Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-12-04
SOUTH hMBOY
COUNCIL MEET
Ovsrseer of Poor Matter
Comes Up for Discussion,
Special to the EVENING NEWS

the Common Council last evening
Mayor Welsh, Councilmen Manhat-
tan, O'Connor, Stanton, Stuart and
Slower, also Clerk Mack and City So
licitor Pearse.
The clerk read a communication
from the Middlesex Monmouth Elec-
trio Light Heat and Power Co.,
stating they had received q letter
from the city with reference to
changing lights in portion of city
known as hole-in-the-wall, and hat
they would make arrangements to
follow out lines requested and make
change at an early date. Mr.. O'Con-
nor stated he had been at the point
In question with the representative
of the Light Company this afternoon
and the changes had been made. He
stated the city would now be held re-
sponsible for the b~reakage of any
globes that the lights were on the
commercial circuit.
Communication was read from sec
rotary of committee having charge of
arrangements, Knights of Columbus
extending invitation to the council to
attend their annual reception to be
held in St. Mary's hall on Tuesday,
December 81, 1912, at $3.50 T. M,
Ind enclosing complimentary tickets
tor same. The communication was
ordered received and vote of thanks
extended for kindness of the commit
tee.
Mr.. O'Connor stated some time ago
1t was arranged with the Electric
Light Co. to make changes in several
lights in the city, 1t which time the
Superintendent of the company was
very contrary as to making the
changes. that the superintendent now
In charge advised him this afternoon
that such lights as were not then
changed will be placed as desired
upon advice as to the proper location.
Mr.. Manhattan stated the pipe was
on the ground for laying water mains
to the Terra Gotta Co., and as soon as
the city engineers give proper grade
for Portia street, the work of lay
Ing the pipes will be commenced.
Mr.. Stuart requested Mr.. Manhat-
tan to take the chair and remarked:
AS my term is soon to expire the first
of the year, and there are a few mat
ters pertaining to the Department OF
Poor that l think ought to be brought
tn your attention and | feel that you
should know the condition of things.
The Overseer of the Poor received
orders from the council some two
weeks ago that before he should is
sue any more orders for the relief
of the poor he should first consult
with the members of the poor COM
mittee. The Overseer of the Poor
was here tonight and asked me as
chairman of the committee, what
provisions were to be made to take
care of the poor of the city, his
hands were tied and we had taken
the matter out of his hands. / claim
ed we have not. | claim the matter
is still in the hands and 1t is up to
him If he had any requests to make
for relief of the poor, it is his place
to come to committee on poor first
before making them. According to
the treasurer's report the appropria-
ton for the care of the poor is over
drawn I believe by a few dollars. The
Overseer of the Poor claims it is not
~overdrawn. He claims that some
bills contracted by his predecessor
were paid out of his appropriation
amounting to he claims somewhere
TOu1u PQU, DuI L you
there was $50 some dollars if | re
member rightly left over from last
years appropriation which will al
most take care of these W or three
bills. During the past year since the
gentleman received the appointment
/ have asked him as chairman of com
mittee on poor, and [ was requested
by the poor committee to do so, tc
ask him to investigate the different
cases of people receiving relief ron
the city, investigate and come bach
to the committee of this body anc
report, and he promised me that ne
would. He has never done SO, al
though we did receive a report here
a financial report l think for the
month of July or August, but he new
er made any report to us In regarc
to the condition of the different peo'
pie he was helping. You all remem'
Der the Mccartney case on Augusta
street, I took that matter up witt
him three different times and asked
him to make a report in regard to 1t
as there had been complaints made tc
me In regard to conditions there. He
said he would. You all know the out
come, we had to take the matter IL
our own hands. There are two OF
three other cases that are receiving
relief from the city that it is my opln-
ion had not ought to be receiving
relief as they have children. | think
the city solicitor quoted the Law to us
stating n people having relatives
who can take care of them, it is the
place of the Overseer Of the Poor to
see that they do SO. He has not done
It. I thought before I retired from
this body l would bring this matter
to your attention SO that you will
know the actual conditions of the
poor department before my term OF
Office expires.
Mr.. O'Connor: May I ask Council
man Stuart If the O%verseer OF the
Poor had made the statement to him
that he was entirely powerless, did
not have any authority?
Mr.. Stuart: The Overseer of the
Poor stated here tonight In u pres
ence, his hands were tied and that he
could not do anything for the relief
] of the poor, that we had taken the
matter. out of his hands entirely.
Mr.. O'Connor: I want to state
there is no official in the city who
has the right to exceed the %appropria-
/ ton that has been made when the
annual budget has been made, wheth-
er it be the Overseer of the Poor. |
think the solicitor will bear me out
in this matter. The street commits
cio,ar or the quDarintendent of wa