The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-12
FREEH0LDERS ECONOMY.
HOW MUCH, IF ANYTHING, ARE
THEY SAYING THIS YEAR?

A Close Scrutiny of the Estimates Does
Not Bear Out Their Claims of a Great
Reduction-Comparison Between This
Year and Last, with Explanatory
Notes.
AT recent meeting held by the Board
of Freeholders a general rejoicing took
place among the members for, as they
claimed, they had reduced the appropria-
tions $114, $50 from the amount expended
last year. From this particular body so
great saving to the county appeared sur
prising. The estimates were given
hasty examination and they showed that
the claim of the Freeholders as econo-
mists was hardly warranted.
This year the Board was not called on
to appropriate $33 800 for the Commission
ers of Land Records, $4,000 for the Hall
of Records attached to the Court House,
or $4,000 for a new asylum, and hence
there was in one lump S9S,000 less to be
provided for than at the last apportion-
ment.
A further comparison of the appropri-
ations for the next fiscal year with those
of the present year shows that the osten-
tatious pretentions of the Freeholders to
economy are worse Undn at llrSG lmaSlueu.
COURT INCREASE.
The appropriation for the courts is
$4,000 by this Boaru, an increase Of
Sc, 900.
This increase, it was claimed, was nee
essary because the Legislature raised the
fees of constables, and also that heretofore
the appropriation had always been short
and had to be made good from some other
fund. The increase from $4,000 to s14, 900
in salaries is required by the new Free
holders law The incoming Board of ten
members will receive 81, 200 each, and the
Director s., 600, or S14, 600 in all. The pres
ent Board of twenty members receive but
$500 year each, or in all $4,000. The
curious explanation for the $2, 900 increase
in the appropriation for salaries of officers
is that Assistant Clerk Noonan and Clerk
Hough, in the Collectors office, have here
tofore been paid out of the incidental
fund.
CORoNERs' FEES ENLARGED.
An equally singular reason for the in
crease of fees of Coroners and Morgue
Keepers from $1,000 to $1,000 was that
$2, 900 is only enough to pay one Coroner
and that the others have been paid out of
was asked why expenses of elections had
been increased from $1,000 to $4,000 he
said it was because of the new polling
precincts to be established. He did not
know how many there are to be or why
SO, 600 more was necessary, but he was
sure the appropriation heretofore had
been too small.
Stationery and indeXing was increased
from 81, 500 to $4,000, because So, 500 is not
enough" said Mr.. Boyd.
"Well, / don't believe we'll have to pay
it." said Freeholder Turner, interrupting
the clerk, "for don't think the indexing
item legal one"
REFORM KNOCK DOWN.
A big knock down for reform was the
from $4,000 to $4,000. This was explained
as being necessary because it will require
| So, 900 year to take care of the Newark
| avenue bridge and the balance to care for
the other bridges. The past Legislature
directed the Freeholders to pay S4,670
back pay to some office holders who,
some time ago, worked for half pay when
the appropriation was exhausted.
A MATHEMATICAL PARADOX.
| Here is q list of items on the new appro-
priation list that do not appear in last
| years appropriation
Back pay county employees ............... $4670
StoreroOm. ,...... .........,.......,.. $500
Wages of mechanics Is. HI. ............... 1900
| Smallpox Hospital. ........ ............. $500
| County Board of Health. .................. $500
| Pest House Observation-Disclosures. $500
| Park Commissioners. ...................... 5000
| Comfy Board of Taxation ...,...... 49,. 5000
| Armory bonds. ............,.............. coo
Clerk Boyd explained that these had
been paid out of the incidental account
heretofore The aggregate of these items
| is about $4,000 The incidental bill, all
told, last year, is only $4,000. So that if
the incidental bill had been made to cover
only these items it would not have been
large enough. Beyond all this, with these
items set off by themselves, the incidental
| account in the new appropriation
amounts to $4,000 So that difference
| OF $4,000 between the old and new Incl
dental account is all that is left of the old
| to represent this aggregate of $4,000 of
new items. How $4,000 is to be crowded
out of $4,000 is mathematical paradox