The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-28
NORTON'S BRIGHT idea.
Wants Fire Escapes on All
the Pa1atia1 Resi-
denCeS.
AND NONE ON THE TENEMENTs.
A PothOuse Statesman Who Thinks
the Poor Should Burn as q
Matter Of Economy.
AND NONE ON THE TENEMENTs.

Since the fire escape and fire limit ordf-
nances, submitted to the Board Of Alder
men by Max Salinger, were defeated the
public has anxiously looked for some
signs of fulfillment of promises made by
those who defeated Mr.. Salinger's efforts
Inasmuch as the vote was partisan every
time Mr. Salinger attempted to put
through his ordinances the public was
lulled with the belief that the Democratic
members were simply endeavoring to
head off some masked political scheme
devised b. the mysterious" Max His
ordinances were finally killed and cannot
be ,resurrected-for some months. at all
events. The public was informed that
substitutes for the dead ordinances
would soon be offered and passed by
Democrats. But several mon this have
gone by and nothing has yet been he ard
upon the subject In the Aldermanic
chamber.
The public recalls Mr. Salinger's words.
SO often reiterated, when the fight was
going on:-"Gentlemen. l have drafted
these ordinances in obedience to the law
bearing upon the subject. The law makes
it obligatory upon the part of this Board
to pass such ordinances"
WHAT A MEMBER SAYS.
/ sought out several of the City Fathers
again last night and asked when the
promised substitute would be presented.
The only satisfaction got was from one
of them who said:-
II cannot speak officially. but / under
stand the ordinances are being drafted by
a gentleman fully competent to perform
the task, and they will soon be submit
ted"
Alderman Norton, who is a member Of
the Law and Ordinance Committees. was
unable to tell me what was being done
in the matter. He said substantially
II am perfectly willing to vote in favor OK
reasonable ordinances upon the subject
of fire-escapes and fire limits.
''Those submitted by Alderman Salinger
favored the wealthy property owners. A
M an owning fine mansion on JERSEY
avenue would be excused from the ex-
penss of erecting fire escapes. while an
other who chanced to own an ordinary
structure in the tenement sections OF the
CITY would he subjected to such an ex-
pense because his building might contain
twenty tenants. It's all very well Tor MI.
Salinger, who lives on the Hill, to advo-
cate the passage of such ordinances. But
those of us whose constituency includes
many owners of tenement houses cannon
| afford it The same might he said concern-
| ing the fire limit Mr.. Salinger would
| boom the Hill section, and rapidly I'LL u
| with nice frame buildings, while there
| il lots of building room yet thlse SIDE OF
| the Hill. think ordinances can be drawn
| thaJ will be fair to all parties"
! A PLEA OF POVERTY.
| Alderman McCoobery said:-"I think
| you will soon see the substituteds pres
sented. One of the drawbacks has
been the fact that there was no
money left or the appropriation
| for printing TO pay for publishing
the ordinances submitted. The law re-
| quires such ordinances shall be published
n certain length of time before they can
| be passed. After the 1st of December
there will be new source to draw from.
| rm not sure, but think one thing that
has been a bone OF contention is the dis
pute between the Street aud Water Board
| and the Aldermen as to who shall regu-
| late the construction of fire-escapes when
| 1t is necessary TO encroach upon the street
| line Take, for instance, the new build
| ing of the New YORK and New Jersey Tel
| ephone Company at Bay and Erie streets
| 1t covers every inch of the lots upon
which it stands"