The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-03-29
REVOLT TN BAYONNE.
hETUhI In DhIUNNE.
Farr Growing in Favor
While Newman is
Steadily Losing.
RECORD OF THE RING.
A Shameful Array of Jobs Wherein
Taxpayers Footed All the
Bills.

The action of the Republican convention
OF Bayonne city last Friday night in en-
dorsing the nomination of William G.
Farr, the candidate of the citizens and Of
the Democratic party. In a great measure
brought about by the exposures Of Mayor
Newman and the .rinRn by THE JERSEY
CITY NEWS, is meeting with the approval
of The majority of Republicans in the city,
while the action of those who refused to
organize nnder the duly accredited way,
and who endorsed the candidacy of John
II. Newman, not daring TO nominate him
as Republican, has met with severe con-
domination.
The feeling against Newman and tn
ring" is general, and is not confined
within party lines Democrats and Re-
publicans alike denouuce the wrong-do-
ing which mas characterized Newman's
two terms as Mayor. His solo ambition
has been a selfish desire TO advance him
self at all costs, and this he has done. not
only at the expense of the party which
elected him, but at the expense of every
taxpayer in the city. He has made
sdiekers" with his opponents, until at the
present day neither he nor the members
Of the ring are recognized as party
men, but simply as ''ringsEers" and
''tricksters," entitled to the respect of no
good citizen.
NEWMAN, SMITH AND THE .BIG SIX"
In league with him are Emmett Smith,
the City Surveyor, and BABY Fuller,
the City Attorney, though the latter will
be dropped by Newman at the first oppor-
tunity. The "Big Sixn of the Council,
Messrs Meigs, Scofield, McQuillan, God
dard, Cadmus aud Sanford, are ever
ready to do the bidding of the bosses;
while the other three members, O'Farrell,
Donahue and Carroll are easily won over.
The present Council is composed of eight
Democrats aud one Republican, yet all
the appointive officers hold over with the
exception of City Clerk Hamilton,
The steady increase in the rates of tax
alton since the election four years ago of
Mayor Newman, aud the causes therefor,
place a very black spot on the city's
escutcheon. The cause mainly has been
the number of sewers built and street Inn
provements carried on, all of which have
been done at an exorbitant price and with
the knowledge of Mayor Newman. I'm
provements have been carried on in thor
oughfares where hardly house was built
or a family lived. Emmett Smith, as
city surveyor and engineer, prepares
the preliminary assessment maps, draws
up the specifications and then supervises
the work. For long time only one con-
tractor has been successful in carrying
out Smiths instructions and that was
James J. Cogan. Others tried and In a
few cases succeeded in securing the con-
tract after much difficulty, but In very
few cases they finished the work, as under
Smiths instructions they We're unable to
do so and found it cheaper to give them
| up than to continue. In such cases Cogan
! got more for finishing the jobs than the
| whole job at first was to cost.
| The West Ninth street improv ement is
sample of the work done; The prelimi-
nary assessments, prepared by Smith, e5-
timated the cost at S124 per lot. This the
| taxpayers considered rather high, but
consented to have the WORK done, believ-
| ing the cost would be reduced when the
work was done, as usually the prelimi-
nary estimate is above the actual cost.
4 But ia this they were sadly mistaken, for
they mad to pay sos per lot when the job
/ was finished
IF YOU CAN'T COLLECT, ISSUE BONDS
Numerous improvements have been
made on streets where the Mayor AMI
| Council knew it would be impossible TO
| collect the assessments, but the work was
| carried on, the ring" paid the money,
the divvy was made, and then bonds
| were issued. In this way the taxpay ers
! have been robbed
| The assessments for the Iugham ave
nue. sewer extension is another glaring
| instance of barefaced iobbery and knav-
cry. This cost over 81, 600, the engineers
| fees alone amounting TO about 81 500. In
| March, 1882 when the assessment was
| levied, it was found that the same amount
of assessment was charged for the inn
/ proved and severed lots of Eighth street
and Avenue ID, as for the unimproved
and unsewered property of Tenth and
| Eleventh streets and Avenue B. A large
number OK property owners objected, aud
contested the matter in the Supreme
| Court. A few days ago decision was
handed down declaring that number of
| the assessments We're illegal and must be
set aside. The taxpayers must foot the
| bill. This decision applies to assessments
| for other Sc wers, and if the matter Is
taken up nice state of affairs will ensue.
The matters spoken of above are we'll
known TO those citizens who watch pub
| lie affairs. The great majority of the
people fail to understand the bearings
these questions have 20 the individual till
il is too late. The expense of this matter
will have to be borne by every individual,
1 so that IL behooyes each citizen 10 con-
| slider and invpSTfrato and tnar1 fapid a