The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-28
THREE JIMS At TRENTON
They Want the Old Assess
ment Commission Re-
ViVed = City
Bills.

Among the first bills which will be in
troduced into the Legislature next week
will be one to abolish the present Board
of Assessment Commissioners and revive
the old Board. The bill has been pre-
pared, and is now in the hands OF a gen.
tIeman who possesses Influence In the
sHalIs Of Legislation." This matter is a
simon pure case of over-reached-him-
selfedpess. The Board formerly consisted
OF three members, who were appointed
by the Board of Street and Water Com
missioners and received a salary OF sow
per annum. Last year about this time
the members of the Be ard were James N.
Davis, Ex-Assemblyman James Tunlilty,
who received such an unmlstaKaoie
yiudication at the polls last year, anu
lanes Hart the wealthy purveyor OIL
meats. The "three Jims" rs they were
irreverently called by the scorers.
These gentlemen conceived the idea tna6
$500 lily compensated them Tor tne arau1
Gus duties which they performed, and
they secured the passage by the last
LEGISLATURE of a law which advanced the
SALARY to 81, 900. In order that they might
surmoupt any obstacle to a possible con-
struction against them OF that clause OF
the constitution. which provides that tue
salary of a public officer shat not De IN.
creased OF decreased during the term OF
Office. they had the Board abolished, and
then recreated at the increased salary to
be flied by the appointment or the
Mayor, Somehow or other the afeat
and good Orestes l., who was MAYOR at
the time the bill became a law, tailed TO
r~eappoint the "Three Jims," and when
Mayor Wanser came into power he also
- trim ~ VtrQfn and
Amounted Cornelius j. Cronin, Humphrey
w Carr and Michael Schultz to fill the
Offices.
THE THREE JIMs AGAIN.
The Tthree Jims" have seen the error
of their ways and are anxious to get back
into the fold even at the old salary.
Hence they have been down to Trenton
duriug the past week Simply TO altenn
the session of the Grand LODGE" or The
Grant Division of the Sons OF Temper
ance." or anything else except to watch
for a favorable opportunity to get in their
little repeater of their salary grab of last
year. The bill. as said before, Is not IN
vet. but it is liable to turn up at any
minute. 1t is a bad bill, MI. Speaker.
and ought not to pass. l. Is OF the sane
class as the Corporation Attorney bill,
which the Governor has just jumped
upon SO d~ecislvely, and there is no earthly
reason why it should become a law. 1t
has not even the excuse IN It's Y which
was offered for the Attorney bill, that
the terms Of the present incnmbents are
about to expire.
men whose terms lave only barely COM
menced, aud who are experts in their
line and have discharged the duties of
their Office wisely and TO the satisfaction
Of the public. In fact it would be hard
to find three men who could discharge
the duties of the office any better han
Messrs. Cronin, Carr and Schultz. 10
repeal it Is q bad Dill ana snouio moi
pass.
Mr.. Teddy Carroll, as everyone famil-
iarIy calls him, is much concerned for the
physical we'll being of the thousands OF
children who daily attend our public
schools. He has made the discovery that
the city has t~wenty-four public schools.
whose heating and v%entilating is in the
bands of as many %janitors, more or less
familiar with the first principles of that
most important hygienic feature. He has,
therefore, introduced a bill into the As
sembly which "authoriZes the Board of
Finance to appoint a city supervisor of
heating and ventilating, who shall have
charge and supervision of all heating and
ventiiating apparatus in all public build
ings: the term of said officer to be during
the good behavior, and his salary to be
fixed by the Board"
A good many itizsns will be tempted
20 speculate as to the necessity for such
an officer, and become skeptical as to the
real object Of the bill. It is the general
opinion among the taxpayers that the
janitofs, whose salaries they are called
upon to pay every month are, or should
he entirely competent to look after the
heating and ventilating of the schools
aud other public buildings, Inc IL they
are not they should be discharged, aud
compstent persons secured in their places.
a GOO BILL.
Mr.. Carroll introduced one measure,
the third of his long list and the fourth
of the sessions, which every tax payer ia
the city would like to see passed. The
State tar law provides that the road bed
Of q railroad shall pay no taxes and under
that clause the companies have hal de-
veloped the playful tendency to claim
the n,pst ~stupendnous road beds, which
take just SO much taxable property out
OF the rateables and increase the burdens
of the taxpayers accordingly. Mr.. Car