The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-19
Town Improvement Com
mittee Held an Enthusiast
tic Meeting Yesterday
in Hasbrouck Institute
SUB COMMITTEES REPORT
Sunday Sweeping Must Be
Stopped - After the Va
cant Lot Owners.

<<OiiilttitlCc ilSi0 SCSiNiA0t
Iiasbrouck Institute, in order that the
various subcommittee might work with
more uniformity and greater freedom.
Mrs. Benson submitted the following set
Of resolutions which were unanimously
adopted
'.That the work of this committee may
be as effective as possible there must be
a concentration of responsibility and pow
err. The chairman of the committee feel
ing this very deeply, asks the chairmen
OF the subcommittee kindly to observe
the following
.1st-As the different wards may need
different management, each chairman IS
at liberty to form her w plans, put Is
requested to consult the head chairman
before putting them into operation in Or
der that the plans of the various com
mittees may not conflict and that there
may be a general uniformity in the
work"
"2d. Neglect on the part of police officers
to enforce the city ordinances regarding
refuse matter should be reported to the
captain of the nearest police station. II
the matter is not remedied it should then
be reported to the mead chairman, who
will AXE it to the proper authorities.
ed. All neglect on the part of the con-
tractor to properly perform the required
work should be recorded on the slips fur-
nished for that purpose and sent to the
head chairman"
But what are you going to do 1t the
men do not clean thes streets properly:
asked one~lady.
Complain answered Mrs. Benson.
'tMr. Van Keuren says the more COM
plants sent in the better"
The ladies were further directed to
make out written complaints on the slips
and forward them through Mrs. Benson
to the Street and Water Board. Where
upon one lady suddenly bethought her
of a case where a party moving
out all the rubbish was left for some
time in the gutter, and wanted to know
if that must remain there until complaint
could be forwarded to Mrs. Benson and
thence to the Board. The chairman an
swered that UGH was an emergency
case" n should be reported to the
nearest police station, as provided for III
section 2 of the resolutions adopted.
The vacant lot question was then
brought UP the filthy and untidy con-
dition of various vacant lots. some of
which belong to the city, were reported.
What the ladies particularly wanted to
know was, If they once succeeded in get
ting these lots cleaned, what ordinance
could be enforced to keep them SO. The
secretary here read sections / and 2 o.
city n~uisances.
But exclaimed one of the members,
according to section 2 the owners may
do as they please"
Section 2 reads:-"If any person shall
throw, or place, or cause to be thrown or
placed any such matter as is mentioned
in the preceding section of this ordinance,
upon any private lot or premises, without
the consent of the person or persons en-
titled to the use of such lot or premises,
the person SO offending shall incur such
penalty not exceeding ten dollars for each
offense, as the police justice before whom
such person shall be convicted may IN
fiict."
This seemed to appall the ladies and the
secretary was instructed to write to the
Board asking advice in the matter.
In speaking of the work accomplished
by the committee there were several
complaints made as to the defiant way
in which the street cleaners were doing
their work. Several instances were stated
wherein they refused to empty barrels
where papers and tins Uttered the tops
and another complaints made was as to
the Sunday street sweeping. Not only Is
there no necessity for this but it is a
nuisance to Church goers who must needs
get covered with dust.
Reports were next called for from the
various sub-chairmen, but as they had
49, !, JoretooH that n uyoc for thpcQ the
brown slips a been distributed, there
were but two written reports, both from
the Eighth Ward, under Mrs. Edwards
and Mrs. Bowman. The latter reported
cooperation in every direction, and said
that the little pledge cards worked very
nicely in some instances, but in the tene,
ment houses she had distributed special
typewriter notices which were more ex-
plicit. She also reported an open drain at
corner of Belmont avenue and Boulevard
to be brought before the Board of Health.
Mrs. Edwards reported two meetings of
her committee, and the distribution of
about fifty cards through the cooperation
of School No. IA, which has been visited
will the result ina the ehltarsn are
by picking up papers. This committee
also has a plan by which 1T hopes to in
terest the children to a greater extent by
giving the little pledge signers some kind
of a badge or button.
This gave rise to a discussion as to what
the school children were to do with the
papers anu 1Tult SAiuS pICheu up, WIleu
once they were interested, as it was
against the law to throw them in the ash
barrels, and they could scarcely be ex-
| pected to carry the refuse home, and the
city was too poor to place receptacles for
this matter at the various street corners,
according to Mr.. Bouton's letter, read by
the secretary at the opening of the meet
| ing, the gist Of which was given in a
| recent issue of 1.-THE News"
Mrs. Benson thought if the committee
would make out a requisition in the mat
ter, this might eventually be accom-
plished, though it might take time. What
is to become of the refuse during the in
terval was not decided upon.
| 1t was then suggested that a committee
be appointed to make out a programme
| for the ensuing year according to the
| custom of the various other Woman's
| Club committees, and Miss Weber and
! Mrs. Bowman were appointed to attend
to This matter.
The question of having a large mass
| meeting, wherein half a dozen men
familiar with the law regarding clean
| streets might advise the ladies'. that
| they might not go on working blindiy all
| summer and create a general interest in
the town Improvement matter, was also
agitated with the result that Mrs. W D.
Edwards, Mrs. Hudspeth-Benson, Mrs.
| James H.. Noe, Mrs. Henry Harrison and
Mrs. John l.. Scudder will hold a con-
ference on the matter his week.
The meeting then adjourned to convene
again May 16.