The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-04-01
The Board of Works and the City
Seal.

Inc BOaru OF WORKS ana the city
Seal.
The Board OF Works bill, which will
go into effect In q few days through
the appointment by Mayor Cleveland
of the new commissioners, makes
quite O good sized revolution in the
City Government. Its most marked
effect is upon the powers OF the Board
Of Aldermen. 1t strips that honorable
body OF almost every function that
was left to it. Indeed, if a County
Excise Board be appointed for Hud-
son County, we do not see that any
functions will be left to the Board
Of Aldermen except those Of man.
aging the municipal elections.
One power which the Board of Alder
men has always been jealous Of disap-
pears with the rest; this is the control
of the great seal OF the city. and in
ferentially the ultimate power OF rati-
flying contracts. 1t is true that as a
matter of practice the Board of Alder
men did not interfere with the other
boards in the carrying on of their or
binary business, and the seal was
affixed to contracts as a matter of
routine. But that the power was
held In reserve by the Aldermen
was shown by their action in re-
spect to a possible contract
with the Bartlett syndicate
for a new water supply. 1t will be re-
membered that about a year ago,
when water contract rumors were in
the air, the Aldermen adopted a reso-
luton instructihg Clerk Scott to re-
fuse to affix the seal to any water con
tract without the express authority of
the Board. 1t vas argued that all
contracts were made in the name of
the Mayor and Aldermen as the legal
representatives of the municipal cor
poration, and that as such the use of
the city seal was inalienably vested
in them and that it could not be illegally
affixed to any instrument. they being
unwilling and that its ordinary use
was made with their tacit consent
for the more easy transaction OF bust
ness.
Now, this Board of Works bill ex-
pressly transfers to the newly created
body the power of making contracts
with the consent and agreement of
the Board of Finance in this city-and
presumably the function of control
ling the use of the city seal goes with
it. Thus the City Fathers, the chosen
ones of the people, are despoiled OF
their dearest privilege and retired to
an altogether secondary and unim-
portant position. not only as to the
exercise of actual power, but also as
to the traditional dignity and honor
OF their office.
The Board of Aldermen is not the
only one to suffer. Some of the func-
tions vested in the new Board of
Works formerly belonged to the Police
Board in this city, but they are COM
pa~ratively a trifing matter and do not
affect the real functions of the Depart
ment. But when they are added to
the mass ofpowers in the hands of the
new Board, they make a pretty sum
total.
Some idea of this new Departments
functions is given in our news columns.
Ii is, to say the least, an amazing ex-
hibit. First of all there are the powers
and duties of the old Street and Water
Board. Then there is the control of
the streets, even to the granting of
franchises for tracks, pipes and wires
of all sorts, the matter of street
lighting being thrown in as a make
weight. Next comes the control of all
docks, wharves and piers, of all publie
buildings-except the schools, we be-
lieve-and OF all parks and public
places. In short, the new board
comes pretty near to owning the
town.
As the bill was originally drawn it
gave the Board the power to pass or
dinances. Copies of the law in its
final shape are scarce, and so we are
not sure that this is retained II it is,
it creates the anomaly Of legislation
by a non-elective body.
We have always opposed this meas
ure and all our city officials have done
likewise. There is no use in abusing
now. Newark had the grip in the