The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-27
HOOS' SECOND SHOT
He Tells the Financiers
That the City Salary List
Is Monstrously
Inflated.
ALLEGED LEAK OF $3.50. 900
Wants the Board to Teach the
Legislature to Mind Its
Own Business.
PRESIDENT BRAUTlGAM ANGRY
New Schools and Additional Po-
licemen as Principal Causes Of
the Salary increase.
PRESIDENT BRAUTlGAM ANGRY

Mayor Hoos dropped another good sized
bombsheu in the camp of the Finance
Board last night. Its explosion caused
heated discussion, and not a few uncom-
plimentary remarks were INDUCED in
This is the bombshell:-
Mayors Office. July 26, 1887.
To the Honorable the Board of Finance
GentlemenATn the work of fixing the
tax levy for 1878, you may be aided by
comparisons 1t is TO be hoped that In
your deliberations you will not be content
TO accept the assertions of partisan
press that, during the five years last past
the cost of governing Jersey City mas
been reduced less such acceptance land
you to believe that retrenchment is i'm
practicable. These five years were the
most expensive in the history OF our city.
government By a comparison OF the
budget of 1872 with the budget of 1861
1t will be found that the salary list of
this city exclusive of the water depart
menD has been increased by figure that
administration but could have been
reached only by extravaganza. In plain
figures. the salary list of this city lex
elusive of the water Department. for the
and sixty thousand dollars more than the
salary list for the same departments dur
lES IH6 last year Oh Tile dtloll
of Mayor Cleveland In the same period
the cost of cleaning streets and removing
garbage has increased but $4,000; the cost
of-cleaning sewers and receiving basins
has increased but $50; the cost of repairs
to unpaved streets has increased but
$1,000; the cost of street lighting but SlS,-
increased but $500; the cost of elections
has decreased s., 600; the cost of hospitals
and dispensaries has increased but $1,000;
the allowance for books and stationery
has increased but $1,000 Why, then,
should the salary list have increased over
one hundred and sixty thousand dollars?
If your Board cannot find reasonable
answer to support this increase and VEN
ture to say that you cannot, 1T is your duty
to retreEeh. If 1t is objected that legisla-
tion has rendered retrerchment difficult,
the excuse will not be satisfactory until
every effort has been made to avoid the
burden of statutes which unnecessarily
the Legislature was taught to leave alb
solutely 70 the municipal government of
Jersey City. every question of whom it
should employ and what salaries should
be paid. The days of special legislation
never brought to this city greater burdens
than are found in the acts passed under
as these statutes areaaIl of doubtful con-
stftutionality, ii will be good policy to in
sist upon the adjudication of the highest
court court before imposing uninvited burdens
Respectfully submitted,
EDWARD HOOS,
Mayor.
No sooner had Clerk Fink finished read
ing the letter than President Brautigam
was on his feet, his face flushed and eyes
flashing. 49,
1t is indeed singular thing that the
Mayor should ask US a question and at
tAe same time say we cannot answer it,
he said. When he so vigorously
denounces the increase of salaries, he ap-
parently entirely loses sight of the fact
that the salaries Of school teachers and
the police, and the increase in pay of the
fire department, which was sanctioned by
the vote of the people was placed upon
the city by the very Legislature of which
he was a member and he never raised his
voice against 1t. He is inconsistent
did anyone ever hear him saying one
word in the Legislature in opposition to
an increase of salaries No, because he
was then candidate for Mayor and did
not dare oppose it. This Board of Finance
was the only Board that stood up in
opposition to an increase and we begged
of the Legislature of which Mr.. Hoos was
member not to put upon this city any
additional burden. No one helped u.s.
We tried alone to prevent it and it now
comes with a very bad grace from him
to charge the evil upon us when he him
self was party to 1t. He was then look
ing for office and did not dare to oppose
any extravaganza, but now he desires to
pose before the people as model econo-
mist and place upon this Board the
odium of increasing the city's burden
But his motive is too transparent to ac-
complish the deception desired"
President Simpson spoke briefly in the
same strain and without further discus
sion the letter was referred to the Com
Iuittee of the Whole, where 1t will be con-
sidered and probably answered in equally
strong terms
The answer which the Finance Com
first letter was not ready last night. 1t
will be, it is expected, by Friday at the
latest. The Board is to meet that day.
Last night when a motion to approve
made, Commissioner Midlige asked why it
was that the Mayors first letter, which
caused such commotfon in the Finance
Board did not appear on the minutes
1t was explained to him that the docu-
ment had been referred to the Committee
of the Whole. Mr.. Midlige insisted that
the letter should appear In the minutes in
full, the same as thet explanatory letter
which Comptroller Hoagh attached to the
Mayor attack Mr.. AIidlige moved that
the letter be spread In fun upon the min
utes. All the other members interposed
Vigorous objectzons. Mr.. MidliEe's mo-
tion was not seconded and the letter viii
pigeon hole OF the Committee of the
Whole, as the four members appointed by
ex-Mayor WanSer will oppose its publi-
cation as an official document