The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-23
MAY DIE OF INANITION.
Contingency That Confronts
the Board of Aldermen.
COLLECTOR 0'NEILL TELLS THE STORY,
ShOrn of All Powers But Those Of
Excisemen, and Yet Saddled
With All Blame.

The members of the Board of Aldermen
are becoming disguised with everything
connected with their Board. Since they
have been shorn of all their powers. they
are OF one mind-that they are merely
hgureheads or political dummies. At
last nights meeting of the Board
only seven members pnt In
an appearance and it was
Only oy chance that meeting was held.
The thirteen Aldermen think it q farce
for them all to put in appearance to
transfer one or two liq uor licenses and
license half dozen Italian junkmen.
The majority Of the members are In
hopes that the Legislature will
wipe out the Board and
pass law permitting the
the business. which now thirteen men
dispose OF in about ten minutes. Not one
OF the members want to return to the
Board, and It is not at all improbable that
II Will be difficult to find candidates
under the present law.
| After May the Aldermen elected will
not receive any compensation, except.
perhaps, Aldermen Day, Connolly. Nc
Entee, Keogh, Macarthur and Dusen-
berry. 1t is thought that these officers,
| inasmuch as they hold over, will be paid
Sn.li Mn their bell respective terms expire on
| City Collector O'Neill contends that the
SIX Aldermen will not be paid. as the law
which ordered the payment to Aldermen
| OF salary of $3.50 year was not signed
| by the Governor until April II, or two
days after the half-dozen Aldermen who
expected to be paid for next years SER
vices were elected.
| COLLECTOR o'NEILL'S IDEA.
| III Will 6e next to impossible" said
Alderman O'Neill. this morning, so get
a meeting. These gentlemen will not
snink i u tnsa necessary to put in an appear
they have to do? This Board has no
power, and it is my opinion that
We have no right whatever to
pass ordinances unless they pertain
to BUILDINGS That ordinance for the
relief of coal dealers, in my mind, should
be passed by the Board Of Street and
| water Commissioners, aud not by the
| Aldermen. We. as Board, are target
for all political fault finding. If the
city. Is sued the suit is brought
against the Mayor and Board Of Alder
men. The Legislators were careful to
saddle all blame for everything that goes
wrong upon the Aldermen, whereas,
| think, every Board forming a part of the
city government should be held to a
rigid accountability for its actions.
NOTHING BUT BLAME.
what sense Is there In the Aldermen
meeting? 1t is farcel We supervise all
the elections and get the blame of sad
ding all that unnecessary expense of
$50 600 year upon the taxpayers.
"This ballot reform law costs thousands
of unnecessary dollars, and for nv part I
don't see where it does any good. The
simpler the form of casting ballots the
better.and the better protected the ballot
box will be.
"The few powers still vested in the
Board of Aldermen should be conferred
| upon the Street and Water Commissions
ers, because foresee great trouble In
getting enough Aldermen together
to hold a meeting. No one will
want the Office and no one
will take it. do not know of a mem ber
Of this Board who wishes to be reelected.
1t is an empty honor, andsI would favor
the appointment of one, two or three
men to be authorized to grant licenses Of
all kinds, and then let the building
powers and election powers go to the
Street and Water Commissioners"
The sentiments expressed by Alderman
O'Neill are the sentiments of all the mem-
bers, and it is not impossible that the
Board of Aldermen may die of lnanition.