The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-14
BOARD OF WORKS CLAIMS.
THE LEGACY WHICH THE BIG
FOUR LEFT TO THE CITY.

Tho New Board Turns 1t Over to the
Financiers and They Give 1t to the
Lawyers-A Glance at Some of the
Claims That Remain Unpaid.
When the Board of Street and Water
Commissioners came into power they
found that the old Board of Works had
left them legacy consisting of large
number of unpaid payrolls and claims.
The new Board did not know what to
do with these claims. They had heard
many stories about the manner in which
these pay rolls were made up, besides
there were traditions lingering about the
department of men appearing on the pay
rolls who had no tangible existence
Moreover there was a legend somewhere
in existence that men appeared upon the
payrolls for goodly sums in return for
which they rendered no more arduous
service than to come around once month
and obtain their checks.
Taking all this into consideration the
Commissioners hesitated some time and
finally ordered paid a number of them.
These they certified to as correct, and sent
their action down to the Board of Finance
for concurrence. They called the finan,
clerS' attention to the other claims, and
asked what they should do. The Finance
Commissioners passed a resolution re-
questing the Street aud Water Board to
send them an itemized statement of the
claims in regard to which they entertained
doubts.
PREMATURE REJOICING.
This seemed to the Street and Water
Commissioners as providential way out
of their difficulty, and with a joyful
alacrity they directed Clerk Bouton to
prepare the statement This was quickly
done, and the statement was sent to the
Finance Board.
The Street and Water Commissioners
were happy. They supposed that the
Board would in some definite manner dis
pose of the claims, and all their RESPONSE
bility in the matter would end. But, un-
fortunately for the Street and Water
Commissioners, the Financiers seemed as
unwilling as they to handle the dangerous
claims.
Yesterday they came before the meet
ing of the Finance Board and instead of
taking any definite action on them the
Board turned them over to their legal
officers with the simple request that they
would ascertain which of the claims had
been paid after judgment had been
recovered in the cOurtsagainst the
city Thus, like Banquo's ghost, the
payrolls won't down, and will in all like
lihood confront the Boards again before
long.
UNPAID CLAIMS.
The unpaid claims amount to $19, ,920. so
and comprise the salaries to employees in
the pumping and reservoir department
for April and May, amounting
to 1880. 80 and 50, $500 respectively;
repaving over water pipes for the
same months, s267; repairieg pipe, hy-
drants and gates for May, s., 1895; laying
water pipes, May, S371 so; foreman, store
keeper, ETC., month of May, s623; ;S3; repay.
ing over water pipe, $22525; blowing off
hydrants, 1898: repairing water gates
sS25; reassessors, $3.50; repaving over
water piae, s204; repairing water gates,
June, $451; blowing off hydrants. June,
S224 10; repaving over water pipes, June,
$780,
In the department of streets and sewers
the claims amount to 81, 4,S77.7s, and are for
unpaved streets, March, 1888, SIP; re
construction of streets, March, 1888, s70;
April, 1888, $42460 and S429. .T3; unpaved
streets, August, 1888, Sl12; repairing
streets, October, 1888, 81, $685. November,
1888, s39S50 unpaved streets, April, 1880,
Sl4850, $451, and $412; and repairs to
Ravine road during April. 1889, 1888 and
$129; repairing Morgan street dock, May
and June of this year SIS and $3.50.