The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-22
WORTH IT In STONE.
Freeholders Defend ths
Purchase at Snake
Hill.
LERK BOYD's EXPLANATION.
County Counsel McGrath Says the
Contract can Be Set Asids
Only for Fraud.

John Boyd. the CLERK Of the Board Of
Freeholders, was asked II he knew why
the Freeholders wanted to purchase al
of Snake HILL
1T is because they need the property"
ne answered, and that there will never be
time when IT can be purchased cheaper.
1t is claimed BY some of the Jersey City
officials that the county's plea that the
land to be acquired is not needed for an
asylum site This is absolutely untrue
The Freeholders originally thought that
the proposed asylum could be built on
the lawn in front OF the Aims House, but
this plan was found TO be impracticaDIs
because it ruined the site Of the other in
stitutions; and, instead Of Increasing the
value Of the Bill property. decreased H.
Then the County Farm was next con-
sidered, but 1t WAS shown conclusfvely
that proper system Of sewerage could
not be constructed there and without
proper sewerage it would be waste Of
money to build the asylum
Az IMPOSING SITE
Now. on the other hand, the portion
of Snake Hill that the county proposes to
buy Is one Of the most imposing and
grandest sites In the country for large
building The top OF the Hill is as level
as table. and from it may be seen the
hills of Staten Island. the vessels on the
XIII Won Kull, the factories Of EIizapeth-
port, the city OF Newark, the church
spires OF Hackensack and the whole Of
Jersey City Heights Sewerage Of the
very best character could be had there az
triftfng expense.
Snake Hill is q most peculiar freak Of
nature, and Is even better adopted for
county institutions than Blackwells and
Wards islands, which are used by the
City of New York To divide this land
with private individuals Is ridiculous. and
to defer the purchase is but TO await an
increase in the price. The property should
have been bought years ago.
why, the treehOlders can obtain stone
enough from the land to pay for the cost
of property in very short time. be-
iieve that enough stone can be sold next
year alone 70 pay the interest on the
bonds. As to any one saying the county
cannot purchase this land-that, in my
Judgment, is absurd. 1t is economy for
the county to own the land and 1t VIII be
purchased"
ADUTY OF THE BOARD.
Ii Is duty the Freeholders owe the
county. Just let me read you what the
ommittee-Freeholder Pfngsten, chair
man; Freeholder Ktmmerley and DiFec-
tor-at-Large Bruggeman-said In their
report after they had made very careful
in vestigations-
tenticn Of this Board TO the acr of 1855 and 1890
requiring the construction OF q new asylum for
the insane tn this county, which, built outside
the purchase 81 a large plot Of ground af an ex-
pense Of at least fifty 10 slxry thousand dollars,
whereas, by acquiring the additional portion OF
Snake Hill. ample room win be made for the
building of the said new institution and all other
public Institutions under the charge Of your
Board for many years to come
Again, your committee desires 70 bring to
your attention the fact that a. the present time
no right 10 prevent ingress egress Of the
freest character through the gateway and over
the grounds and institutions now owned BY this
county and under the charge of this Board ex-
ISIS. thereby making strict enforcement of d >
cipline very difficult and preventing the absolute
maintenance of proper rules and regulations az
all times.
Freeholder Coyle, who dropped in the
Office also dropped in the talk. .sAs q
good financial Investment" he said. sit
enough there that may be quarried BY
convict labor to pay three times over the
cost of the land. saw It stated In the
World today that Mr.. Thurber would
have been glad to have sold bis part or
the property for from sl5,000 TO
the Freeholdsrs wanted ii. don't be-
lieve there is any truth in the report, for
I know that Judge Abel /. Smith would
not dispose of his tract for one cent less
rnan the Freeholders offered him. 1t
was his dnal price"
Mr.. EDWARDS VIEW.
CORPORATION Counsel Edwards when
| interviewed said:-"I have received COM
m unication from the Board Of Finance
relating to the Snake Hill purchase, and
/ am engaged in examining the laws
under which the Freeholders are acting.
I shall make sn application for q writ OF
certiorari to review the action OF the
Board and the constitutionallsy of the
law under which the purchase was
made"
County Counsel McGrath could see -
reason why the contract rs made bY the
| Freehoiders would not be carried out.
The price agreed upon was that which
was decided by the courts IN 1874, with
interest to date, making sos, 0o0.
The action of the Freeholders IN the
matter was binding. and conId oniy be
set aside by the court on fraud or ex-
orbitance being shown. With regard 10
having the property condemned, the law
DEGREES that this proceeding can only be
taken when both parties disagree. In
this case they have agreed.