The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-06-14
$4,000 TO Spend.
Street Commissioners and
School Directors at War
Over Those Repairs.

Ihefe is every prOSpecu OF IVely WIT
between the Street and Water Board and
the Board OF Education as to who shall
control the expenditures of the $4,000
appropriated Wednesday night by the
Finance Board for school repairs.
It is intimated that the majority of
members of the Board Of Finance in
secret session expressed themselves as
averse to allowing the Street and Water
Board to assume control of the repairs,
believing that the School Directors
best knew what they wanted.
1t is further intimated that several
refused at first to vote for the appropri-
alton on the ground that much of the
large sum, il handled by the Street and
Water Board, would be wasted in adver-
tising and in rewarding scheming and
political services. The Street and Water
Board had always assumed control of
such repairs in accordance with the pro-
visions of Section 125 of the Old Charter,
which reads:-"Said Board Of Education
shall report to said Board of Public
Works any repairs that may be needed
to any building used for school purposes,
Works may make the needed repairs"
RESTRICTING RESOLUTIONS
The opinion of the Corporation Counsel
was sought, and in accordance with his
directions the following resolution was
drawn. 1t was adopted by the Board of
Finance at its last meetin g:-
Resolved, That the sum of $4,000 be and the
same Is hereby appropriated to the Board Of Ed
ucatfon for immediate use in the making of
needed repairs. on the various public school
houses of this city; provided however, that the
outlay therefor shall In no single instance ex-
coed the sum Of $500; and provided that all ex
penditures made out of said appropriation shall
Ds under the supervision OF and be certified to
by competent inspector to be appointed by
the said Board of Education who shall be paid
out of said appropriation and whose salary shall
not exceed in the aggregate $500.
This was drawn in accordance with the
provisions OF Section Of supplementary
act relating to the prerogarives of the
various municipal Boards in repairing
their own buildings. 1t directs that the
Board of Education shall define the du-
ties and fix the compensation of princi-
ipals, teachers and janitors of the public
schools and other employees of the Board
and shall provide everything in their
Judgment necessary for or appevtaining
TO the public schools, except the purchase
of lands, the erection of buildings and
the making of repairs, where the outlay
therefor shall in single instance exceed
$500.p
A BITTER FIGHT.
Within twelve hours after the adoption
of this resolution the Street and Water
Board met and directed Chief Engineer
Ruggles, in company. with builder to
be hereafter appointed, to make tour of
Investigation of all the schools and re-
port an estimate on the cost of the neces-
sary repairs
The Board of Education met twelve
hours afterward. and, though taking no
official action openly on the Street ana
Water Boards conduct, in Secret session.
v1v1o r,ff ltr fc oh "a q.
fight against the Street and Water
Boards control of the expenditur es IN
question.
Street and Water Commissioner Dugan
who pointed out to the reporter the Sec
tion of The Old Charter Law of 1871
quoted above, said the Street and Water
Board would not relinquish its preroga-
tive conceded the past twenty years He
said that even a more recent law gave
the Street and Water Commissioners the
control of the repairs of all public build
ings where more than $500 is expended.
DOES THE LAW CONFLICT?
Mr.. Dugan probably refers TO section
Of the same supplementary law passed in
1873, giving the Board of Education the
power TO make its own repairs where the
expenditure is less than $500. Section
empowers the Board of Education ''to
obtain by contract, if practicable, all sup
plies and work required for the public
SCHOOLS tGACeRbLuA StINlC6S pIluCfpdlS,
teachers, janitors and other permanent
employees of the Board) involving an ex-
penditure exceeding 500, proposals for
which shall be advertised for in the Off
cial newspapers at least one week pre-
yious to deciding thereon and to award
the contract for any article or work to
any responsible party proposing the
lowest price for the same, who shall give
satisfactory security for the execution of
the contract, provided that said Board
may in their discretion reject any or all
bids so received
Mr.. Dugan, who apparently was not
aware OF the existenceof section of this
supplementary act, declares that the fact
that a contract for the repairs of public
buildings is to be advertised for, virtually
throws the matter into the hands of the
Street and Water Commissioners and
said he, granting that the School Dlrec-
tors be conceded the right to control the
expenditures, has the Finance Board
done a wise thing in cutting up the
200 into $500 contracts? Could the
work not be done cheaper by larger con-
tracts?n
PRESIDENT VOORHEES, VIEW.
President Voorhees,, of the Board of
Education, says the money was appropri-
ated to the Board of Education for school
repairs, and that Board will make a
unanimous fight for the control of the ex-
penditures.
President Edelstein, of the Board of
Finance says the Board of Education
was awarded the appropriation to expend
it under their own supervision, which
implies that the Board of Finance will
hesitate before ordering any claim paid
submitted by the Street and Water Com
missioners.
Comptroller Hough was at first inclined
to the opinion that the Street and Water
Board had lawful right to centrol the
expenditures, but after reading up the
law, under which the resolution granting
the appropriation was drawn, seemed to
be in doubt. He said the Street and
Water Board could cerriorari the pro-
ceedings of the Board of Education, in
which case the repairs would come to a
standstill.