The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-06
RECORDS OF THE RINGS.
Further Disclosures Regarding the
Jersey Oligarchy.
A Ripe Harvest for tho Contractor
stupendous Job and How 1t Was Managed
The Taxpayers on the Qui vive-rhe New
Reservoir-No Responsibility Any
where : Waiting for the
Grand Jury to Report

where : Waiting for the
Grand Jury to Report
Just at the very time when the Grand Jury were
commencing to investigate the frauds perpetrated
by the commissioners on the people OF Jersey City
the Board OF Public Works had consummated q Job
that promises to be as stupendous swindle on the
people as the Newark avenue improvement the pro-
gress OF it he not attentively watched. resolution
was adopted few weeks ago ordering the improve
ment OF Hoboken avenue-an Improvement long
needed as that thoroughfare extends from the
HoDoken boundary along the crest of the hill to the
Five Corners which may be regarded as the centrat
point OF the city, The usual advertisements for pro!
posas were published. In order to give the reader
an idea OF the way the old thing works. and TO al
ford peep into one OF
TUE MANY LooPHoLEs
through which contractor who has the good Tor. |!
tune be in the Ring may escape from difficulties
which no others could ssurmount the following ex
tracts from the specifications are glyen:-Ten thou
sand cubic feet of earth excavation, 1000 feet Oh
rock, $4,000 feet Of earth fng. 1000 feet OF SAND
or gravel filing, 5000 square feet Of Belgian pave
ment, 10000 feet OF tagging, 1850 cubic yards Of
retaining wan, H. 500 yards Of tagging TO be relad,
with many other requirements.
THE LITTLE JOKER
pops up in the award OF the contract. Each CON-
peting contractor named certain price for each|
the job is the filling. The bidding on this varied
from seventy cents 10 one dollar per yard But one
nrm stepped In and offered to do this part for one
cent yard. Now pu tting ten <eams on the work.,
each team drawing ten loads per DAY and each load
the entire earnings or the ten teams Tor one aa
would be only putting the cost OF the filling alto3
wards of forty thousand dollars ON the contract.
In this view OF the case solution must be found to
explain
which the proteges OF the Ring manage TO obtain.
II the contract should be carried out to the letter
the grade OF the avenues would be al least three
ieet higher than that OF Newark avenue in hO-
boken at the junction OF these thoroughfares. We
may expect some morning two or three months
hence to ind q resolution adopted by the Board Of
Public Works III the Board should not De eglslated
Of the contractors Another resolution viii be very
likely passed altering the specifications from ,750
and thus an Immense loss will be avoided ON the
one side by decrease in the nillng material and
heavy gain obtained on the other by JOB winch
win pay well. This is how
THE TECHNICALITY
awarding the contract to the lowe lowest bidder
Mr.. Michael Shannon, one Of the competitors for
the work, is also property owner on the line Of the
avenue, and so convinced Is ne that the work II
carried out to the letter OF the contract would
THREATENS AN INJUNCTION
from the courts the moment an attempt ls made to
Senator John r. Mcpherson, also a property owner
on that avenue, informed the HERALD representa-
lections 20 the Improvement on the under,
that MOI sn9s ya W,n ,S Of
specifications as they now stand should be erected.
The moment any alteration is attempted ne Will ap.
property owners has become necessary. the Job.
according TO the specifications. Will cost aDouu
Mou ID cost az east The
NEWARK AVENUE IMPROVEMENT
has taught The people lesson Although the con- on
sum OF $l1, 800 higher than the bid OF Mr.. George
Clarke Of noboken huge 1oop ne e.. was ne len
the were ana On aa %Son
s.straghtening the avenue at the foot Of the hill
be levied on the city at large. He justified this
OF the work would be far In excess OF the dement's
conferred on the adjoining property. Nor was any
this Job Worse than all, the retaining wall, for
which the property owners are to be so heavily
eee II c 1t from
This spectacle Is presented to tnS eyes o.
an" rom the court to their residences Yet no re-
port has been presented by the Cnlef Engineer or
OF Pubic Works to the fact or suggesting suspen-
sion q ssss1sss' si II ME- n Y Ia JOB
avenue, from Jersey avenue to the crest OF the hin,
an 'lmprovemcnr' which vii! necessltate the raising
OF the grade OF the tntersecting Streets the ring
should proceed TO the execution Of this PROJECT II
will fnd resistance which 1t does not now count
upon.
the starchamber meetings OF the Board OF Public
Works have been more than once alluded TO. I'm
provements are now ordered ana carried out on the
to investigate, protect or demonstrate but ike the
faithful subject mentioned by watty Cox, pay the
'''' "AN ASK NO QUESTIONS"
1t is notorious, and yet to people living out
Of any street petition for any Improvement
their petition has been rejected In nine cases
out OF ten while in every case save three In which
the majority or the property owners demonstrated
out. This system not only
DESTROYS sELF-GOvERNMENT
and establishes government without the ala OF
the people, but 1t Is system leveued directly
Among the recent Illustrations may be mentioned
the sewer now being constructed In Van Worst
street, where there was good sewer. 1t was con-
demned on the ground that was choEed Win mud
rule" prompted men to clean OUT In sucn q
case; but IN mat age men were not ~, alt0getheF
their neighbors for their own benefit. The majority
of the property owners IN Van worst street were
know whether the work was given out by contract,
required by The charter. AT all events the work
Is being done by Mr. Rooertson' partner u MI.
sewer IS also being constructed in Henderson
street. between York and Grand; and here too, the
property owners are asking the questions. who
called Tor this work 9--was 1t given out BY con-
tractY Mr. Robertson Is also In this case perform
ing the work.
THE MONTGOMERY STREET EXTENSION
mas Deen Regarded as u StupeHuOuS SWiuule vi tno
taxpayers, especially the property owners along
the line, whose real estate In the Swamp rendered
almost worthless. The Grand Jury nave examined
some engineers and surveyors on this as well as
other Jobs. One OF these engineers stated TO the
HERALD representative that the LOFTY stone retain
ing walls on this street will soon 'give out" In
spite OF the needles which are set at short inter-
walls for the purpose Of bracing 1t together. II this
should happen large amount Of the puplic money
will have been squandered.
THE NEW RESERVOIR
Is the largest job vet undertaken By the kne.
How the original contract for $165, 900 was virtually
canoe leo In star chamber, how IL was nrst AWARDED,
how certain officials hawked their shares lnto INC
market, how me additional land was purcnaseu,
and how many thousands bergen memoer