The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-01-20
AUDITOR HEATH
Assistant Finance Board
Clerk Boss of Concurrent
Resolutions.
POLITICS IN THE PLAN
Purpose Is to Manufacture
Campaign Roorbacks
Against the Street
and Water
Board.
POLITICS IN THE PLAN

The Eoard of Finance has decided TO IN
stitute a new and unprecedented plan
that VIII make the assistant clerk, For
rest A. Heath. the arbiter of a vast part
of the citys business, should the Board
carry OUT the system as at present out
lined to its full extent.
When the Board finds that it is called
upon to concur N a resolution passed py
tae Board of Street and Water Gommis-
sicners or BY any other Board, il Will
turn the matter over to Mr. Heath for
investigations AMI viii finally act on his
Ieeonn endation.
The idea IS said to have originated with
Commissioner Abernethy, who had Mr.
Heath appointed
When any department Of the city
spends any money it is done by resolution.
and unless 1t comes under the head OF q
regular annual appropriation, before the
money can be had, the Board Of Finance
must concur in the resolution. During
Mayor Hoos's administration the Board
of finance concurred in resolutions after
Investigating them in committee.
Commissioner Abernethy said this
morning
The Board Of Finance IS asked to con-
cur in resolutions of which the members
know nothing. Now the plan is TO have
Assistant Clerk Heath go over these reso-
lutlons and check them. On his recon-
mendations the Board will act. We have
decided to take this step in the Water De
rartnent especially"
Gould t7Glerk Bouton give the Boafc
the desired information2'
Eyes. But we want Mr.. Heath to do as
we wish
DO you mean that you would take Mr.
Heath's word in preference to Mr. Bou-
ton's?'
mot necessarily. We are taking up
merely a business proposition in bus4-
ness way. When supplies are furnished,
MIR. Heath viii account for them; VIII
see that they are furnished as repre-
senied.
Suppose len bags of feed are supplied
horses. viii Mr.. Heath go to the sta
bic and count those bags and make
check on them?v
srhen he will have to go to any point
in the city where supplies for a depart
lnent are deliverea2''
yes Or in some way account Tor
them"
Mr.. Heath was asked about his new du-
ties He said
Il don't wish to say anything about
tie matter"
Have you been appointed an auditor
for the Finance Board or to any position
Of q similar character"
Il can't say"
"Will you deny that you have?"
"a will neither deny nor affirm
The Street and Water Board is solidly
Democratic. The Finance Board is Re-
publican This new idea of Commissioner
Abernethy is looked upon as a scheme of
tho Republican party to hamper Demo
cratic Board IN discharging its duties to
tie city. Should any of its resolutions
be held up by the Board of Finance
more or less complete stoppage of city
business might follow
The Street and Water Commissioners
are much put out over the move They
have lately got the Water Department in
to q. position that makes it possible to re-
drce the expenses and they are now cor--
sidering ways and means to further re-
duee the cost Of running the Depart
mont. They look upon this new step as
a scheme to discourage them in their
plans and TO influence public opinion
against them in manner that has no
Foundation in fact The Board has al
ways invited examination Of its methods
and the idea of having the transactions
audited in no way annoys them beyond
the point where it shows q desire to place
tlieni in a false position before the peo-
13le