The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-03
T.
FINANCIERS OBJECT.
Salaries Paid Water De-
partment Employees
Without Boards
Concurrence.
NO APPROPRIATIONS YET
A Three Hours Secret Session
Which Showed No Results
at the Meeting.
NO APPROPRIATIONS YET

The members of the Board of Finance
convened early last evening, but went
into secret session, which continued
nearly three hours. 1t was supposed that
the matter under consideration was th1
amount of appropriation to be allowed for
necessary repairs to the Public School
buildings during vacation, but nothing
confrmatory of such supposition was re-
vealed in the subsequent session. It Is
understood however, that an arrange
ment has been entered into with the
Board of Education by which the repairs
may be proceeded with and subsequently
sanctioned.
The board in open session received from
the Street and Water Board five resolu-
tions awarding contracts for various sup
plies, the details have been already pub
lished, for concurrence. The resolutions
ordering the advertising for proposals for
these contracts not having been submitted
to the Finance Board for concurrence az
1t is claimed the law requires, the five
resolutions were on motion Of Commis-
sioner Simpson referred to the Corpora
tion Counsel for his oppinion as to
whether the Street and Water Board can
legally advertise for proposals without
the concurrence of the Board of Finance.
A preamble and resolution offered By
Commissioner Simpson, bearing also up
on the question of concurrence, set forth
that it had come to the knowledge OF
the Board that the payrolls of employees
of the Water Department and of the ex-
ira clerks, for the month of June, had
been passed, submitted to the Mayor, ap-
proved by him, and warrants signed by
him and the financial officers of the city
issued without having first been submits
ted to the Board for concurrence, not
withstanding the fact that the Board has
always had concurrent power over all
expenditures from the water account
Therefore the Comptroller and City
Treasurer were requested, to withhold
their signatures from all warrants charg-
ed to the water account until concurred
in by the Board, unless the Corporation
Counsel shall advise that concurrence Ia
not necessary.
This action of the Street and Water
Board. with the approval of the Mayer,
Comptroller and Treasurer, in which they
claimed authority of the. Board of FL
nance was entirely ignored, was due to
communication sent to the Mayor by ex-
Judge Kenny, now Water Registrar, In
Corporation Counsel William D. Edwards
that under the present law concurrencs
is not required
ferred by the Mayor to Corporation
Counsel Blair who in a long opinion par
TALLY corroborates that of Mr., Edwards.
and comedies that only i'm certain matters
of action by the Street and Water Board
is the concurrence of the Finance Board
necessary. This question will doubtless
receive further consideration
A communication was received from the
Soldiers Monument Committee stating
that the committee now had on hand for
the erection of a bronze soldiers monu-
ment the sum of $4,000, and requesting
the Board on the part of the city to ap-.
propriate $3.50, 70 rthe building OF
PEDESTAL therefor on the west lawn OF
the City Hall grounds. The communica-
tion was referred to the Committee of the
Whole, but the appropriation will be
made, it having already been arranged
for by placing It IN the tax levy.
The official bond of William Hirtsch as
constable of the Third ward with Hugh
Coyle and John A Vile sureties, was re-
ceived and referred and the Board ad~
journed to next Wednesday evening.