The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-07
THE NEWS OF H0BOKEN.
A COUNCIL MEETING AND 4 MES
SAGE FROM THE MAYOR.

new Board of Council was held yes
terday afternoon. The members pres
ent were Messrs. Stanton, Londrlgan'
Thinker, Bruggeman, Bewig, Kelly
and E~rlenkoetter. Councilman Ma
loney was absent. The body OF the
hall was crowded, and when Patsy"
Londrigan entered the chamber, re-
splendent in a new silk tile, frock coat
and light pants, he was cheered. lie
took the seat of Councilman Maloney
and swore that he would stay there
until he was put out.
City Clerk McDermott called the
meeting to order, and explained that
the first business was the appointment
OF a permanent chairman. A resoiu-
ton by Councilman Thinker nomlnat-
ing Charles Erlenkoetter for h posi-
ton. was carried. The only d~issentient
being Londrigan. Chairman Erlen-
koetter then promised to oftclate as
head of the Board in an Impartial
manner and to the best OF his aplllty
to steer the Council in a safe channel.
Councilman Kelly offered q resolu.
ton to appoint Martin v. McDer1nott
to the position of city clerk. Patsy
Londregan made a vigorous proGesb
and said many hard things ABOUT tne
running of McDermott's end Of tne
city,s business, and nominated School
Trustee Charles V. Darcy for the
position. McDerniott was elected
with five votes. Londrigan voted in
the negative and Chairman Erlen-
koetter declined to vote.
The MAYORS letter was then read. 1t
began by paying a glowing tribute TO
the memoir of Councilman Tom MIL
Ter. He said that the city was happily
free from litigation. The Board o.
Water Commissioners came in for Sc
we're condemnation at his he
spoke of it as a useless appendage TO
the CITY. and recommended that the
office be abolished, and the business
transacted by the Council. He also
recommended that the office hours OF
the clerical staff be made the same as
the other city offices.
In speaking of the Police Depart
ment he said that it compared favora-
blv with that of any other city of Ho-
boken's size, but that if rumor was
correct there were men in it who
ought to be compelled to resign. The
entire department was disgraced by a
few who contracted debts upon the
strength of their official position and
never intended to pay them. A sub
station could be built up town and
managed without any increase in the
present staff of policemen. The presi-
dent of the North Hudson County
Railroad has frequently complained
of the nuisance of taking prisoners TO
the county Jail on their elevated cars.
He recommended that a wagon be
purchased and that the lire engine
horses be used for it.
The Poormaster, the Mayor referred
to as oyerworked, and said that it
would be advisable to appoint assist
ants from the ranks of policemen
doing door duty and those who have
retired on pensions. The %appropria-
ton must be increased, he said. He
regretted that no public minded resi-
dent had thought well to leave a
monument behind him in the shape of
an hospital. All that the public has
done is the erection of a tin soldier.
The city is without an hospital, and an
appropriation ought to be made and
the money sentt to st. Mary's Hospital
in order that the city might have a
number of beds and attendants at
their disposal. The streets are in a
satisfactory condition.
The electric light, telegraph and
telephone wires are a necessary evil,
but they must be kept free from adj
yertising matter. The Mayor repeated
an oft told grievance when he pulled
the New Jersey junction Railroad
over the Goals for not providing gates
at the street crossings, as they are
compelled by law. At the First street
crossing there is nothing at all, and at
Seventeenth street and Willow V
hue crossings there are twog God sized
toothpicks. Street signs are to be put
up, and the Mayor thought it was a
good move. He spoke of the rapid
growth of new buildings in the city,
and recommended strongly that the
Council appoint some responsible man
to inspect buildings in course OF cree
ton n inspect those already up that
ought to come down, as they are dan
gerous to life and limb.
He thought that the Hoboken Land
and improvement Company would re-
duce the price of the ferry fares dur
ing certain ..hours of the day if the
Council sent in a petition, in order
that working people might be induced
to live in Hoboken.
The public bath has improved the
sanitary condition of the poor of the
city. The city is sc large that one city
physician has more than he can do,
and the Mayor recommended that the
salary and the work be divided be-
tween two and that the city purchase
the medicines. The two public parks
are insufficiently seated, and the pur-
chase of more benches is recon-
mended.
In speaking of the schools Mayor
Grasslnann said that that was the
most unsatisfactory portion of his re-
port. He said that want of room
stood in the way of their success.
Three hundred pupils are denied adj
mission for want of room, and about
three hundred are attending school
half time, as if they attended full time
there would be one hundred and fifty
more who would not receive admit
lance. Prompt action is necessary.
School No. 5 is not yet finished, he
said, and will soon cost twice as much
for repairs as the railing would have
cost. He regretted that an insufficient
appropriation had compelled the
Board of Education to give up their
evening and normal schools, as they
were both of the greatest Importance.
He recommended that the Boafd of
Education discontinue electing their
clerk from among the Trustees and