The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-04-12
one MAN RULE
Beef Trust Company's
Scheme to Control the
City Government
a Law.
PEOPLE AROUSED
Indications That They Will
Frustrate the Pagan Plot
at the Polls.

The signing ofthe singIe-headed Water
Commission bill by Governor Murphy
was today the chief topic of conversa-
tion In this city.
Except III the ranks of the machine
members OF the Beef Trust Party, the act
is condemned. Should the present senti-
ment prevail on election day when the
bill is to be voted on by the people, it
will be moved under most completely.
The bill gives the Mayor of cities of the
single headed Water Commission. The
salary is to be 5000 a year.
The object of the bill is to take from
the Democratic party the Street and Wa
ter Department. The Beef Trust party
has no hopes of ever electing a Board of
Street and Water Commissioners, SO it
wishes to take from the people the right
to choose their officers and to give the
whole matter into the hands of Mayor
Pagan.
Commissioner Hauc this morning dis
cussed the matter with reporter of ''The
News He said
This is a fine scheme to take the
power of electing their officials out Of the
hands of the people. The Republican
party knows that it cannot elect Board
of Street and Water Commissioners. so it
hopes that the voters will be fools enough
to give up their franchise and allow
Mayor Pagan to appoint one man from
his machine.
That 1t is purely political move of
the worst type Is plain. There is no COM
plant against the members of the Board
az it stands at present and no one OUT
side of the ringsters think there are too
many commissioners I would like to
know why the plan was not to cut down
the membership of the Board to one and
have that one elected instead OF ap-
pointed?
when Mayor Fagan was elected the
people wanted him to do the same duties
as previous Mayors had done. and now he
thinks they are going to give him power :
that no one ever dreamed should be Civ
en- any one man. Is it possible that any
one thinks the people do not know what
they want without having the Mayor
think and act for them.
There is no doubt in my mind that the
Referendum Will kill. the bill.
..'1ne people have had enough of ap-
pOilflifG Q4AtSkdtS- llcy sumo years dS y
decided that they wished to elect their
officials and haven't seen any reason to
believe they have changed their views.
y Before the bill can be voted on by the
people, the Board of Finance must pass
resolution providing for submitting the
act to a vote Of the people. Commission
ers Ringle and Lembeck, when seen this
morning, refused to discuss the bill. They
said they had not read it and could not
say what action they would take Off
cially.
City Collector Davis said
1.-THE bill was put through SO as to rob
the people of their right of franchise.
But those who put up the job will see
that the voters of the city are very
anxious to have something to say about
who is to do the business of the city
and the departments separately. When
Mayor is elected that is not to say that
the people give him complete control over
the whole city government. Why we
might just as well pick out some man
any man-and say to HIM
There is city for you to do with
as you wish. co ahead and play ball /"
Mayor Fagan, when asked. said
II HAVE NOTHING TO SAY"