The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-13
purpose Of evading the letter of section 15e,
above recited


Charge III.-Said Commissioners are
charged with official neglect in the delay
permitted in the construction of the Fifth
Precinct Station House on the corner of
City.
The contract for the construction of this
building was awarded over the vote of the
Mayor by said board Ito whom by law is en-
trusted the erection of all station houses
IN said city on May %, 1892 to
Patrick J. Condon; the contract
executed therefor bore date July 9, 1892 and
oy the terms thereof said building, was to be
completed ready for occupancy by the first
day OF December, A. D., 1892; said contract
(which is on file in the office of the Comp
troller of Jersey City, and to which reference
Is hereby made contained the following pro-
vision:-
The contractor is to provide everything neces-
sary for proper completion OF the said work
within the time above limited. Should he fail
SO to do the owner may notify him Ia writing to
proceed forthwith and complete said work.
which notice may either be served personally or
ieit at the contractors residence or place of
business with the person in charge thereof,
and the contractor shall fail to proceed
with said work under this contract
Tor the space or three days after service the
owner may either rescind this contract or, as
the agent OF the contractor, may employ men
work at the expense OF the contractor and de-
duct the cost thereof from any monies due or
10 become Que under this contract.
Notwithstanding the terms of said con-
tract the said building was not turned over
to the city as completed until about the fif-
teenth day of November, A D., 1898, SO that
the city has been deprived of the benefit
thereof for upwards of eleven months beyond
the time limited in the contract, during
which time the city has been compelled to
pay rent for other and inadequate accomo-
datlOns; that no determined effort was made
of
OF said facts to compel the completion of
said buildings within the time so limited,
nor to take the work out of the hands of
said contractor and complete the same at his
expense In the manner provided in said con-
tract; in addition to the delays mentioned
the city will be compelled to paw out the
sum of about one Thousand dollars for in
spector's salary for such overtime.
PEARL STREET
Charges ~. Said Commissioners, although
entrusted by law with the care and preserva-
tlon OF the public streets of the city for the
use OF the public, are charged with official
neglect in permitting the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company to practically close Pearl
street, between Washington and Greene
streets, and to gradually appropriate the
same to the use of said Railroad Company
to the exclusion Of the public and abutting
property owners.
Pearl street, between said points is and has
been public street of Jersey City for up
wards OF sixty years, on the northerly side
thereof the whole block is occupied by manu-
featuring establishments, while the property
on the southerly side thereof is wholly occu-
pied by the embankInent and tracks of said
railroad
The railroad company has been permitted
to lay and maintain tracks in said street, and
by gradual encroachments to occupy practi-
cally the whole street, especially at the east
erly end thereof, where the whole carriage
way has been cut off. The attention of the
board has been repeatedly called to these
encroachments by various persons, and es-
peclally by Hugh Leslie, the owner of plot
of land upon the northerly side of said
block
WASHINGTON STREET.
Charge V.-Said Commissioners although
entrusted by law with the care and preser-
walton OF the public streets of the city for
the use of the public are charged with Of
street IA paved street., between Montgomery
street and Steuben street, and especially u1i-
der the elevated structure of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, to be and remain practically
impossible. This street is an important I
thoroughfare and connects a large
manufacturing district of the city, with the
ferries at the foot of Exchange place; many
teams should use the street daily, but
through failure to repair and improve the
same, and to prevent the drainage from the
neighborhood from collecting and stagnating
at the low point under said elevated structure
although said board had always had at its
disposal ample funds for such purpose), said
street has become impossible, to the great
damage OF the public and the owners Of ad-
joining property.
SIDEWALK MALFEASANCE
Charge VI.-Said commissioners are
charged with wasting and diverting from
its proper use the fund of $4,000 appropri-
pfa tn hu bn Of
about the first day of July, 1891, out of the
fees derived from licenses to sell spirituous
and malt liquors pursuant to the provisions
of section of Chapter 134 of the laws of
1891.
This fund, as by reference to said act will
more fully appear, and all moneys collected
by said city from assessments made under
said section must be kept apart and used
from time to time by said board for the
purpose of repairing and resetting curb
stones and sidewalks and Tagging in the
streets of Jersey City, and for no other
purpose.
OF said fund of $4,000 there has been ex-
pended to date about the sum of 81, ,302 SO, 1
whereof the sum of 81, 274 SO has been paid to |
one Philip Muldoon as salary as Inspector of
Sidewalks ian Office improperly created after
the appropriation of said fund.-, and the sum
of $75 to J. j. Ryan, Assistant Inspector,
while the balance of 81, ,952 62 has been ex-
pended for supplies Of various kinds
That while the said last named sum of
81, ,952 62 cents may have been expended in |
the repair of sidewalks the same was ex-
pended illegally and without reference to |
the provisions of said act, without notice to
the delinquent land owners and without |
levying any assessment therefor as required |
by said act.
A SINECuRE CLERK.
Charge VII.-Said Commissioners are |
charged with extravaganza and W, ste in the |
employment of clerks in the Water Depart |
ment, and especially in the Bureau of Assess
ment and Collection Of Water Rents: for ex-
ample, in said Bureau one Garret Healy has |
been employed and paid as a clerk during the |
months of january, February, March, April, |
May, June July and September, or some of |
them, A. d. 1898, at salary of 500 |
per month"; during that period he has rarely |
attended at the Office of said Bureau and has |
performed no clerical or other work what |
ever for said board; that the payment of his |
salary for said months has been fraud |
upon the city; that the facts relative to said |
Healy have been especially within the knowl- |
edge of Commissioners Madden, Cook and (
Yoe
In that bureau more clerks and assistants |
have been and are employed than necessary |
to perform the clerical duties thereof as |
consequence many of said clerks absent |
themselves from said office for DAYS at a |
time.
WATER RENT ARREARS.
Charge VIII. Said Commissioners are |
charged with neglect in the collection
of the water rents due to the city |
De- To-