The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-17

y Legislative
! Do Up
anser.
the Veto
III Board by
@ MUST CO.
The Present Financiers to Have
New Lease of Life-What POli-
ticians Say or Don't Say.

There are many rumors in circulatIo
at present concerning prospective legis-
lation for this city and county. Some
wiseacres say that the Legislature will
be called upon to make many very.radical
changes in the present system of the city
government. and others. who profess to
know all that is worth knowing, say that
little. if any such legislation will take
place.
had heard so many conflicting opin-
ions volunteered that 1 concluded to
tangible and definite. can hardly say
that / was successful. After much
searching and questioning, | finally be-
came convinced that some people are
quietly but vigorously paving the way
for at least four very important Iegisla-
tive bills. They are:-
First, an act to extend the terms of the
present members of the Board of FL
nance. The object of this is to prevent
the Mayor from making the Board of
Finance Republican next spring, when
the terms of two members, one
Democrat and one Republican,
expire. The importance OF hav-
ing the Board of Finance
Democratic is unnistakable to the lead
from what have learned that such bill
as / have mentioned will be introduced
and perhaps pushed through. The bill
will be matter of indifference to Essex
county members, because it will not af-
feet Newark, that city not having
Board of Finance.
Second, an act will be introduced to
abolish the present Republican Board of
Tax Appeals. Just what shape the pro-
posed bill will take is yet secret, but |
have been told that it Will make
the members of the Board of Finance
the Commissioners of Appeal as they
were before the adoption of the present
charter. 1t is certain the the lax Com
missioners will never again be permitted
TO act as a Board of Appeal to act on their
own assessments and judgments.
Third. that an act Will be pushed in the
legislature making the Board of Street
and Water Commissioners an elective
Board, as it was before the present
charter.
Fourth, that an act will be introduced
to shorten the term of the Mayor, and
another to take from him his veto
power, thus making the concurrence OF
the Board of Finance all that will be
necessary for the payment of
claims. This last proposition Is not
favored by many persons. In fact /
found it to be the emanation of the thrifty
persons who make fortunes by buying the
time of the employees of the city at a
ruinous rate of discount. These men
fear the veto power In the hands of
fearless and honest Mayor, Republican or
Democrat, and if they can exterminate it
they Will do SO. Il will be a heavy con-
tract, however.
NOTHING TO SAY.
/ called on Corporation &c unset Ed
wards and asked him if he could give me
any information concerning tho four
proposed bills that / have mentioned
He repied:-"I have no Information for
you."
"But," urged. "you have heard that
this legislation is contemplated"
Il have nothing whatever to say on the
subject"
HAS there been meeting of the lead
eFs of the party held to discuss legislation
for the city, Mr.. Edwardsf"
II would like to give you some in
formation, but I do not desire to talk
about this MATTER" replied Mr. Edwards
in manner that signified that the inter.
view was ended.
"Then you will not say anything at all
for publication about this subject" per-
sisted.
mo, nothing at all''
PLAIN HONEST TALK.
had better luck when Isaw Allan l..
McDermott. When he was Informed of
the four proposed bills, he said he knew
nothing about them and then added
Personally am in favor OF the May or
retaining all the power necessary to enable
him to exercise absolute supervision
of the city's moneys. I am in favor of
takiug from the Mayor the power to ap-
point any ministerial officer. Those city
officers whose appointments have moth
ing to do with municipal man
agement and the incumbents
of which are merely called
upon to discharge duties defined by law
and In which there is no exercise OF dis
erection, | am in favor of tag
ing from the Mayor. believe
that power to appoint these is
better vested In the Mayor than
elsewhere, but it seems to be the desire
of the people to elect the Commissioners.
Personally, I favor the Mayor having a
term Of five years. That was a square
issue and would op-
pose any attempted legislation
10 shorten the term. I think a
five years dose of the present
administration will teach the city
an excellent lesson. The Mayor
ought to have absolute power to Veto |
don't believe any bill to take from the
Mayor his veto power can be passed in
the Legislature"