The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-20
PAYROLLS SENT BACK
Mayor IIoos Sides With the
Finance Board in the
Triangular Duel.
QUESTION OF CONCURRENT POWER
Pinanciers Say They Will Follow
Counsel's Opinion Respecting
Claims Out of the
Water Account.

The Street and Water Board, yester-
day afternoon, presented its compli-
merits to the Board of Finance and said
to II, "We'u take the license money from
you, and thank you, but we don't want
any advice as to how we are to spend it"
This was not precisely the very letter
of the message but it was the spirit.
Here is the message itself
Whereas, The Board Of Finance has. in
the setting apart of certain license monies
for the use Of this Board, chosen 10
designate the particular purposes for
Whereas, Such designation was evident
ly an error in that there appears to be
no warrant in law therefor.
cepted as a whole, without regard to the
particular use or purposes designated,
and that the Board of Finance be so no.
titled.
As The News stated some time ago,
there has been a difference of opinion be-
tween the boards as to the payment of
claims out of the water account. h
Finance Board insisted that it had CON
curing powers, and the Street and Water
Board denied this. Payrolls were sent to
the Mayor direct, who first was disposed
to sign them, but an opinion of Corpora
ton Counsel Blair modified his views, and
so His Honor concluded to veto three
resolutions of the Board of Street and
Water Commissioners, passed July 6, for
payrolIs, and these vetoes he sent in to
the Board of Works yesterday afternoon.
The message ran thus
I herewith return to you, without my
approval, the resolutions numbered is, 10
and 20, respectively, which we're adopted
by your Board at your meeting held July
q ~ 7AQI III n W.T.
No. 18-Resolved, That the sums here
matter mentioned be paid to the per-
sons named respectively for services rem
dered as employees at Belleville and Hig
Service, for m2sandtdh ending June 80, 1871,
amounting to s2.o26.IS
No. 19-Resolved, That the sums here
matter mentioned be paid to the persons
named respectively for services rendered
as General Superintendent in the Water
Department. for month ending June 80.
No. 20-Resolved, That the sums here
matter mentioned be paid to the persons
named respectively for SERVICES rendered
for month ending jun 80, 1897, amount
ing in the aggregate to $46S.
/ nave taken this action because of an
opinion delivered. to me by the Corpora
ton Counsel and which / herewith en-
close. EDWARD HOGS, Mayor
Mayor Hoos' position, it is said, is en-
dorsed by his private counsel, Mr.. Allan
L. McDermott. who holds that the Fl
nance Board has concurrent powers in
the payment of claims out of the water
account. On the other hand, the Street
and Water Board has behind 1t ex-Lay
Judge John Kenny, who says that the
law confers no such powers or he FL
nance Board. AS the matter stands now
the payrolls must go to the Finance
Board first and then the Mayor WHY sign
them.
we" explained Finance Commissioner
Reuben Simpson, don't want to hang up
the payrolls, but when the law fixes our
powers we must obey. Let them send
in their claims and we will concur
Beaten in this round with the Finance
Board, the Street and Water Commits
sioners returned to the attack with the
resolution about the license monies. Here
again is a legal opinion in the way. The
Finance Board insists that when the
Board of Works wants supplies. ETC.,
it must first send in such resolution
ordering the same for concurrence in by
the Board of Finance, and not send in
the resolution ordering the claim for
work done paid.
ciers, what you mean by saying ordered
paid, John Jones, s4,5S2 for feed, etc.'?"
1T is not necessary that you should
KNOW, IBlOItS LIE 0lIcct dlQ ilCA
Board. AYour business is to pay the
bills after the work is done"
The Financiers don't look at it in this
light and point out that the very grava-
men of the Indictment of the old Street
and Water Board was the making of
contracts without first submitting them
to the Finance Board for preliminary APP
prevail. Snice the Finance Board has
said it will follow the opinion of the
Corporation Counsel some interesting de-
yelopments are expected
We are not going to bulge an inch
from our position" said one of the FL
nance Commissioners this morning to a
News representative. THE law clearly
marks out our duty. We are advised that
all claims paid out of the water account,
whether contracts or payrolls it makes
no matter, must first have our concur
renee, and We mean to insist on that and
thai is all TO be said
The Street and Water Board has ten
lays in which it can act. The Mayors
veto to this resolution will lie over until
the next meeting, when it is expected the
Board will rescind it's resolution sending
them to the Mayor, and send it to the
Board of Finance, where it will be in
stantly concurred in and afterwards re-
eeive h Mayors approval. The fight
will then end; the payrolls will be passed,
the clerks will receive their money, there
viii be no more friction. and the Board
Of Finance lions will lie down with the
Street and Water Board lambs, with the