The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-10-16
FREEHOLDHRS AT WORK
Providing for Expenses
by Necessary Trans
fers.
oTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST.
Counsel McGrath Explains the Law
Concerning the Commitment
of Sick Paupers.
oTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST.

The Board of Freeholders held O regu-
lar meeting last night. The Committee
on Finances and Audit advised the fol-
lowing transfers in appropriations:-SS0
from Penitentiary fund to County Board
of Health fund; s, ZOO from Penitentiary
fund to Aimshouse fund; S3.666.06 from
New Public Road bonds interest, appro-
priation to miscellaneous expense ac-
count; s2,5O0 from bridge repair account to
Jail and Court House account, 81, ,700.S5
from public highway accounts to Courts
account, 81, 500 from bridges account to
incidental expense account. $l,5oO from
Lunatic Asylum to incidental expense
account, S.. 800 from incidental expense
account to Snake Hill, including store
room account. These are merely trans
fers TO strengthen the balances. The re-
port was accepted.
letter was received from the Chief
Engineer of the County Road, Edlow
HARRISON. asking for the appointment OF
second assistant to each Board sOf Con-
demnation Commissioners, to do routine
work. compensation to be $3 per day.
The Board agreed to appoint the assist
ants
A patient committed to the Aims
House suffering from a scrofulous COM
Dlalub Dy EOoTIQdSU0I x1eWlUL WAS Luc OC-
casion of letter from Judge McGrath,
whose opinion had been asked.
THE LAW IN THE CASE.
After reciting the facts Mr.. McGrath
says
Neither the Overscer of the Poor of Jersey
City nor the Overseer of the Poor of any other
municipality of the county has jurisdiction in
cases OF disease, as such and consequently any
order or commit tment by such Overseer Of any
person to the Aims House aforesaid. based up
= fl,a,,, md hat ancb mar uyao q r.
tlicted with disease would,.in my opinion, be
void for want of authority In law to make the
same.
1t is almost needless to a0d that such an
order or commitment would be without any
binding force in law and need not be respected
by sucn warden or anybody else.
The cases at which the resolution seems to
have been aimed do not, so far are in
formed by the records thereof-and from this
we are required to judge them-appear to be in.
stances i'll which the party was dealt with and
considered because afflicted with disaase-but
regardless of this, they appear to be cases in
which the person committed to such Aims
House was committed thereto by reason of the
tact that such person made application as the
law directs for relief as panpsr or poor person
destitute in want, etc
ther shows that the questions TO be determined
by the Overseer of the Poor aforesaid. to legal
settlement of and whether OF not the applicant
was properly chargeable to the county IT Hud-
son, were all determined SO as to bind and charge
the county in the premises.
In Hudson county, BY an act Of the Legislature
approved March ~, 1874, we have the anamoly
III legal provision whereby all the cases of relief
to be afforded to persons of like condition are to
ggav o decided by b1
one and the same person or tribunal to wit; -
The Overseer of the Poor of the municipality In
nlSo Without proper ground tersor nav g. W''n OF
The Overseer under this singular law may
take and dispose Of the case in all its aspects,
and bind the county indefinitely therefore on
ho arg q a emapt without oath of tha
who may apply.
) If the Overseer in his wisdom deems it I'M
practicable to swear the applicant then, no oath
need be taken at all in the case; no other wit
ness be produced.
There is redeeming feature In the law It is
from the order of the 0verseer to a Judge Of the
Court of Common Pleas, but it IS NOT always
convenient to pursue this method of appeal
do not intend to indulge in criticism of this
law further than to say that its requirements as
to the measure of proof In the direction above In
dicated are, submit, altogether too convenient
lent oppo, tunity by provision W hich shall rem
der less easy tile path to our now attractive
Snake Hill where our Aims House stands
In other words, we should have law more in
consonanoe with the popular idea of common
sense requirement, something calculated to
afford protection to the taxpayers as well as
i, Of course, do not mean to charge by what
have said that any wrongs have been inflicted
under this law as it stands; simply intend to
Indicate the possibilities which may arise un-
der it.
A ROW ABOUT SHOES.
The special committee appointed to re-
wise the supply lists made its report.
which was accepted. There was a pep
perry time over the shoe list, which men
toned as standard Bay State and Union
Company shoes
Freebooter Noonan said he understood
that the company which had the monopo-
ly of supplying shoes to the county really
had their shoes manufactured in State
Prison. If this was so ne wished to move
that all companies which employ prison
labor be not recognized.
Freeholder Nelson said that this was
wrong impression, as the Bay State Shoe
Company did not have their shoes manu-
factured in prison.
Freeholder Pfngsten did not think that
the board should be made into an
advertising agency for any shoe COM
pany-
Freeholder Coyle said that he thought
the whole shoe market should be included
in the list, as he knew two young shoe
merchants in his town who wished to
make terms with the companies speci-
fed.
The list was so changed as to include
all companies.
FOR CONSERVATORY.
resolution made by Ellis was passed
for the purchase of 500 worth of Hover
pots.
The clerk was ordered, by resolution. to
advertise for bids for the county instltu-
tions for the coming fiscal year. All bids
must be in by the meeting to be held
Thursday. November 5, at half past
seven
A vote of thanks was ordered commun-
icated to Superintendent Reasoner. OF the
Morris and Essex division of the ID. L. s.
w. railroad, for giving the Board a spec
ial car on their last trip to Morris Plains.
) The Board then adjourned to meet this
mittee of the Whole in relation to County
Road matters.