The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-07
TILE PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL
What Combine Was This and How /
Hung ToOefber.

What a Combine Was This and How 1t
Hung Together.
When the proceedings in the case OPP
ened this morning Martin Finck, the
Clerk of the Board of Works was called
to the stand again His examination be-
gan with testimony as to the street clean
ing and garbage removing contract.
He was asked whether Mailly, to whom
the contract was first given by the Board
of Works, did the work pending the action
of the Board of Finance.
COMPARING THE CONTRACTS.
81 don't know, sin"
'Who would know?"
81 presume the Street Commissioner"
"Who did the work between March and
Decemberg''
II think William r. Cook"
"Then Mailly had nothing to do with
II think not"
"How many bids were offered under the
last advertisement for proposals."
"Seven, ] believe"
"What was Shanleys bid per mile2"
Seven dollars, | believe"
"And Cook?"
Nineteen dollarsn
"And Mccarthy"
Nineteen dollars"
'.And Byrnes?"
"Ten dollars"
"And Byrne?"
Eleven dollars"
"And Careysp
Nineteen dollars"
"And Maillys'
Seventeen dollars"
Witness said the reason the contract
was not given the lowest bidders was be-
cause the Board of Finance would
not concur. The contract was given
to Mailly, and the Board of Finance have
concurred in it, and subsequently under
new proposals it was awarded to Lawrence
Carey. The Board of Finance, on March
%, concurred in this.
do you know why the contract was
awarded at $40 per mile to Carey instead
of to Shannon at 81 per miller"
Il don't know, except that the Board
thought the work could not be done for
that money"
FORMING THE COMBINE
The witness testified that Van Keuren
was elected President of the Board in
April, 1857.
''Was there any particular four com
bined at that time to control the Boardf'
Il don't know, sir; l was not the clerk
then"
"Who was?"
"John Rowe was an acting clerk"
H'Ihe resignation of Van Keuren took
place September21. 1t was not accepted and
at the next meeting Van Keuren refused
to serve and Commissioner Reynolds was
appointed temporary chairman, and sub
sequently Mr.. Kern was elected. The
committees were appointed by all the
members of the Board except Somers,
who was excused, and Van Keuren, who
voted no.
is the chairman member of the com
mittee, by virtue of his Officer"
"He is.n
'.Can you tell me why Somers and Van
Keuren were not placed on these COM
mittees?"
81 can not.n
'sWho voted for the appointment of an
Assistant Water Commissioners
'.All except Somers, who was excused,
and Van Keuren, who voted no."
The witness then said that several ap-
pointments were made by Kern, Rey-
nolds, Watt and Hilliard. Also that q
number of contracts to Charles
O'Neil, James MCGOWAN, Jasper Kern and
others were given by these four being op-
posed in nearly every instance by Somers
and Van Keuren.
Witness further testified that pay rolls
were ordered paid by Kern, Watt, Rey-
nolds and Hilliard.
"Did any member, after this Board
organized, ever employ any one to do
work."
Il don't know, sir. | can't tell unless it
was done by resolution of the Board"
"As fact, did not all these men as a
rule vote together?"
81 can't say, sir"
while you were clerk was there ever a
split in these fourP"
Witness did not answer but Counsellor
Vredenbergh said there was. The evil
dence all through was to show that the
four indicted men voted together, and
it was very well substantiated
by extracts from the official minutes read
by the witness, which showed the
manner they voted and that Somers
and Van Keuren voted against
them, and that the same men
always voted to approve the minutes, and
Somers and Van Keuren opposed. The
same men voted for acquisitions for sup