Supervisors At Work

New York, 1895

LEGISLATION FOR THE COUNTY SLOW AND UNFAVORABLE.

Kings County Will Take the Tramps and Other Prisoners — Protest Against Commissioners of Jurors Bill — Hunter's Point People Want Hearing.

The board of Supervisors met at the Alms House at Barnum Island on Tuesday, all the members being present. Supervisor Denton was appointed chairman pro tem.

Counselor Wallace stated in regard to legislation that matters are progressing slowly and in some respects unfavorably for the county. The bridge bill he found asleep in the Assembly, after it had passed the Senate, and he got a favorable report on it from the Assembly committee, but Mr. Fairbrother had it referred back to the committee and amended, and in that shape it passed the Assembly. It then went to the Senate to be concurred in. What the action has been in the Senate, Mr. Wallace did not know.

The bill to give Long Island City five Supervisors was amended to make the number three. Lucien Knapp has been at Albany urging the passage of the bill, but Mr. Wallace thinks the bill is dead.

The County Road bill is on its passage in Assembly.

The bill to allow broken stone to be purchased outside of New York State was advocated by Mr. Wallace and reported favorably by the Assembly committee, and it will probably pass. If it does, macadam will become cheaper.

Counsel reported as to keeping the tramps in the Kings County penitentiary, that he had been defeated on the mandamus proceeding, but the commissioners of charities and correction of Kings County have since had the matter of receiving the tramps under consideration and the penitentiary will probably receive them under proper commitment.

Supervisor Everitt asked Counselor Wallace what he knew about the commissioner of jurors bill. Mr. Wallace said he knew nothing about it until after the bill had been forced through the Assembly by Mr. Vacheron. Mr. Wallace was in Albany at the time, but did not speak to Senator Childs about it, and he does not know what action Mr. Childs will take on the bill.

Supervisor Everitt objected strongly to the Commissioner of Jurors bill, denouncing it as a job to provide a high salaried position for some politician. He thought it an outrage that such a bill should be rushed through the Assembly without the Supervisors even being notified of its existence. Supervisors Denton, Pople, Underhill and Wood also spoke against the bill. Not a man who had spoken to them about the bill favored it, except a few politicians.

Supervisor Wood offered the following preamble and resolution:

Whereas, A bill has been passed In the Assembly providing for the appointment of a Commissioner of Jurors for Queens county, and

Whereas, We have not a copy of the bill at hand.

Resolved, That a committee consisting of Supervisors Pople, Underhill and Everitt be appointed to examine the provisions of said bill and with full power to represent the board in the matter and to demand a hearing on the bill before the Senate Committee to which it may be referred.

A communication was received from business men of Long Island City requesting the board not to take any action toward building a bridge over Newtown creek at Hunter's Point, or placing a viaduct in the public street, without giving them a hearing. They said that it would be a detriment to business and would entail large public expense by reason of the necessity of acquiring land by condemnation.

A bill of $100 was presented for a gas saving machine at the County Court House. Mr. Koehler asked for information as to the results of the machine. Supervisor Pople said that a saving of $60 a month had been effected in the gas bills, comparing three months of this year with three months of last year. Supervisor Koehler had the bill laid over to give him time to look carefully into the matter.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, April 19, 1895, p. 1.