The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-08
Misdirection of the License Money
Mr.. Kelly's Bill.

local questions.
Misdirection of the License Money
Mr.. Kelly's Bill.
One of the very worst bills, so far
introduced in the Legislature, this
year, is that of Assemblyman Kelly OF
the Fourth District. 1t is thus limo
Gently described in the index OF sum
mary of bills
Mr.. Kelly, H. A.-Authorizes City Treasurer,
and Comptroller in first class cities to set ASIDE
one-half of the license fees for the paving OF
streets, whenever there is not sufficient funds
otherwise provided for that purpose.
If the Legislature passes this, Gov
srnor Werts should not only veto it,
but further, he should do so in terms
of the severest condemnation. No
doubt he will do SO.
In every way the bill is vicious. 1t
gives to two purely ministerial Off
GERS of the city the power to legislate
regarding its finances to the tune OF
500, 900 a year or SO. 1t further
places in the hands of the Street and
Water Board an enormous sum OF
money to be spent irresponsibly, with
out any of the checks or concur
rencesn which the Charter renders
necessary in other cases. The bill not
only proposes to rob Mayor Wanser
of power which is properly vested in
him, but also to ignore the Board OF
Finance.
For three years after the adoption
of the new Charter, one-half of the
license money was by law set aside
for the repair OF requirement. of paved
streets, and the Street and Water
Board was allowed to spend it abso-
lutely. The Board of Finance had
no authority to pass on contracts or
reject pay warrants, so far as the K
penditure of this money was involved.
1t is not too severe to say that this
money was more or less indiscreetly
spent. 1t would be unjust to say
that the streets were not improved by
it. As a matter of fact, very extern
sive and useful improvements were
made. But it would be a gross fiat
terry to say that the city got its full
moneys worth. 1t did not. Much of
the money was frittered away in
patchwork, and none of it was spe MT
under those conditions of strict super.
vision which characterize contract IS
dependent on the approval of the
Board of Finance.
At the end of the three years, a des-
perate effort was made by some politi-i
clans to perpetuate the old way o
disbursing this moiety of the license
money. The Board of Finance made
a sturdy and public-spirited resist
ance. Judge Kenny, in particular,
did himself honor by the stand he
took. The system ceased. and with
it a most reprehensible course of job
berry and favoritism came to a close.
We do not accuse Assemblyman
Kelly of desiring to reinstitute that old
abuse. We have no doubt he intro
duced his bill in absolute good faith
as a step towards the improvement of
the streets; but he has been misled.
Mr.. Davis, or whoever else asked him
to father the measure, abused his con
fidence. The law gives ample powe r
to the Finance Board, with the APP
prevail of the Mayor, to make this
very same use of this same share of
the license money, and if it has not
done so the last year it has been be-
cause the reasons to the contrary were
very strong.
Mr.. Kelly should withdraw his bill,
or modify it so as to place the pow
ers in the hands of the Finance Board,
giving that body all the usual powers
with respect to it's ultimate expendi-
ture. He can never make the bill a
law as it stands, and, in trying to do
SO, he only runs the risk of hurting
himself.
THE resolution of Mr.. Kearns in re-
spect to water front grants, raises no
end of interesting possibilities. 1t
must be very uncomfortable for the
railway cormorants which have spent
wears in gobbling our waterfront, to
think that the breath of a court in
another State may blow away their
titles like so much chat.
The Great Boulevard and Its Cost
A million of dollars is a good deal OF
money, and in a sense, Hudson County
can ill spare it; yet we believe it
ought to be unhesitatingly laid out on
the completion of the great Boule-
ward, if it is necessary to make a COM
plete work of it. As the road would
be without it, according to the best
reports, it would represent a clear
million thrown away. The road would
be useful for nobody. 1t would be a
detriment to property and not an adj
vantage. 1t would be a swath OF
dusty earth and pennywise folly from
end to end of the county.
On the other hand, completed. the
road is likely to pay for itself in a
couple of years through the enhance
ment of property values, and the in
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