The Supervisors Organize for the Annual Business

New York, 1895

The board of Supervisors began the annual meeting at the Court House in Long Island City on Tuesday. Supervisor Everitt was made temporary chairman. The election of a permanent chairman was the first business in order. The board proceeded to ballot, on motion of Mr. Underhill, seconded by Mr. Koehler. Supervisor Denton was appointed teller. An informal ballot was taken, resulting as follows: Wood 4, Koehler 1, Siebs 1, Everitt 1.

A formal ballot was then taken, Wood receiving 6, Koehler 1. Mr. Wood's election was made unanimous. Mr. Wood thanked the board for the honor they had conferred upon him.

An informal ballot was then taken for clerk, Mr. Underhill acting as teller. Seabury received 1, Robinson 1, Cortmeyer 1, Wright 1, T. V. Smith 1, Firth 1, C. B. Smith 1. The second ballot resulted the same. Two additional ballots were taken without a choice, and further balloting was deferred until after the noon recess.

Miss Jennie Mollitor sent in her resignation as matron at the county jail. It was accepted.

Counselor Wallace reported in the matter of the Maspeth avenue bridge bill, that Senator Childs had to recall it from before the Governor to save it from a veto, and the expediency of having it become a law is now before the statutory revision committee. The bill leaves it optional with the board of Supervisors whether or not to build bridges over Newtown creek, instead of compelling them to do so.

The trustees of the fire department of the town of Newtown made application for permission to raise $5,000 by tax for the support of the department for the ensuing year. It was referred to Supervisor Siebs.

Balloting for clerk was resumed after recess, with the same result as in the morning, until the fourth ballot, when Mr. Seabury received four votes and was declared elected.

In the matter of improving Strong's bridge and causeway in Flushing, for which it is proposed to make the county pay one-half of the expense, Counselor Wallace reported that the proceedings were faulty in several respects. Protest against the proceedings should have been made within thirty days by the board of Supervisors, but such protest was not made. There is a constitutional objection, however, to the proceeding, the county being prohibited from contracting any debt except for county purposes, and the building of a mere local highway could not be construed as a county matter. It is an anomaly in law for town officers to contract debts for the county to pay.

[This article is shorter than published because a big piece of the newspaper page was missing.]

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, May 3, 1895, p. 1.