The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-20
H0OS' BITTER LETTER.
Back Slap at the Finance
Board Over the ReduC-
tion of Broas' Salary.
MINUTES NOT WRITTEN UP
Queer Echo of the Piping Times Of
Orsstes Cleveland-Salar-
les and Claims.
MINUTES NOT WRITTEN UP

The Finance Board met last nlghl. Al
the members were present.
When the meeting was called to order
Clerk Martin Finck announced that he hae
received a communication from the May
or. Mr.. Finck had been requested not t.
open the letter until the Board was IL
session. He did ps requested.
1t was thought at first His Honor hat
revived the temporary loan bond sub
ject. The members breathed easier wher
they listened to Mr.. Finck as he reae
the following letter, which is bubblins
over with questionable COMPLIMENTS
January Il. 1898.
To the Honorable Board of Finance
Gentlemen-In conformity with my
ideas of an economical administration,
/ have signed the resolution OF your
Honorable Board reducing the salary
/ am perfectly delighted to see that
your Board has at the eleventh nour
caught the spirit of economy when
nave labored so arduouslg to produce
l note that the seed has not Iallen al
together on unfruitful soil.
On November %, 1893, the Honorable
Board of Finance appointed this gen
tleman a Collector of Personal Taxes
in Arrears at a salary OF Sl,zuO per
year and for a term OF three years.
Before the expiration of this term,
three members of he present Board
were appointed to the POSITIONS they
now hold. The gentleman game up 1or
re-appointment, and on November rs,
1896, MdS appointed for a term OF three
years. I am Informed that during
these years the gentlemen in question
rendered services similar to those
which your educated eyes now look
upon as inadequate for the compensa-
tion granted. Now, shortly before a
change in the complexion of your
Board, having become enthusiastic
with the idea that o are the pal
ladium of the city's safety and the in
~carnation of wisdom, you suddenly re-
alize thai the city has been paying
81, 100 a yea too much for services rem
dered.
However, Z cannot refrain from COM
plimenting you upon the a you
have made in your studies. OF economy
feelings of the greatest pleasure, not
unmingled with feelings of personal
pride at my success as an educator on
municipal economy hat 1 signed this
resolution.
Very respectfully.
The communication was filed without
comment.
The following letter from Corporation
Attorney Douglass caused astonish-
ment:-
Gentlemen-A few days ago I had
occasion to examine the minutes of
your Board while preparing the de-
fence to an action brought against
the city. 1 was surprised to find hat
the minutes for several years were not
written up.
| would recommend that steps be
taken at once to have those minutes
engrosSed, SO that they will be avail
able at any time.
The omission so far as I lave been
able to observe is not that of the
present Clerk of your Board.
The letter was referred to the Finance
Committee, with instructions to arrange
to have the unwritten minutes engrossed.
They viii have to be written from back
numbers of h official newspapers. 1t is
estimated that the unwritten minutes will
cover at least 1900 pages in the regula-
ton minute book. The minutes, it APP
pears, were not engroSsed for a period
of four years. From 1883 to 1885 no min
utes were engrossed. In 1886 and 1887
they were ~engrossed. They were neglect
ed again in 1883 and 1889. The work was
neglected by the late George MeAnerny
when he was Clerk of the Board, and by
John Van Cleef when he held that posi-
Mr.. Van Clef is in pushes in Trenton.
but it is not likely hat he will be asked
to return and finish the work he was paid
to do.
The City Attorney also advised the
Board that City Clerk O'Donnell had re-
covered a judgment against the city for
back salary. He recommended the pay
ment of the claim.
City Collector Smith notified the Board
the final assessment maps for the
of Boyd emu from Ber-
gen avenue to the Boulevard, 81, 004. 81;
Improvement of Danforth avenue, from
Ocean avenue to Garfield, 81, 1866, and the
construction of a sewer in Central ave-
nue., from Thorne street to Bowers street,
.303.91, had been filed with him for col
lection.
The City Hall Commissioners were given
s.. 900 with which to pay part of a judg7
ment obtained against the city by Richard
English, the mason contractor of the new
City Hall. The money is to be raised on
a temporary loan bond.
The Comptroller was directed to trans
fer all unexpended alamo of the Street
and Water Board, amounting to 81, 062 .25,
to the credit of the general claims ac-
The Board concurred in resolutions of
Street and Water Board ordering paid
salaries of the employees of Belleville
and High Service, authorizing the adver-
tisement for bids for 1,500 tons of coal,
paying awards for the opening of aid
avenue, and awarding contracts for
the improvement of Pavonia avenue and
street.
The Board will meet again next We'd
nesday evening.