The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-26
LICENSE MONEY PEACE
Boards of Finance and
Street and Water Com
missioners Come
to Terms.
WHAT TREATY MEANS
Monies Will Be al Once Transfer
red on Certain Conditions
Both Sides Satisfied.

HoStilitieS w the Boards OF FL
nance and Street and Water Commits
sioners over the disposition of about
S110, 600 of the license money ceased this
afternoon n a treaty OF peace was
agreed upon by which a result never be-
fore known in warfare was obtained; each
side got what it fought for. The Board
of Works will get the cash and the Board
of Finance will know where it is going to.
Since the advent CT the present Board
of Street n Water Commissioners last
spring there sprang up friction between
it and the Finance Board as to the DIS
position of the license money.
I'VE want that money transferred to
us Immediately it comes into your hands.
to carry out certain needed improve
ments," said the Board of Works.
You can't get it until you specify the
improvements because there are matters
left over from last year which must come
out of the fund, and until you tell US
what you propose to do with it we will
hold it. The law does not say when we
shall turn over the money to you, and we
can wait" replied the Board of Finance.
Those who were best posted on the stu
alton said that morally the Finance
Board was right. 1t, as watchdog of the
city's treasury. ought tc know what was
to be done with the money derived from
the sale of liquor licenses; but the act did
not give it any say in the disposition of
the monies. Its duty, according to law.
was to transfer the sum and leave to the
Board of Works the duty and RESPONSE
bility of spending the same in whatever
direction it thought proper.
ooa,. no;+tor Doow3 ,,,o,1l rive rraxr
there was a deadlock and of course many
improvements could not be begun by the
Board of Works because it had no money
to pay them, and to do the work in
adcance might render the members liable
to Indictment for malfeasance in office.
The situation grew more serious every
day until something had to be DONE. The
people were kicking because of the delay
in the improvements they were interested
in.
Accordingly, both Boards met this after
noon at two o'clock and the terms of the
agreement were in general as follows
The Board of Finance will turn over
about $40. 600 to the Board of Works and
this sum provides for the repaving of the
lower part of Montgomery street, and the
payment for the cost of asphalting around
the City Hall, a legacy from the last ad-
mi~nistration. By the agreement the
Board of Finance has carried its point
about the proposed paving of Pavoni
avenue. from the Erie depot. That will
be left over for another year and work
more urgent, such as the building and
cleaning of sewers, will be commenced.
The conference this afternoon was per-
fectly harmonious and the result was
satisfactory to both. The Street and
Water Board Commissioners, in the fair
est and frankest spirit, designated what
improvements they proposed to begin and
what was necessary to carry them out.
President BoItwood and his colleagues had
nothing to conceal. The city's interest
was all the aim they had in view and it
was for that reason they insisted that the
money should be turned over as soon as
possible, so that public Improvements
could be pushed along. The members of
the Board of Finance were not to be out
done and they met their conferees in an
equally broadminded spirit.
There will be no more trouble now on
that head and readers of THE News
will doubtlessly congratulate themselves
that many needed improvements will now
be rapidly pushed to completion.