The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-02
FREEBOOTER OUTRAGE.
Attempt to Make This City
Pay for the Burial of
Poor Persons.
JUDGE BLAIR STATES THE LAW
One More Proof Of the Thievsry on
the Hill-Hops for Poor
Children.
JUDGE BLAIR STATES THE LAW

Overseer Of the Poor John e. Hewitt
has won a victory over the Board q
Freebooters. For the last month OF So
the Freebooters have been competing
Mr.. Hewitt to use city funds to bury peo-
pie who die in the poorhouse ana WHO
were committed to that institution from
this city. Mr.. Hewitt contended that
the county should pay for the burial OF
the poor as well as for their care wneh
alive. The Freebooters wouldn't listen 10
him, and he finally laid the case before
Mayor Hoos.
The Mayor, recognizing the justice OF
Mr.. Hewitt's claim. communicated with
Corporation Counsel Blair and asked for
an opinion on the subject. Today the
Mayor received the following reply
In the matter of your inquiry as to the
right of the city of Jersey CITY TO ihsisl
upon the Board of Freeholders OF the
County of Hudson to take charge Of anu
bury the poor of the city, | Respectfully
advise you hat the law Incorporating me
Board of Chosen Freeholders OF the Gil
ferent counties of the State constitutes
each of said boards a public corporation
and gives said boards power TO purchass
or build a poorhouse in each county, anu
that such ~poorhouse, when purchased OF
built. shall be under the direction, super,
tendence and government OF the SAID
Board of Freeholders.
THE law further enactS lnaL tHe Pooi
of the county shall be sent to and Kept IN
such poorhouse, etc., etc, at the expense
of the county, and the money necessary
to be expended for the purposes speeliis =
in this and the preceding section SnaIf pc
raised by the order of said eorporatlon N
the like manner as money LOT other
county purposes Is directed to pc granueu,
assessed. collected and raised by virtue
of this act. Nothing can be more cieaf
than that it is the duty of the Board OF
Freeholders to take care OF the poor al
- an1 fhaf this nT0VtStOn IOT
taking care of the poor also includes their
burial.
.When the city of Jersey City con
tributes. as she does, Iwo-thlrds OF the
expense of taking care of the poor OF the
county, she does all that the law requires
her to do in that respect: II jersey ~ dg
its limits and also contribute, as IT IS now
doing, to the taking care of the poor OF
the county, then it is required 20 oear
81 therefore advise you that Jersey CITY
has no further duty under the law IN
the matter of taking care OF the burial o.
all poor in this county than to pay her
share of the county tax assessed ana col
lected for that purpose.
Mayor Hoos sent a copy of the opinion
to Oyerseer of the Poor Hewitt and ad-
vised him to be guided by 1t, no matter
It is expected that the Freebooters viii
refuse to pay for the burial OF this clsy.s
poor poor ID M ana He Da 6il Mili f hag hat 1 way A some
undertaken will be compelled to sue Tor
his money. BY such a suit Mr.. Hewitt
believes the courts will determine just
who is liable for the expenses attending
the burial Of uper
Corporation Counsel Blair has not ad-
vised the Mayor as yet as to whether
the Oyerseer of the Poor has a right to
withdraw children from the Almshouse
whom h has sent there. 1t has fire.
quently occurred that Mr.. Hewitt has
found employment and nice homes for
poor children. The Freebooters, for some
unexplained reason, v refused to re-
lease the children. As soon as the Mayor
hears from Corporation Counsel Blair he
will advise Mr. Hewitt what to Go.