The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-02

wednesday,, Apr ~, 1897. at II O'CLOCK
m, Cor the purpose of organization
The clerk called the roll, andS all an
Swered to their names.
Commissioner Voc was on motion ap-
pointed temporary Chairman, aud an
uounced that the first business In order
was the selection Of a President for the
ensuing year.
Commissioner Cook nominated Com
missioner Madden, and there being no
other nomination, a balloting was or
dered with the following result:
Commissioner Madden received 4 votes,
and one flank was cast.
Commissioner Madden was declared
duly elected President for the ensuing
year.
The President assumed the chair. and
addressed the Board as follows (his re-
marks being on motion ordered spread at
large upon the minutes):
GENTLEMEN:-While | am fully con-
scious of the high honor that has been ac-
corded me by my selection as President OF
the Board. l am fully aware of the many
and grave responsibilities which attach
to the Office. | trust to be able to show
my appreciation of your confidence by a
painstaking care Of the interests en-
trusted to me. We will have many prob
lems to face during the coming year, and
some of them will require earnest study
before their solution will become appar-
ent. From the outset we ind ourselves
hampered 10 the conduct of the city's
Water Department. by the legacy Of debt
that was piled up in the past and which
this and future Boards must devise means
of meeting. Fol years 1t was customary
for the Board of Finance to advance sums
Of money from the General Account to the
Water Account which had run behind for
q long time. This sort of thing went
along until the day OF reckoning came.
Then 1t was found that the water account
owed the general fund no less than
1 4d1d mn Vf a nrnnnSnd fn iGGyIa hnndc
for this am and had 1t been n we
would have started out afresh and know
ing exactly where we stood. But the
Legislature saw fit to limit the issue to
$3.50, 900, while at the same time making
1t compulsory for the Water Department
to quare up at once. IL was also de-
manded that the water account should
provide for the interest upon it's bonds
before paying a dollar for fuel, labor or
materials of any kind. The result
was that We found ourselves in a
~quandary and have not been able
as yet to see our way clear. 1t
was suggested that the General Account
should again be called upon for a loan,
but the Corporation Counsel, l under
stand, advised against our request, for
the reason that he could find no law
authorizing such a loan. AS President OF
this Board will favor q renewal of the
appeal to the Board of Finance. Should
they come to our relief we will gladly
make prope terms for repayment, and at
the same time will strive to cut down ex-
penses and insist Upon a business like
management of our several departments.
We all realize that the present state of af-
fairs works serious Injustice to employees
and hurts the city's credit with those fur
nishing supplies. Few private firms
could survive long If they were unable to
pay bills, no matter how unjust
or necessary, for months at a time.
The city also is undoubtedly required
to pay more b 1t would be asked, If the
cash was forthcoming within reasonable
time. At any rate, a candid discussion
Of the situation with the Board Of FL
nance can do no harm. One of the first
things we could urge Is the unfairness of
requiring the Water Department to pay
for water pumped for fire and other pub
lie uses. Newark, / understand, allows
her Water Account $50, 900 annually for
such things. Our city allows nothing.
The city should also make provision for
the work of extending street mains, which
are now paid for out of the current re-
ceipts. Let US meet the Finance
Board fairly m arrange matters
like business men with business men.
A review of these features of the Water
Department naturally leads up to the
question of our clty's water supply. At
the present time l am not prepared to
fully commit myself to any of the many
projects that have been before us, al
| tuUuGu 4 dll outiSuCo Lhab OCk6Oy SlGy' .
best interest would be conserved by a
gravity supply. Whether we change Il
ource of supply or not, In the near future,
we must make provision for increased car
rying facilities. The cement main on the
I HacEe nsack meadows Is about played
out. and its breakage may mean the ruin
of the maius along side of iu. All the mains
rest on foundations 50 frail that they would
give way in the washout of a large break
in the cement main. What the city
needs is a first class steel or iron main
laid at a safe distance from those now in
use. Aside from the Water Department.
we have had comparatively little trouble.
although we could have shown better re-
suits with larger appropriations. This is
especially true in the Street and Sewer
Cleaning Departments. We have lone
the best we could, however, in both of
these with the small appropriations al
lowed by the Board of Finance. 1t is a
we'll known fact that for years the sewers
of the city received little or no attention
under the contract system It
thousand dollars to clean the
sewers properly, entire, at the present
time. With the small annual appropria-
tion of eleven thousand dollars tor sew
ers, more has been accomplished by days
labor in the past three years in cleaning
them than had been done in a dec
AIDE under the contract system. Atten-
ton has recently been called. however, to
a bad break in the Railroad avenue
sewer. which should be repaired at once.
I believe that the building Of heavy rail-
road embankments has caused the present
rouble there, and If such is the case
there Is no doubt that the Pennsylvania
Company should foot the bill. II the city
has TO pay for the work. however, the
money will have to be borrowed, as the
meaare appropriation made is practically
used up already. The improvements
completed during the past year
included Cambridge avenue. Vroom
street, North street. Forrest, Fiji
teenth, Wilton, Woodward, Irv-
ing. Jones, Montgomery, Monmouth,
Bright and Twelfth streets, Pearsall,
Water, Hopkins and Wescott avenues,
aud Clifton place aud the sewering of
Vroom street, Sip II Hopkins avenues
and the extension of the Second street
sewer to the river. The work of con-
structing the joint outlet sewer with West
Hoboken is we'll under way and
its completion will add much to
the valuations of the upper end of the
Fourth district. The city has Also as
sented to the construction OF q large
main in the Greenville section that
will repay the city man times its cost in
course of time. The city's public build
ings have received attention. Two new
-%.ts1- A,,r xo,o 49, - nHnI n ,1n;n - = -