The Jersey City news., 1899-12-19
NO MONEY.
That is Why, Mrs. Benson
Says, the City Is Not
Cleaner.
The CIRCULAR NUISANCE
Street Ordinance on This
Subject Is Very Posi-
tive.

What has become of the Town I'M
provement?" has been the current ques-
tion during the past few weeks, while
papers and debris of various kinds lit
tered the streets, blown round by the
wind at will Since the women have
taken hold or this work they seem to
be held universally responsible for the
citys condition. But even the Town Inn
provement cannot work without funds,
and that has been found the trouble.
ssYou see,' remarked Mrs. Hudspeth-
Benson the chairman, this morning,
when seen by a News" reporter, 'sthe
money ran out in November with the old
contract, and the city could do nothing
without money. What was the use of
making complaints as long as there was
no money!" Mrs. Benson then explained
that the new contract went into effect
December !, and that now the streets
would be more regularly swept, though
time must be allowed to clear away the
dirt which had accumulated during the
two weeks period when there was no
money. 1--WE can do better this year."
said she, because we have ten thou
sand dollars more appropriation.
At the time the contract ran out Mrs.
Benson further explained that the city
was some two hundred dollars behind.
The circular firms seem to have used
the knowledge of the state of 1axity dur
ing the no money period to the utmost
advantage to distribute their printed
matter freely. When Mrs. Benson was
asked about this she said ishe was go
ing down to the City Hall to complain
about it today.
'sBut can't the women do something in
the nlatter?. was asked
yes said Mrs. Benson. ssrhey can
complain to the police. Some of the
women say they do not like to do this
because it annoys the captains-I cam
not see why 1t should--and others are
timid in the matter
Mrs Benson said this was the only way
to stop the circular nuisance. There was
a law against throwing the circulars
round, she said and it lay with the peo-
pie themselves to enforce it. up here in
Greenville,n remarked she. the men are
careful to throw the circulars inside the
gates The ordinance forbids the dis
tributing Of circulars in any way save into
the hands of another person.
The article relating to circulars is Sec
ton of the ordnance:
Concerning the lttering of streets
with refuse matter 1t reads
See. a No person shall distribute or
strew about any street or public place or
place in any areaWay in front OF any
house or upon the doorstep of the same or
cause to be SO distributed or strewed
about or place in any street or public
place or areaway or upon any doorstep
any piece of paper, circular, card or
pamphlet; and no person shall drop or
throw into any street or public place any
newspaper or any piece of paper, circular,
card or pamphlet.
Sec. Z. Any person violating or causing
or permitting or consenting TO the viola
ton Of any provision, of this ordinance
shall be subject to a fine or penalty OF not
exceeding five dollars for the first offense,
and of twenty dollars for every subse-
quent offense.
Mrs. Benson was then asked how her
Little Italy Park was progressing She
replied that the matter of getting up a
number of petitions to be signed by citi-
zens in favor of the project, had been
left in the hands Of City Engineer Van
Keuren, whose clerk had promised to
draw up the formula. This had not been
done yet, but Mrs Benson thought it
would be accomplished very soon.