The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-05-03
F'HOLDERS'
LAST MEETING
Board COnveneS to Close up
Business Of Year.
Various Reports Recommended
that Old Jail be Enlarged and
Improved Present Lookup Tn
fit for ssEven a Spaniard.'

/
fit for ''EVen Spaniard.'
! By the judicious expenditure of money
the members of the Morris County Board
of Freeholders not only concluded the
work of the past year with balance of
/ $40, 900 to their credit, but also wiped
out heavy debts contracted by their
predecessors. This was shown last We'd
nesday when the annual meeting of the
board was held and the yearly reports of
the different committees were submitted.
Freeholder Whitehead reported that
the sale of the old almshouse in Parsip-
pany, together with the appropriations,
netted the county $31, ,527.64. During
the past year the new building, erected
at cost of $31 1877 40, has been entirely
paid for, as we'll as the necessary ex-
penses for the conduction of the build
ing, and balance remains of $340.15.
He recommended an appropriation of
81, 500 for the almshouse and $500 for
the Childrens Home for the coming year
Other appropriations recommended to
the board are: Lunacy $2S 900; insur-
ance and miscellany, $l6,550; printing
and elections, $11, 500 Freeholder Kim
ball recommended an appropriation of
$40, 600 for the construction of roads I'M
der the State aid law and $25, 900 for the
repair of roads He stated that four
roads had been built during the past
year, viz: Budd's Lake road, 8. .32 miles
long, cost 15,95589; Mendham and Ber-
nardsvilIe road. $40 miles long, cost
$11, ,910.50; Succasanna road, 1864 feet
long, cost 8, ,SS2. So; German Valley road,
9,915 feet long, cost $10,249.24. The
board adjourned at 1890 o'clock.
When the board reconvened at $50
o'clock the following bridge appropria-
tions were asked for, which will be re-
commended to the incoming board:
Boonton, $2,750; Chatham, $4, 500; Ches-
ter, 81 800; Dover, $4,000; Hanover, So,
$50; Jefferson, $1,000; Madison, 81 500;
Mendham, 81 900; Montville, 5000; Nor
ris, $4,000; Morristown, first ward, ST.
900; second ward, $3.50; third ward, $500;
fourth ward, $500; Mount Olive, 81 900;
Passaic. $500; Pequannock, $4,000;
Randolph, $1,5OO; Rockaway, $4,000;
Roxbury, 81 900; Washington, 1900.
When DR.. Becker, chairman of the
court house and Jail committee, broached
the subject of a new jail, there was a
storm of protests against the expendi
ture of such large sum Of money which
would necessarily be required for such
purpose. DIR. Becker stated that bids
for the remodelling and enlarging Of the
old building had been received from the
| Van Doren Iron Works of Cleveland
Ohio, and the Paulie Jail Company of
st. Louis, Mo-, the bid of the latter con-
Germ being 500 less than that of the for
mer company. He said that he knew
his agitation of the subject would mill
tate against him for reelection, but that
he was willing to take the consequences.
He said in the most emphatic manner,
that the present Jail was one which the
Spaniards would have been ashamed of
in Cuba, and that it was outrageous that
the members of the board should tolerate
such building even for the confinement
of criminals. "There are few obstruc
tionists and llickers who do not want a
new jail, " said DR.. Becker, "but we must
do something. There are two ways Of
compelling us to act. One way is for
some one to hand complaint to the State
Board of Health, and another is to apply
to the Supreme Court for a writ of man
damus compelling us to buiid new
jail" DR.. Becker recommended that the
contract for remodelling and enlarging
the old Jail be awarded to the Paulie Jail
Company for $40 900, providing the MEM
bers of the incoming board favor the
plan. He said that the building could
be paid for by using the sum of SIS, 600
appropriated last year for uncompleted
roads, which amount would not be re-
quired in future years, and pay the
money in annual installments. AS this
was impossible, according to the law as
described by Counsel Rathbun, the re-
port was referred to the finance commit
tee in the usual way.
MI. Lippincott, representative of the
Paulie Jail Company, addressed the
board and explained the proposed i'm
provements. The meeting then ad-
journed.