The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-08

sIherewith enclose Judgment OF custer IN
| the case of the State eC rel. John Edeisteln
VS.. John D. Fraser, lately recovered in the
Supreme Court Of this State, by which 1udg,,
ment Mr.. Fraser is no longer a member OF
/ your board. now ask that Mr.. Edelstein
be permitted, without further trouble, to
take possession of the office, which was I'M
Justly withheld from him SO long by the con,
duct of Mr.. Fraser and the recognition OF
your honorable body"
President Hitler and his colleagues do not
consider Mr.. Days letter a demand from
Mr.. Edelstein, and seek shelter from the
probable charge of contempt OF court unoer
this shadow.
MAYOR wANsER RETICENT.
The news of the action of the board 10
pursuing such a course, which is to gain, II
| possible, a majority Of the board sufficient TO
override any vetoes the Mayor sends to the
] board, particularly those of the salaries or
| the law officers, spread like wildfre down
town. Word was carried to Mayor Wanser,
who was at the Union League clubhouse.
When he read the resolution he merely
smiled and remarked
ssThis thing has been IN the wind for three
DAYS. but l hardly believed it would be re-
sorted tor =.
The Mayor would say no more. he Will
refuse to sign the warrants for Mesars.
Brinkerhoff and Erwin just the same, and
the only way those gentlemen will be able
to secure any money will be to sue, just the
same as though Mr.. Fraser had not put In an
appearance and voted to override the veto.
ToDAY'S MEETING.
Last nights deal to admit John D.. Fraser
TO a full-hedged membership of the board for
another short period at least was consum-
mated this morning with a rush and bang.
The han Is of the big clock in the Aldermanic
ChanIbe. scarcely pointed to min when Com
missioner Bedell, out of breath and perspira-
ton standing out on his forehead, put in an
appearance with his colleague, Mr.. Fraser.
| The gentlemen at once proceeded to the ONCE
of City Clerk Scott. nat official was on
hand, and had already received a notlhca-
ton from Clerk Finck OF the Board OF FL
nance of the confirmation OF Mi. Fraser.
There was no delay. At fifteen minutes
after nine o'clock Mr.. Scott administered the
| oath of Office to Mr.. Fraser. Fraser then re-
| haired to the Office OF the Board Of Finance,
| accompanied by Mr.. Bedell. President Hitler
| and Commissioner Simpson and Detwilier
were already at the office, prepared for busi-
ness.
Promptly at half-past nine o'clock, the
| hour called for the meeting, President Hill
| lier raped for order. On motion OF Com
missioner Simpson the regular order OF bust
ness was suspended and unfinished business
was taken up. Clerk Finck read o commit
nication from City CLERK Scott 10 tne enec0
| that Mr.. Fraser had been duly sworn in as a
| member of the board. Mr.. BedeN then
moved that the veto of his Honor the
| Mayor of the resolution preventing the lay
ing of water pipe without contract be sus.
tanned. The veto was read at the request OF
| Mr.. Detwiller. Commissioner Simpson, who
has not been on friendly terms with Mr..
| Detwiller since the Finance Board middle
| began. was loaded for bear and he tackled
Mr.. Detwiller in an off-hand manner with
out gloves. The resolution, he said, vetoed
by Mayor Wanser was presented ana
adopted at the request of Mr.. Detwiller. In
| speaking of the business OF sustaining the
| veto Mr.. Simpson said
at is just and right that we should sustain
the MAYORS veto of this resolution. / agree
with him that it is too sweeping. 1t was a
useless resolution, and it was a foolish act for
us to pass it. We all should have known
that a force of men would have to be kept
on land to repair our water pipes. l Will
vote to sustain the Mayor"
Mr.. Detwiller replied that the Mayors
views were his and he would vote to sustain
the veto.
The veto was sustained by the unanimous
vote of the board.
SIMPSON TALKS.
Then came the veto of the salaries OF
Messrs. Brinkerhof and Erwin, to override
which Mr.. Fraser was admitted to the
board. In moving to pass the resolution,
Notwithstanding the Mayors objections,
4 Nh. Simpson said;-sOn the twenty-seventh
day of December last this board took upon
itself, after due consideration and examln-
ing the law on the subject and our duty IN
the premises, we made these appointments
by Q votes of our board and we received
| a~letter from our fifth member in which he
concurred in our action. Our appointees
have gone ahead and performed their
duties, and I know of nc instance in which
the city has suffered by their neglect. After
employing them | maintain that 1t would be
1T -r1 Iieoro1ifah 1o for N mann
Der not to sustain our action, and now vote
to nav these gentleman. L have been en-
ploying labor for thirty years, and there Is
not a man living who has ever worked fol
me, and not received his pay, am now
sixty-one years old, and it is too late a day
for me to vary from that course. 1t is ouI
DUTY to pay them, and we should stand by
our action. If there is in this board a gen.
tleman who differs with us, let him deman
their designations after we have paid them
for their services"
DETwILLER's REPLY.
"The gentlemen refers to me" replied Mr..
Detwiller. II gave my consent In writing
to these appointments, but since that time
the Mayor has vetoed them and showed III
that we were wrong. If the veto power Is
to amount to nothing, what was 1t evel
created fori That veto power Is to have
questionable acts referred back to the board
committing them. We did not consider OF
consult out executive officer in this matter
and it was all wrong. We should work to.
gether ~harmoniously, but we will never do Il
# the Mayor is to be opposed in everything
he undertakes for the best interests of the
city. / wish Mr.. Simpson to understand
that 1, too, have employed laborers, and
do not think any man was ever refused
money he earned"
The veto was, of course, overridden by
the sdrug' trio and Mr.. Fraser, Mr.. bet
wiIler voting against it.
The MAYORS veto of tbs resolution pr
hibiting any further drawing on the side
walk account was not taken up
LAS AND DECENcY.
Mr.. Detwiller called the attention of the
board to an important matter which may
prove interesting before the action of tht
board in admitting Mr.. Fraser is recognized
Mr.. Fraser, in parting with the board at the
time Senator DAILY served the Judgment Of
custer on him, in the Edelstein quo aOaf4drtto
said in a communication to the board, tina
he was sorry to sever the pleasant officia
and social relations in the board. In con
clusion he said:-sI am satisfied that ! hay,
no legal right to retain a seat In the board,
and, finally, that he would not seek offlcl
again until decency prevailed in Office hold
ing. The time of decency arrived beforl
MI. Fraser anticipated at the time he
penned what was believed to be, and is nov
considered his resignation. That it was re
garded as q resignation is clearly shown b,
the adoption of a resolution offered by Mr.
Simpson to this effect
"Resolved that in the retirement OF job
s. D. Fraser, we acknowledge the loss of valu
able services, ability and worthiness In hir
as a public official" !.
The defense of the commissioner Is hardl
in keeping with their action.