The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-13
SLEDGE HAMMER
CHARGES,
Another Arrangement of the
Street and Water Board
Before Mayor Wanser.
FRAUD AND MALFEASANCE.
Pearl Street Invasion and
Washington Street 0bstrue-
ton by the P. R. R.
SIDEWALK FUND SQUANDERED.
DOdging the Contract Law-Shame-
full Delay of Public
Buildings.
SIDEWALK FUND SQUANDERED.


Additional charges have been preferred
against John F. Madden, Edward A. Dugan,
Charles J. Somers, William R. Cook and
Stephen P. Yoe, constituting the Board of
Street and Water Commissioners. The
complainants in the new charges are Dr.
Ulamor Allen, Director of the Board of
Education; Hugh Leslie, a boiler manufac-
turer of Pearl street, and Thomas Hill, a
shovel and barrow manufacturer Of Pearl
street. The additional charges were made
this morning at ten o'clock and fled with
Mayor Wanser.
The new charges disclose the perfidy of the
board more plainly than do the original
ones. The charges embrace the closing up
of Pearl street and the destruction of bust
ness thereon, the criminal neglect in permit
ting Washington street, under the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, to remain impossible and
the disgraceful business methods pursued in
the construction of School No. 25.
TEXT OF THE CHARGES.
Here are the charges
JERSEY CITY, Dec. 9, 1893.
To Hon. Peter f. Wanser Mayor of jersey
City
SIR-The undersigned citizens and tax
payers in Jersey City, make the following
charges of official misconduct and neglect
against John F. Madden, William R. Cook,
Edward A. Dugan, Charles j. Somers and
Stephen P. Yoe, constituting the Board of
Street and Water Commissioners of Jersey
City, and respectfully ask that said Commits
sioners and each of them be forthwith re-
moved from Office in the manner provided in
Chapter 134 of the laws of 1891. The follow
ing charges, except where otherwise specih-
cally mentioned, are made against said Com
missioners collectively as board and in
dividually as members of such board.
SCHOOL MO. 25.
Charge I.-Said Commissioners are charged
with official neglect in the delay permitted
in the construction of School No. 25, situate
on the corner of Columbia avenue and Ia
brishe street, in Jersey City. The contracts
for the construction of this building were
awarded by said board to whom by law is
entrusted the erection of all school buildings
in this city in the month of December, A. D.,
1891, to Patrick j. Condor, mason, Kelly
Brothers, carpenters, and Philip E. Martin,
plumbing and heating); the contracts exc
cuted therefor were dated about February l,
A. d. 1892, and by the terms Thereof said
school was to be completed by the mason by
July Is, 1892, and by the carpenters and
others ready for occupancy by August, 1892;
said contracts (which are on file in the Office
of the Comptroller of Jersey City and to
which reference is hereby made each con-
tanned the following provision
The contractor is to provide everything
necessary for proper completion of the said
work within the above limited time Should he
fail SO to do. the owner may notify him in writ
ing to proceed forwith and complete said work,
which notice may either be served personally or
left at the contractors residence or place of
bus mess with the person in charge thereof, and
il the contractor shall fail to proceed with said
work under this contract for the space OF three
days after service the owner may either re-
scind this contract or, as the agent of the con-
tractor. may employ men and procure the
necessary materials for such work, at the ex-
pense OF the contractor, and deduct the cost
thereof from any moneys due or to become due
under this contract.
Notwithstanding said contracts, the work
upon said school building has not vet been
fully completed, and the City has been de-
prived of the benefit thereof for upwards of
fifteen months beyond the time limited in the
contracts; that no determined effort was
ever made by said Board, although fully
cognizant Of said facts, to compel the com
pletion of said buildings within the time SO
limited, nor to take the work out of the
hands of such said contractors as were delin-
quent, and complete the same at their ex-
pense in the manner provided in said con-
tracts. As result of such official neglect Q)
many children in the vicinity of said new
school have been deprived of proper school
facilities for over a year; q the city has
been put to large expense, to wit:-over
five hundred dollars in hiring and furnishing
temporary quarters for a part of said
scholars, and (3 the city has been obliged to
expend the sum of about one hundred and
twenty five dollars per month for ten months
in the payment Of the inspectors wages upon
said building for the time occupied in the
completion of said building beyond the time
limited in said contracts.
DREDGING THE CONTRACT Law
Charge II.-Said Commissioners are
charged with violating the provisions of Sec
tion l59 of the Act entitled "An Act to reor-
ganize the local government of Jersey City,"
passed March 30, 1871, and commonly known
as the Charter Of 1871, which enacts, among
other thingf, that no contract for work or
materials, where the amount to be paid by
the city exceeds the sum of $500 shall be en-
tered into by any city board except after due
advertisement for six days, at least, in the
official newspapers, whereupon the contract
shall be awarded to or the purchase shall be
made Of that responsible bidder who offers
the terms most advantageous to the city.
This provision has been evaded and yio-
lated by said Commissioners in numberless
instances in the ordering of work and sup
plies for the city.
Your attention, however, is called to the
following as sample case:
In the fall Of 1891 thecity purchased
plot of ground on the corner OF Columbia
avenue and Zabriskie street, whereon to
erect the now School House No 25 This
plot Of land had never been graded. Said
Commissioners, acting in committee, with
out advertising said work, directed Patrick
J. Condor to grade said plot, which he did,
rendering bills for said work as follows:
January II, 1892. .......,............... S4e5 90
January 1S, 1922. g2........................ 495 90
January 25, 1892. Observation-Disclosures. 450 90
February 9, 1892. ................... 495 20
February %, 1892. 92................ 1876 90
February 90. 1892. 92................... sos 90
February %. 1892. ......,....... ass 90
February %, 1S92.. .................. 275 90
April 20, 1892 S34 so