The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-06-20
ROTTEN EVERY WHERE.
Startling Revelations at the
Freeho1ders' Meeting--No
Bi-Month1y Pay.

After a caucus that lasted from three
O'Clock until fifteen minutes after five
o'clock, the members of the Board of
Freeholders felt prepared to transact pub
lie business in public yesterday. The
long confab was over the site for a new
asylum, the action to be taken to enable
tine Board to have the Boulevard con-
structed as soon as possible, and the ap-
pQintment of Assistant Prosecutor Joseph
NJ Noonan counsel to Collector Dugan
cation of Taxes. When these things had
been satisfactorily disposed of the caucus
adjourned and the Board met. All but
Freeholder Donneliy were present.
Proposals We're received from James
Wade, john Trlly, Conway y,9ss g Co, E Henry
Somers Dugan & Co. and Patrick J.
Condor 10 put the Newark and New York
turnpike in good repair. The contract
was awarded to James Wade, he being
the lowest bidder. His proposal was
carting and laying crushed stone. 8. %
per cubic yard; furnishing steam roller,
$40 per day. The bid of Conway g. Co.
was declared informal for want of bonds
and was thrown out
REPAIRS ALL AROUND.
Certificates of inspection made by the
American Steam Boiler and Insurance
AOmQdBy WoAd EchQr MHlGA 6uOWe Gu tuttb
the boiler at the Court House and jail
was In very bad condition and the one
at the Aims House absolutely unsafe.
This boiler Is so bad that the Inspector
ordered new one put in within sixty
days.
County Superintendent Cannon was
directed to prepare specifications for
new boiler for the Aims House and the
Court House and jail.
Edward McDermott requested the
Board to rescind his contract to furnish
ice for $5 ton, and to permit him to fur
nish 1t at market prices. The Board re-
ferred ithe matter to a committee,
and then listened very attentively to a
very long report and many recommends
tiOns from County superintendent Gan
non. He first stated that the County
Jail should have thorough overhauling,
including brick, woodwork, roof, cutters,
painting and boiler room, to cost s., 900.
He said that the Hall of Records was
about completed, but it will cost $4,000
more to cut away the partition that sep
arates it from the Court House and sug-
gests that an additional appropriation of
$1,000 be made to f1t up the offices of
Register and Surrogate and the Grand
Jury room. The superintendent also re-
commended that the Freeholders' Office
be enlarged and separate Office be given
the Directors-at-Large, He said the
present boiler house Is not large enough
for a steam boiler that can heat the jail,
Court House. Hall of Records and Free
holders Office and recommended that it
be enlarged.
The penitentiarv is too small In the be-
lief of Mr.. Cannon and should have two
stories added to it at q cost of $500. He
wanted also new stone crusher and the
necessary machinery and boiler 10 cost
about $1,000 The Aims House, he said,
required painting, and the entire steam
apparatus needs thorough overhaul
ing.
The laundry was not large enough to
suit him. but he thought 5000 might
make it So The asylum. according to
Superintendent Cannon needs many inn
provements and repairs, but owing to the
asylum he made no recommendations,
for he was too considerate in the ex-
pendiIure OF the county's money. He be-
lieyed the pavilions now used by men
should be replaced by brick structures,
but said # the present asylum should be
given them when the new one is erected
the present pavilions could be kept in
temporary repair until then.
The bridge across the Hackensack st
the foot of Newark avenue is much in
need of repair, the Superintendent said,
and he recommended that 1t be recon
structed, and suggested that more lib
eral appropriation be made for other
bridges and culverts in the county.
The Paterson Plank road, according to
him, Is i'll q very bad condition, except
where recently repaired, and he recon-
mended the appropriation for the main
report was ordered spread in full on the
minutes.
THAT BOULEVARD DECISION.
Counsellor John A. McGrath made a
report on the matters that had been be-
fore the last Legislature, and then read
the decision of the Court of Errors and
Appeals in the county road case.
The document Is by the Chancellor. 1t
deals first with the objection to the law
on the ground of its delegation of legisla-
tive power to a popular vote in alleged
violation of the Constitution. The Court
finds no merit in this decision. 1t says
The delegation of the legislative power in the
law now considered, rests upon the same princ-
pie that it rested upon in the old road laws. 1t
remains mere reference TO a tribunal of the
expediency Of putting the law in action In q
given case The tribunal remains tribunal OF
the locality. The only change Is in the number
of its members and it is not conceived that that
change alters the principle upon which the ref
erence rests
The Court concludes thus
The second and third objections, that the
legislation is local and special, not only as to the
laying out of highways, but also in the regula-
tion OF the internal affairs Of counties, may be
considered together. The law confers dis
Cr6LlOnaIy power upon lOcAutleS WQlc1 may
occasion diyersties by being exercised in one
locality and not exercised in another. Such
diversities are not inherent in the law. They
arise, If at all, solely from the execution and
non-execution OF IL, but the law prevails every
where. A law which regulates the internal
affairs of counties or provides for the laying
out, etc, of highways based upon valid classi-
fcation and which may be put In action alike by
all of the class upon which il Is based is general
law The constitution does not require that
such law shall be uniformly applied. We have
above determined that the Legislature may ere
ate tribunals to say where law concerning
highways may be brought into action Ia the sew
eral localities TO which it may apply. If those
tribunals should not all act. or acting should
reach different conclusions, thar there would
be diversity in the application of the law, such
eralty of the law and render it local and special
The constitutional interdct is that the law itself
shall not be local and special. The question
suggested In the argument must all be resolved
In favor of the constttutionality of the law un-
der consideration and the Judgment of the
Supreme Court affirmed.
Mr.. McGrath made little speech after
the decision was reao, in which he con-
graduated everybody that the county
boulevard was an assured fact. He was
vigorously applauded by the Freehold
ers.
A REQUIsITION ROW.
The usual acquisitions came up for pay
ment, but in Que batch those of the Com
mittee on County Institutions were
tackled on to those of the Committee on
Court House and Jail This Freeholder
Ellis objected to. He insisted on having
them separated. This was done and
then Mr. Ellis said that there