The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-09
SLAP AT WANSER.
The Finance Commissioners
Want to Break" With
the Mayor.
PREFER A DRUG BOSS
Interesting Conversation ON a Troll
ley Car-Something About
0ne-Man Rule.

/ That the removal of Mr.. William d. Ed
| wards and Mr.. Spencer Weart, Corporation
Counsel and City Attorney, respectively, was
blow at Mayor Wanser, delivered straight
from the shoulder, by the members of the
Board of Finance, needs no further corro-
boration than a conversation, which took
place last evening, between five and six
| o'clock on the platform of a Montgomery
street motor.
| One of the gentlemen engaged in the con-
versation was a Finance Commissioner. The
other member of the Sinking Fund Com
missioners.
ONE MAN RULE.
''What is newY' asked the Sinking Fund
| Commissioner.
Nothing that know of in particular, ex-
cept what read in the Newspapers replied
the Finance Commissioner
'sYou are being handled without gloves,
said the Sinking Fund Commissioner
''Oh, if you hold public office you must
expect to be pounded. But 1 don't mind it;
rather like it. We have had enough of one
man rule in this city, and it is time it was
! broken up" hotly replied the fnancier.
| The subject of conversation was changed
| by the Sinking Fund Commissioner who, by
| the way, is a supporter of Mayor Wanser,
tooth and nail. After few remarks on drugs,
| the tax man said:-
| ''We will be prepared to pay $3.50, 900
which falls due in May, if nothing hap
pens.n
''We will come out all right if some men
| don't lose their heads" curtly replied the
Finance Commissioner.
| This concluded the conversation, one of
| No. Isrrl,&
| The Finance Commissioners remark, ssone
man rule" was slap at Mayor Wanser, as
was also the reflection that the city's finan-
cial condition would be all right if some
men don't lose their heads"
| MATTER OF JEALOUSY.
| 1t has been intimated about City Hall
| from time to time that the action of the
| Finance Commissioners in snubbing Mayor
| Wanser by failing to advise him that
! Messrs. Edwards and Weart were to be re-
moved, was inspired by a feeling of
jealousy, aroused by the fact that the
| Mayor is, in nearly every instance, made
the recipient of praise for every reformatoryj
measure which is set afoot and carried to at
] successful termination.
| The first hitch the Mayor experienced
! with the Board of Finance occurred but a
| few months ago. when the time arrived for
the floating of the S550000 of City Hall
| bonds Prior to this the Finance Commits
sioners had carried out the suggestions of
| the Mayor Payfols and claims from the
| various departments, particularly the Street
and Water Department, were hung up, nom
| concurred in or returned for correction,
4 and improvements were cOncurfed IN, as
| Mayor Wanser thought proper.
| When the Mayoa announced that he had
purchaser for the City Hall bonds, the breach
| occurred Commissioner Bedell, by virtue
| of his position as chairman OF the Finance
| Committee, thought the Mayor was usurplng
4 Ii. .oF&l &lo On rH - fla
offended and said so. At meeting. held
| shortly after the occurrence he declared that
| his resignation would be Forthcoming, it in
! the disposal of the business OF his committee,
| the Mayor or anyone else ignored him. Even
| at that time Mr. Bedell wished it understood,
| he said, that it was by his aid that Mayor
| Wanser was able to amicably adjust the
| difficulties, attending the creation of q re-
| form Board of Finance. Mr.. Fraser backed
| up Mr.. Bedell in this instance.
THE BREACH WIDENING.
| Since that little disruption, Mayor WanSeF
| has not always been consulted in regard to
| the course to be pursued by the board. Little
| bv little the breach widened, until the board
| crowned its independent course by Ignoring
the Mayor in the matter of the appointments
| of the city's law officers
| The Finance Commissioners are consplcu-
o,sly absent from the City Hall during the
! day of late The cause assigned is that the
! Mayor has publicly snubbed two of the menu
bers, Not only has Mayor Wanser declared
that he viii not recognize BrinkerhoR and
Erwin as the law officers of the city, but
| since their appointment he has consulted
with the old law officers on every
matter which, in his opinion, re-
/ oIIired the consideration of able lawyers.
| fbe resolutions passed by the Board Of FL
nance appointing Messrs. Brinkerhoff and
| Erwin were presented to the Mayor Janu-
ary 2. He has not signed them, and does not
nronose doing so. President Hitler, for
some unexplained reason, has also refrained
| from signing them.
Maycr Wanser's argument that the Board
of Finance, in appointing Messrs BIincker,.
| hoff and Erwin, accepted as constitutional
1naintainad was unconstitutional when he
appointed Messrs. Fraser and Detwiller FL
nance Commissioners has caused the two Last