The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-08-05
CITY FINANCIERS.
No Hope as Yet for Those
Hanging Claims.
CITATIONS FROM THE LAWS
Willing 10 do Everything Possible
to Make the Free Library
the Success it
Should Be.
CITATIONS FROM THE LAWS

After another secret session which
lasted nearly two hours. the Financiers
met last night and transacted an ordin-
AIRY batch of routine business. A num-
Der Of employees aud others whose ques-
tionable bills. endorsed by the Street and
Water Commissioner, have been hung
up for three months, waited patiently to
see If the chances had grown any brighter
for the Financiers' concurrence therein.
Street and Water Commissioner Dugan
was present also. and it appears, In a
measure, soothed the rufiied tempers Of
the unfortunates by intlmations that
they would yet triumph. But as the
clerk read on with the bills and measures
OF the Street and Water Depsrtn ent con-
Cured In the lobby kept its ears wide
open in vain. Not the semblance of
sound indicating that the
bills hung up had at last
received the sanction of the Financiers,
escaped his lips. The irascible Mr. Pet
erson sat calmly at his desk, his face
Illuminated with smile so grim as to
transform his features, In the eyes of the
lobby. into those OF hideons fiend. But
Mr.. Peterson appeared upon pretty good
terms with himself, as well as WITH his
colleagues.
When the clerk reached the resolution
concurring in nay roll OF the Water De-
partments aggregating s., ,068 50, there
were few who oraned their necks, but
the pay roll was that for July. Not only
did the Financlers fail 20 concur in those
hung up biils--a fact which led Plumber
Phil Martin to lean his head sorrow
fully against the walls. but
those wicked financial gladiators
\ |trrtr for h1 has Na1 nrraf =
the city's burdensome debt, looping
OF everywhere illegitimate expenses.
actually refused 70 concur in reQuisitions
Nos. 3 aud 4 tor certain supplies, be-
cause the Committee on Concurrent
Resolutions had ascertained, after care
ful inquiry, that the prices endorsed by
the Street and Water Commissioners
were "above the market rates."
WHAT THE Law SAYS.
In the early part of the meeting Com
missioner Kenny created slight sensa-
tion by moving to expuuge from the
minutes of the last meeting that portion
embodying the opinion OF the Corpora
tion Counsel, recently submitted, relating
to the power Of the Street and Water
Board to apportion as IL pleased the one
half OF the liquor license moneys which
the law sets aside for paving and repair
ing the streets. Mr.. Kenny cited law to
prove that the Financiers were given ex-
financial affairs OF the city.
He admitted that the act upon which
the Corporation Counsel had based his
opinion gave the Street and Water Board
such power. but he claimed that chapter
226 of the laws of 1891 took that power
out of the hands of the Street ami Water
Board and left It with the Financiers-
.srne law which SaTc the Street aud
Water Board such power" urged Mr.
Kenny, contained the proviso. unless
modified by subsequent legislation.
Subsequent legislation did modify that
power in remarkable degree. aud yet, |
understand that one of toe city's Finan-
ciers referring TO City Treasurer cleye-
land1 mas already undertaken to Rppor-
ton the liquor license moneys. 1t is
within the province of this Board, and
no other Board, to appropriate the
city's money. The City Treasurer over
stepped his authority, and he and the
Comptroller have been notified by this
Board to pay out no money unless apprO-
priated by the Board of Finance. do
not want to see the Corporation CounsePs
opinion go down on the adopted minutes.
1t may cause trouble to the city's future
financierS."
but" interposed President Edelstein,
in adopting the minutes we do not neces-
sarily endorse the Corporation CounsePs
opinion. You cannot expunge his opIn-
ion from the minutes. Nor can you add
or take away from the Corporation Coun-
sells opinion"
"Then you can at least adopt my rsso-
luton and let it appear in subsequent
pages" said Mr.. Kenny.
The minutes were TINS amended and
adopted. after other minor amendments.
THE FREE LIBRARY.
A communication was received from
Dr. Leonard j. Gordon, President of the
Free Public Library trustees, Informing
the Financiers that the funds now in the
hands Of the Library Trustees viii soon
be exhausted. and asking that the Flnan-
ciers furnish the trustees with $4,000
until the money allotted them in this
wears appropriation is available, which
will not be until December next.
Mr.. Kenny offered a resolution, which
was adopted, authorizing the Finance
Committee to borrow $40, 900. at five per
cent, interest to be paid out OF the I'M
pending tax levy, to accommodate the
Free Library trustees.
In Offering the resolution Mr.. Kenny
said he did SO cheerfully. 1T would ap-
pear" he added, from articles published
in the New York papers that there is frie-
tion between the Free Public Library
Trustees and the Finance Board. We
we will go out OF our way TO provide the
library with funds and we are only too
glad TO do it. When the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company was about TO offer
this city $50, 600 as a free gift / personally
endeavored to have the gift converted
into Free Library fund We didn't get
the money, however. But the Free
Library will flnd warm friends among
the members OF the Board of Finance"
The contract for the improvement of
Cambridge avenue, awarded to Patrick
II. rssd in