Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-12-05
FINANCE BOARD
SHORT Of MONEY
Street Cleaning Departments
Needs May Be Met,
However.
cITY'S CONTINGENT FUND
CANNOT MEET DEMANDS
Dirty Streets Scored-Sus-
pended Sweepers May Be
Returned to Jobs.

Although the city has only about
1885, 600 in the contingent fund where
with to pay S173, 900 worth of neces-
sary bills, the finance committee of
the Common Council will try to de-
wise some means whereby the street
department of the Board of Works
may be given sufficient funds to en-
ploy again the sweepers who have
been laid off.
Pleas for the sweepers were made
by Wilson ]. Vance, secretary to
Mayor Haussling; Alderman John H.
Donnelly, A. ]. Cozzolino, president
of the Essex Trades Council, and Al
derman Louis Pfeifer, when the
finance committee met to consider re-
quests for additional appropriations
from city departments which have
exceeded their appropriations.
The finance committee has, of
course, no money to appropriate, but
1t will endeavor to give the street
Bweepers and the City Hospital at
least a part of the sum requested.
The Board of Health asked for an
appropriation of $6,536.51 but will
probably not get 1t, and the work
of the board may be discontinued for
the rest of the year.
Mr.. Vance, representing the mayor,
who was not able to be present,
spoke for the street cleaners first.
He called attention to the danger to
public health which unclaimed streets
brought.
IF the committee by scraping the
barrel in some way can help out the
situation the Mayor will appreciate
1t greatly" Mr.. Vance said.
Alderman Donnelly also pleaded for
the sweepers, declaring the Mayors
interest in their case to be keen. as
was his own. Mr.. Cozzolino said he
had come to reiterate what the
Mayor had said through Mr.. Vance
and to let the committee know that
those working in behalf of the sweep
ers were still ION the job"
No Money Available.
'If there is any means of stretch
ing q point" said Alderman Archi-
bald, 1--WE ought to take care of the
street cleaners. This condition arises
from departments exceeding their APP
portionments. What's the use of
having a finance committee at all?
Why don't these departments figure
their expenditures for the year on the
one-twelfth per month basis?"
Alderman Whitfield answered the
chairman by saying:
81 think 1t is high time some of
these departments be taught a les
son. 1 hope if there is n scratch
t~r~ a. H. I4n - ~-t1I H. 14-- -
the street cleaners; let the other de-
partments do the scratching for
themselves"
City Auditor Rowe was called upon
to state the condition of the avail
able finances, and replied there were
none, practically, although there
might be a few odds and ends COM
ing in. I'VE think we possibly can
see our way clear to do something
for the street sweepers.' said he. but
we can't make any promises. 1t may
be profitable to go over the figures
again with your chairman"
Departments at Fault.
Alderman Prefer spoke for the
street cleaners. 1T is not the fault
of the Taxpayers said he, that the
streets are dirty and hat the men
were laid off,
ut isn't our fault, either inter-
posed Chairman Archibald. TITS the
fault of the department for spending
its money too soon"
Eyes. it is your fault" answered
Mr.. Pfeifer, because you won't APP
propriate the money. What are you
going to do--let the dirt remain in
the streets?"
1T isn't UP to u.s." replied Chair
man Archibald.
Then the requests of the Board of
Health for $6,536.51 for itself and
$40, SO 20 for the City Hospital were
brought up.
II am not in favor of giving the
Board of Health a cent declared
Alderman Hopping. They try the
same old am every year and we
ought to make an example of them.
! am surprised that they even ask
us now for the money, for they usual
" go ahead and spend it and then
ask us afterward."
The sum of SO, 900 was appropriated
10 pay building bills for the new en-
CINE house in the Fifteenth Ward, the
practise being to pay these bills In
small amounts at different times.
Alderman Archibald told the COM
mittee that the elevator men en-
ployed in the City Hall had several
times lately asked him for a raise
in their wages. The question will be
recommended to next years finance
committee for its consideration.