The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-06-18
Street and Water Commis-
sioners Have No Money
for Street Repairs.
CHOKED BY FINANClERS
New Deal Over Liquor
License Money May Work
Great Injury to the City.

Clerk George T. Bouton. of the Street
and Water Board, said this morning that
he would refuse to sign any more requi-
stions for material and supplies until the
Board Of Finance sets aside money from
the license account to the credit of the
Street and Water Board, as to do SO
would be Illegal.
Supplies are needed" said Mr.. Bou-
ton to a reporter for The News this
morning, "and there is no money on hand
and no account from which to draw.
There are several thousand dollars
worth of claims outstanding now, but no
money to pay them. At a meeting of the
resolution was adopted appropriating
$4,000 to the credit of the Street and
Water Board, but at later meeting the
Finance Commissioners reconsidered the
appropriation.
This was done at the request Of Gem
eral Abernethy. one of the Republican
Commissioners and an appointee of
Mayor Pagan.
'sThe Street and Water Board can't
operate without funds" Mr.. BoutoE
went on, "and there are no funds at its
disposal 1t has been customary every
year until this year for the Finance
Board to set aside $125,000. one-half of
the liquor license money to the account
of the Street and Water department for
street repairs and the like. The Board
always counted on this sum and could
tell how to cut its cloth. A new law was
passed this year placing in the hands Of
the Finance Board complete control Of
all the finances of the city, including the
liquor license money and allowing the
Board to give to the Board of Education
and the Street and Water Board such
proportion Of the liquor license money as
it saw fit in its discretion.
Elm April last told the Finance Conn
missioneTs that there would be trouble
over this new law becauses 1t weuid in
terfere with the workings of the Street
and Water Department. | told them
that it was necessary for the Street and
Water Board to have certain amount
set aside to draw from. I explained at
the time that people are always com
planning about this little thing and that
little thing, and to have them attended
to necessitated ready money or ready
account to draw from. They promised
that my suggestions would be followed,
but. since then, nothing has been done
1t would be illegal for me to order the
expenditure of a dollar with no account
to draw from, so our Board is now
freed It is not to be a case of the
Board of Finance giving us some money;
they must give us some. 1t must be ap-
propriated quickly. If not, places in the
city needing small repairs win soon be
in disgraceful condition.
The Street and Water Board yester-
day adopted the following resolution be-
cause no money was available for the
payment required
Whereas, The Commonwealth
Roofing Company in 1901, furnished
labor and materials in and about
the repair and reconstruction of the
Rayine Road, the amount whereof
is S289.I5; and
w NSftdS, AZ tHc pItSCdl tiiiiN
there is not sufficient balance in the
special street account of license
moneys heretofore transferred to
pay the claim for said work and ma
terials.
Resolved. That the Board of FL
nance be and is hereby requested to
set aside to the use of this Board
out of the license moneys not yet
transferred, the said sum of S289.75,
such sum to be used in the payment
of said claim Of the Commonwealth
Roofing Company. and such addi-
tional sum as may be necessary to
liauidate claims chargeable to same
account and heretofore incurred by
this Board and which remain unpaid
for the reason cited and which ag-
pregate in amount about $4,000.