Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-05
SOUTH AMBOY
FIGHTS ON JOBS
LONG Debate in Council on
Ordinances to Abolish Two
Offices in City

.tanitor and caretaker, as well as
the Office of assistant collector of
taxes Of the city. Both offices we're
t-eafed several months ago by the
10 mer council and the iocumbents
Il : Ncis kyist, father Of former
Co.neilmpn Andrew N. Kvist, and
II s. w. Bowen.
The public hearing on the matter
: ,eduled Tor last night. brought
from the audience nothing. while
Councilman Disbrow reviewed his
conception of the janitor ordinance,
claiming sl.e move would instead of
economizing would be a step in the
opposite direction. Mr.. Disbrow
pointed QUO to the members of the
body, thaS the position of ~janitor
could not be abolished. even If the
step would mean a little saving, due
to the fact that it is necessary to
have someone at the water plant to
remove ashes, clean windows and
run errands. The contract with the
engineers said Mr.. Disbrow. does
not state that they shall remove
ashes and 90 oher work. and IL they
40 not do it who will? Continuing
Councilman Disbrow asked, rs this
crusade of economy going to effect
our police department? Why rot
start at the big things where a pos
sible saving of $500 a year for sew
sral men would mean a real saving.
Councilman Stockton bearing out
therremarks of his colleague, claim
ed that the police department would
be the right place to start at and
acquainted the members of the coun-
Gil with the fact that there was on
the police force a member who was
---Afxzl hkr {hn 1ota rpavnr hrrf
that the confirmation of that APP
pointment by the council was v
entered into. He added that the
man was more of an ornament than
anything else.
Councilman Thomas Lovely reply
ing to the members of the body al
ready quoted, said that the move
was. not altogether az an economy
proposition, claiming that the pre-
vious council had disregarded the
law in creating the offices in question
and that the present council was
aiming to respect that law. He
added that the city solicitor had
stated to him that he had acquaints
ed the introducers of the ordinance
the Mlegality of the ordinance. Mr..
stockton denied that the city soli-
cftor had told him of the Illegal pro-
ceedings and criticized the solicit
tor-for allowing the council to pro-
coed with the passage of the act.
Councilman Delaney said in refer
ence to Councilman Stocktons atti-
tude to the police force that he. Mr..
Stockton, had voted on the appoint
ments of nearly all the present men,
bers of that department, and could
zee no reason for his change of MIND,
T. khio Cntrnri1man SfOrEtOn re-
piled:
II voted the approval to the ap-
pointments with the understanding
that the outlying districts of the
city, meaning Mechanicsville, Bers-.
gen Hill, and Maxfield sections. were
to be given police protection. j have
it from reliable source that the
present police system takes the Of
icers to these districts, but instead
Of walking to the boxes. they take
the bus to them and return to the
city proper by bus also.
us this protection for these dis
tficts? If l had it TO do over again
/ would never vote in favor of them.
''In this move" answered Council
mar Delaney, I'VE want co-opera-
ton from the public in the work we
are about to do. AS it is, we are
aDQul I1Tet UT lOQI HQiQlCu ~
aheau of other councils and instead
co-operation and a little credit for
it.
The was passed with
Councilmen Disbrow and Stockton
voting in the negative.
The next order of unfinished busl-
ness brought about the final pass
age of the ordinance to abolish the
ONCE of assistant collector of taxes.
This act found Councilman Dis
brow well fortified with the work OF
this Office and tried desperately to
have the matter reconsidered. Coun-
Gilman Lovely, in an effort to quell
the brooding excitement, stated Iha-
the passage of the act did not mean
that the collector would be without
assistance, and neither does it mean
that the lady effected will lose her
position. 1t means only this, that
this council is going to respect n
law by a~bolishing the position Great
ed. instead of defying it, he declared.
s.Since this is a campaign of econ
omy," said Mr.. Disbrow, II repeat
my previous question:: Will this
campaign of economy effect the po-
lice department, and will / get CO.
operation from you when l intro
duce an ordinance in the near fu-
ture to fire five or six cops? That's
what / want to know.
Gentlemen this is a crime! 1t
means that in order to save an APP
proximate sum of $95 a month, we
are going to forget what that little
office downstairs means to this city
during 1921. Why, gentlemen, for
your information l have here a list
OF money saved by hat helpmate
and no one will deny hat n man
can handle that office alone. 1t can
not be done and done right. at least
not at $1,000 a year. What the city
has saved in the line of delinquent
Guiding 1921 taxes the following
sums average $33.116.25 worth of
delinquents. 1t that in 1920
there was collected through this Of
flee $23,138. 80: 1919. ~$4,561.S2: in
1915, $149.92 aI1 the interest on
the above is $2,304. There was in
addition to these taxes back water
rents collected during 1921, $751;
1866, and sewer taps collected also
in 1921, $~21.171.25. The W taps
item represents old rotations and
memoranda that has been laying in
the office since 1918, a period, gem
tlemen, of three years neglect.
bills amounted to $~3.303.23
Of which the present incumbents of
the Office have collected $1,442.36.
Are we to stop this collecting, this
good work ;"
Continuing Councilman Disbrow
stated that there were approximate
ly $4,000 outstanding c~ollectables,
on street improvements alone out
side Of the recent Bordentown ave-
nue. improvements