably. And best of
a!! he has an appreciation of
what he owes the people for
honoring him, and his example
has endeared him to every one
who has any opinion at all. Ho.
wouldn’t say of himself more
than that, “I have done my best
to give you all 1 had.”
And he hr.s.
And his best performance
above all else is that he is no
boaster who shouts from the
housetops. He is a real man—
a man who sprang from the
ranks ar.d is proud, of it. His
record is behind him and it is
luminous with integrity and
clean living.
LEEGER, SEARS, FARRAR, PRESTON,
McCLAVE, ROONEY AND GOEMANN
DECLARE THEMSELVES FOR MARINI
Prominent Cliff side Park Citizens Fail To See Reason For
The Substitution Of Present Administration By In
experienced Office Seekers Presented By The Local
Democrats—Speak Plainly.
Prominent citizens of Cliffside Park,
Republicans and Democrats alike, are
rallying' to the support of Mayor Jos
eph W. Marini and Councilman Frank
A. Meyer and John McDonald in their
fight for re-election.
Mayor Marini said this* past week
that it was a source of great satisfac
tion to him to know that men of the
type of Charles J. Leeger, Seymour
• N. Sears, Edward L. Farrar, Joseph
W. Preston, R. Duncan McClave, Ar
thur J. Rooney, IE F. Goemann and
others were supporting his candidacy
and are willing to publicly declare
themselves.’
When asked for a final statement
on the campaign this past week Chas.
J. Leeger, prominent churchman of
Grantwood, said, “I think my state
ment printed in your paper on Octo
ber 21 gave the public of Cliffside
Park a very good idea of just how I
feel about the coming election. Mayor
Marini's victory four years ago was a
most welcome one and marked the be
ginning of an era of real progress in
telligently and honestly supervised. He
has made good. The public should re
turn him and Messrs. Meyer and Mc
Donald to office and I am sure they
will with substancial majorities.”
Seymour N. Sears, party leader of
prominence; had this to say:
“Nothing so far has been stated to
my way of thinking that convinces me
that the present administration, whose
i
Continued on Page 2
Palisade Drug Store
Robbed Wed. Night
Thieves Force Rear Door And
Steal $70 In Cash As Well As
Valuable Merchandise .
Tile Palisade Drug Store at Pali
sade Junction, owned by Irving Roscn
blum and Julius Smolivit, was enter
ed and robbed in the early hours of
Thursday morning of several hundred
dollars worth of goods as well as cash.
The store was locked up in the us
ual manner about 12:110 o’eolck on
Wednesday night. Sometime between
that time and dawn the rear door
leading into the prescription room
from the hallway was forced open by
a jimmy or crowbar.
The thieves took $70 in cash from
i the two cash registers which were left
open and then made oil- with a couple
of hundred dollars worth of small art
icles such as, razor blades, knives,
fountain pens, etc.
The robbery was reported to the po
lice but no clue to the thieves hus
been found.
Kenney Makes Del
Mi
Mayor Marini Accepts Offer
But He Feels It Is A
Political Trick
Edward A. Kenney, Democratic ran
lidatc for Mayor of Cliff.- ide Park,
in last Wednesday night sent a Idler
o Mayor Joseph \\ . Marini, his itn
mblican opponent offering to d bate
the issues of the campaign at a non
partisan meeting on Monday, Novem
ber 7, “or any other day.”
The letter was received by Mayor
Marini on Thursday.
Mr. Kenney’s letter which is self
explanatory follows:
“Dear Sir:—I have made chut go:
igainst your admi.iistrati' n ’hat have
.nt been defend d by sou in any way.
.'lie cliaig - i.ie-ud • n>:l av; g ircc.-,,
ind the disbursement of the la .pov
l's’ mm y without va:ue received
'rom yout contra.tors.
“The Democratic Club of Cliff'-dd
Park has had some corse -pondene.
with you on the subj ct looking' to
ward your defending your rc-eo:d in
public after you had made a state
ment on Page 31 of the Jersey Ob
Iserver of October 1 !, that if given tin
opportunity you would meet rn ■ face
to face any time, any place for ,h
purpose of defending your record.
“Although the Itomocraiic vlui> ac
cepted your challenge you failed tc;
appear at any meeting.-, which I at
tended,instead you quibbled about hav
ing a special meeting which the club
naturally considered your subterfuge.
“According to today’s paper you are
trying to capitalize your failure to
defend your record by introducing
that the special meeting was not held.
I have always been ready to meet you
face to face on the platfoim for your
defense of my charges which up to th
present you have failed to make in
any form.
“Because of your utterances in to
day’s paper I am taking the matter
out of the hands of the Bemociatir
Club and am advising you directly
that I will meet you at any Non-Par
tisan meeting to be held on Monday,
Novemlx r 7, (or any other day) ac
cording to the terflTs you proposed to
the Bemocratie Club.”
Mayor Marini replied as follows:
November 11)27
Mr. Edward A. Kenney,
Grantwood, N. J.
Dear Sir:
I have received your letter of Nov
ember 2, 11)27, offering to debate on
Monday evening, November 7th, 11)27,
although on two previous occasions,
namely; October 20th and November
2nd, 11)27, you definitely refused to de
bate.
Although your eleventh hour offer
is only political trickery because you
know that I am occupied every even
ing between now and Election at meet
ings previously arranged, still I will
meet you on Monday evening at the
High School, according to the term
under which 1 previously offered to de
bate you.
Yours very truly,
JOSEPH \y. MARINI
TOLL CHARGES AND OTHER DETAILS
CONCERNING TUNNEL OPERATIONS
n,T- ■
9.;r
ETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONERS
Charge For Pleasure Cars To Be Flat Fifty Cents—Cars
Must Move At Thirty Miles An Hour And Stay Sev
enty-Five Feet Apart—Tunnels To Open On Novem
ber 13—Other Regulations.
Toll rates and other details in connection with the Holland
Vehicular Tunnels which open on November 13 were determined
by the Tunnel Commissioners at a meeting on Tuesday last. The
rales to be charged are published elsewhere on this page. Autos
will be permitted to proceed at the rate of thirty miles an hour
but must keep seventy-live feet apart.
HARRY
HARPZR
\wr*--—-—
Republican candidate for Sher
iff who is conducting an active
and clean campaign. Advocates
keeping prisoners physically fit.
Hot Fight On la Bero
Of Cliffside Park
Mayor Marini And Running
Mates Standing On Record
Of Progress—Criticised
Cliffside Park is witnessing a lively
battle this year between the adminis
tration and anti-udminstration forces
represented by the Republican can
didates and the Democratic candidates
respectively.
The Democratic ticket is headed by
a Republican, Edward A. Kenney, who
on two previous occasions was defeat
ed for Mayor. His running mates are
John Kubli and William Ilanretty.
The Republican ticket is headed by
Mayor Joseph W. Marini, who is fin
ishing his second term as Mayor, and
Gouncilmcn Frank A. Meyer adn John
McDonald, all running for re-election.
The Democratic campaign has been
conducted along destructive lines anil
they have criticised the present admin
istration as being “self-centered,” “ex
travagant” and charged that the let
ting of contracts on improvement
work is controlled by a “ring.” They
also say that public work in Cliffside
Park cost more than in other Bor
oughs.
The Republicans candidates have
gone before the people on the basis
of their records and the record of pro
gress of the Borough itself under their
Continued on Page 2
FT. LEE VOTERS TO DECIDE ON INCREASE
FOR POLICE AND SALARIES FOR MAYOR
AND COUNCIL ON TUESDAY, NOV. 8TH
Minimum Salary Of $2,000 And Maximum Of $2,500
Desired For Patrolmen—Mayor VViii Receive $750.00
A Year And Councilmen $500.00 Each Under New
Plan—Salary Ordinance Sponsored By Councilman
Cook.
On Tuesday next the voters of the
Borough of Fort Lee will he called
upon to decide two public questions,
both directly affecting their pocket
books. One is the proposed increase
in tint salary of local policemen and
the other salaries for the Mayor and
Councilmen.
The Police Increase
There has been much discussion in
the Council pro and con in connection
with a raise in salary for the police
linen. The Borough Fathers finally
decided to put the issue directly up to
the people for a referendum vote. The
following table shows the annual sal
aries now being paid and the salaries
desired:
At Present Pesired
Chief .No salary $;1,200
Captain.$2,100 0,000
Lieutenant .No salary 2,800
Sergeant .2,000 2,700
Patrolman ..1,700 2,000
The approximate weekly compensa
tion of the various police officials und
er the new ordinance would he:
Chief .$01..70
Captain . .77.00
Lieutenant . .74.00
Patrolman .00.50
(Minimum)
Patrolman . 40.50
* (Maximum)
At the present time there is no un
Continued on Pace Z
The speed of SO miles an hour will
permit S.SOO vehicles passing in both
direction- every hour and a daily
maximum capacity of 40,000 vehicles.
Stringent rules were also adopted
barring from the tunnel certain ve
hicles ard commodities and fixing a
charge of fU a gallon for gasoline to
persons running out of gas and charg
ing a double toll rate for disabled ve
hicles necessitating towing out o/ tha
tubes to the plaza exits.
No driver showing signs of having
imbibed in intoxicating liquors will be
permitted in the tunnel under any cir
cumstances and all inflammable mat
erial, smoking cars, bicycles, wheel
barrows or other foot or hand propell
ed vehicles are barred.
Excepting owners of one-steated
pleasure cars, all other drivers ex
pressed themselves as being entirely in
accord with the .charge of fifty cents
a car with a capacity up to seven pas
sengers. The owners of the smaller
cars believe that they should be given
a lower rate, as their cars neither
carry the number of passengers nor
take up the space of the larger cars.
In fixing the rate for pas^pngcr cars
the commission decided upon the flat
rate of fifty cents regardless of the.
number of passengers a car carried as
to count the passengers would cause
delay and tend to tie up traffic.
The flat fifty cent charge is six
cents cheaper than the average seven
passenger touring ear charge on the
“Five Ferry Group,” but twenty-one
cents higher than the same group of
ferries charge for a one cross-seat
runabout which in the tunnel falls in
the same class! as the seven-passenger
car.
The charge of $1 for buses having
a seating capacity of 29 passengers
as fixed in the Holland Tunnel, this is
five cents cheaper than the average
charge in the “Five Ferry Group.”
Buses carrying more than 29 passen
gers will be given a special rate upon
application.
While the charge is five cent', low
er than the ferries in the vicinity
of the tunnel, George L. Record, re
presenting the Kevins IJus Company
which has permits to operate forty
buses through the tubes, says that it
is prohibitive and that his company
will not operate. Mayor Frank Hague,
of Jersey City and Tunnel Commis
: ioner John F. Boyle, fought for a
fifty-cent rate for buses but the ma
jority of commissioners could not see
their way clear to grant the reduced
rate if sufficient revenue was to be re
alm d for maintenance charges and
the amortization of the bonds.
The charge for motorcycles, twen
ty-five cents, is nine cents higher than
.he ferries.
Charges for trucks are based on
jross weights, irrespective of actual
load at the time; that is weight of
truck plus its rated capacity. The
rates are, up to two tons, 50 cents; 2
to r> tons, 7"> cents; 5 to 10 tons, $1;
10 to 12 tons, $2. Trucks of higher
tonnage come uniter a sjiecml rating.
In addition to the flat rate of ?2 plus
2.3 cents for each additional ton or
fractional part thereof there is an
examination charge for every
trucks in excess of 13 tons, and 10
rents for each three inches or fraction
al part thereof for overhang exceed
ing 0 inches and 10 cents for each
three inches or fractional part there
of for width exceeding 8 feet or of
height exceeding 12 feet; or 10 cents
for each three feet or fractional part
[thereof exceeding the length limits of
■ 10 feet and 40 feet.
Applications for special permits
must be made at least twenty-four
hours in advance.
The rates were decided upon by the
commission following a survey and
study of the toll charges on ferries
and bridges connecting New Jersey
and New York States. In mixing the
tolls, special attention was paid to the
Continued on Page 2