The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-08-16
KI-bOSH FOR
KOMM|SHES
Excise Board Knocked Into a Cooked
Hat by the Camden Excise Act
Of This Year,

board of said city to pass, enforce,
alter and repeal ordinances to take
effect within said city for the follow
ing purposes, to wit, to provide tor
the establishment of board of ex-
else commissioners, to consist of fye
members. to serve for the term of
three years, which board shall be
elected on a general ticket at the
election in such city next after the
passage of such ordinance, IL the
same manner as other officers i'll SAID
city are elected; that the salary OF
said commissioners shall be fixed ~
ordinance, but shall not exceed the
sum of three hundred dollars each
per year, and the said salary shall
be paid out of the license fees; that
such board of excise commissioners
shall have power within such city to
make, establish, amend or repeal or
dinances and bylaws, to license and
regulate or prohibit inns and tayerns,
restaurants and beer saloons, and
when licensed, to revoke or transfer
such license and to prohibit all traf-
fc in or sale of Intoxicating drink
or drinks, to license, regulate or pro-
hibit billiard saloons and bowling al
leys, and to prescribe and enforce a
penalty or penalties, either by fine
or Imprisonment, for the violation of
such ordinance or bylaws, which
said penalties shall be enforced and
collected by said board of excise
commissions, in the same manner
as any other penalties are enforced
and collected in any such city, and
that every ordinance or bylaw OF
such board of excise commissioners
shall, after its introduction and be-
fore its final passage, be published,
for two insertions in two newspap-
ers. if so many there be published
and circulating in such city, and be
concurred in by at least two men,
bers of such board of excise COM
missioners as may be present at its
final passage; and no other license
for such purpose within said city.
granted by any other authority,
shall be lawful: that all fees for Ii
censes granted by said commission
ers shall be paid to the city clerk,
who SHALL in addition to his other
duties, act as the clerk of said COM
missioners, and by him be paid over
to the city treasurer; provided.
however. that nothing in this act
contained shall be held to, repeal or
alter any law of this state concern
ing any misdemeanor or other crime.
2. No such ordinance shall be
passed or repealed in any city unless
two-thirds of the members of the
common council or other governing
body of such city shall vote therefor.
g. 1t shall thereupon be the duty
of the city clerk or other official
charged with such duty, to give no.
tice of the proposed election for
such excise commissioners in the
same manner as is required by law
for other officers of said city.
4. The said excise commissioners
shall give such bond for the faithful
performance of their duties as the
common council or other governing
board of said city shall fix by ordi-
nance. and they shall enter upon the
duties of their. office at twelve
o'clock noon the first day of Janu-
ary next succeeding their election.
5. All acts and part of acts, gen
eral and special, inconsistent with
the provisions of this act be and the
same are hereby repealed. and this
act shall take effect Immediately.
Approved April s, 1902.
AS anyone acquainted with legislatiy
natters knows this Camden act Of Apr
repeals the Jersey City act of April
nd every city in the State can procee
nder it if the Common council or othe
overning board shall provide for th
of board of excise con
nissioners.
A reporter for ''The Jersey Cit
Jews" showed the law to several Repuf
leans prominent in Mayor Fagan's at
ninistration dnd CONSERVATION but riiit
Y expresses the state of mind into whic
IS perusal threw them. They wondere
ow those who were locking after rhei
interests in the Legislature last winte
ould have been such chumps as TO hay
It this measure be signed only five day
fter their excise bill had become a law
hey plainly saw that it meant the an
f Mayor Fagan's Excise Board, which
/ was expected, would materiall
their party.
As a drowning man clutches at
traw, they seized upon the words &c
,ther governing board of said city, an
aid that if the Alderman took any az
ion under the act they would raise til
,oint that in view of the manner
which the Board of Aldermen had bee
horn of almost all power, they woul
aise the question that the Alderme
we're not the governing body of this cit
within the meaning Of the act.
"At any rate" said one prominer
mong the i'll advisers of Mayor FagaI
If the Democrats act under this law til
natter will go into the courts and befor
my decision is rendered the Legislator
will be in session and we viii have tn
Camden law repealed"
This may do as makeshift to kee
lp the courage of Mayor Pagan and hi
abinet, but it rests on very films
Camden generally exert
more influence in Republican Legislf
ure than Hudson and if Camden want
his law to remain on the statute boo
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