The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-02-07
FAT in The FIRE
MAYORS Letter Regarding a
New No. 2 School Sets
Finance Board
Ablaze.
IT'S PUBLICATION IN THE 'NEUS'
Mr.. Midlige Grows Sarcastic
Over the Purchase Of
Building Sites.
IT'S PUBLICATION IN THE 'NEHs'

per OF the members OF the Board Oh i l.
nance. Mayor Hoos effectively did it
yesterday when he sent communication
crltcizing the Board for not doing some
thing towards building new No. Pub
lie school. The last straw was the fact
that this communication appeared in The
News yesterday before the members
were aware of its contents. When this
was known the fat was fairly in the fire
and it blazed.
With the exception of Commissioner
Jacob Rlngle an the members were pres
ent While clerk Kalaher was reading
out the various communications to the
Board, The Commissioners were perusing
copies of 1.-THE News which the newsboy
had Just left. Their eyes were riveted on
the first column of that paper where the
Mayors letter complaining of No.
School appeared.
Communication from his Honor the
Mayor said Clerk Kalaher, who began
TO read what the Commissioners were abb
sorbed in. the reading finished, Com
missioner William F. .&iidlige asked when
the communication was delivered at the
office and Mr.. Kalahar replied that he re-
ceived it about noon.
did you show it to anybody" asked
Mr.. Midlige of the clerk.
.Only to yourself"
Then returned Mr. Midlige, turning
to mis- colleagues 'since 1 have not com
nunicated single word of that paper
10 anybody l am surprised that it should
appear in full in 'HThe News here before
we actually had held meeting. The IN
formation must have been given to the
press by some one else,
All the time President Lembeek was i'm
patiently beating the DEVILS tattoo on the
table and nursing his wrath to keep it
warm. He was annoyed, and looked it
The Mayors letter coming on top of an
interview which lately appeared in the
News" in which His Honor said that
the Board of Finance in purchasing sites
for new schools in the Eighth and Elev-
enth wards were piling up the city's in
debtedness and adding to the tax rate,
was too much for Mr.. Lembecks endur-
ance
This is most extraordinary" began the
president taking up the communication.
On the suggestion of the Mayor we
bought those SITES and now he comes
along and criticises us for doing SO. Our
board has always acted for the best inter
ests of the city and this communication
puts a slight on US which I, for one, do
not like, and don't propose to tolerate.
We try to do what is just for the citizens
at large and such criticism is extremely
unfair. If this communication here be-
longs to US why is it first given out to
others? When we bought the sites we did
it as you know gentlemen by the request
of not only the Mayor, bat the Board of
Education, believing that they knew more
than we did about the needs for public
education. The Mayor appeared before us
to urge the purchase. We bought them
and he signed the resolution approving of
that act. The very next day he abuses us
for doing so. I don't know what others
may think of this. but call it political
hypocrisy. (Murmurs of approval from
the board.) He writes communications to
us by way of the press continued Mr..
Lembeck, contemptuously throwing the
letter on the table, land by doing so ]
consider it an insult. (More signs of APP
proval from the commissioners I for
one don't propose to stand such treatment
from any man, be he the Mayor or a
humble citizen. 1 do my duty and I will
not be dictated to by the Mayor or any
body else in the discharge of that duty
Commissioner Midlige rose and said at
the outset that he had only intended tc
speak of the Mayors letter and the man
ner IN which it had been made public be-
fore the Board saw It, but since Mr.. Lem
beck had opened up the Mayors criticism
of the Board in THE News interview
mentioned he, Mr.. Midlige, must say
something of that.
THAT interview quotes the Mayor as
saying in effect that the Board of Fl
nance ought to know that by purchasing
school sites here and there it was in
ereasing the tax burdens of the city,
said Mr.. Midlige, who resuming in tone
of slight irony added "And his Honor
warned us to be careful about increasing
the bonded indebtedness Of Jersey City
He said the people were complaining
about extravaganza in buying these sites
Who personally appeared before us and
urged the purchase of these sites? His
Honor the Mayor. Who wrote to US
pointing out as a necessity for the pur-
chase the congested condition of certain
schools The Mayor. In conference ther
with him and the Board of Education WI
determined to buy the sites. We passed
resolution to that effect. It was signet
by his Honor the Mayor the same day
and yet the ink on his signature haS
hardly been dry when he rushes into prin
and heaps abuse on the Board of Financ'
for what? For doing precisely that which
he himself requested US to do and which
the Board of Education also requested
This gentlemen" resumed Mr.. Mid
lige slowly and deliberately. is a matte
which must not be passed over lightly
The question is: Where is the animus
Why did the Mayor make such criticism
publicity in the press? Is 1t because h
wants to abuse the board. or does he wan
TO strengthen his political standing befor
the people? Is it that he is reaching ou
for that which he sees slipping from hi
grasp. (Here some OF the member
iaughed) To me it is pitiful exhibition
as MIR. Lembeck rightly called it, of poiti
cal hypocrisy The interview to which
refer was authentic as the Mayor, II
we're not. had ample opportunity to den
its accuracy. | will go further and sa
that the boards attention was drawn t
This statement Of the Mayor and throug