The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-01
THE CITY'S GAS SUPPLY.
Revival of the Argument
Over the Five Year
Contract.
QUESTION OVER ADVERTISEMENT.
The Finance Board Decides 10 APP
peal and Save the City
100000.
,UEsTION OVER ADVERTISEMENT.

the Board OF Finance which has been held
for more thai Il year past, was held yes
ierday evening at five O'Clock. All the
members were present.
The meeting was rather a tame one un-
til the arrival of Corporation Counsel Ed
wards. Then matters assumed a lively
aud interesting aspect. AT the request OF
President Hitler. Mr.. Edwards recalled
the scenes Of excitement which sur.
rounded the advertising and contract
ing for a supply OF gas which
was to continue for five years. 1t will be
remembered that the Board Of Finance
| with Mr.. John Edelstein as its President,
contested the right CT the Street and
Water Board to. entee into a five years
| agreement with Bob" Elliott's con-
| panies or monopoly. The suit was the
result of Il Iavorite dream. Ia fact the
dream OF a life time of ex.-Mayor Cleve-
land. All these things were revived by
| Mr.. Edwards remarks.
THOSE CONTRACTS.
eighteen months ago." said he, three
contracts were awarded to three gas COM
panies 10 iigut the city for a term of I'VE
years. This was done II the provisions
OF al act of 1891. The Board of Finance
at that time believing that its concur
l TGuCG d GQuttCo 81 IL AZ" va S1OL
"a contract. when being made by the
Street and Watsr Commissioners. carried
Ihe muBIer into the courts TO test the
eenstitutionality OF the award, aud ln-
cidentally to ascertain their powers III the
premises. Collins g. Corbin were en-
gagged as special counsel. The case of
ths city was defended by eX-Governor
Bedle and myself. 1t WAS the intention
| originally to test the case on The question
OF concurrent power. When the case
came up for argument, this point was
a~paudoned. The second point raised was
that the board was not bound year by
! year 90 set aside tue amount required ny
the Street an Water Board
THE ADVERTISEMENT.
"Then came the question OF advertising,
it being claimed tnaL IL was Il blind ali
| yertisemeut III which it was not clearly
| set forth that the contract was to be for
| five years, but that it was II general bid
Is was also cb4flned that unuer the auver-
| tisement ii the rlgnt man was low, the
| contract cou1u be awarded for hive years.
or. if it so happened that the right man
WAS not low The contract could be maue
for one year.
"Agatu, it was argued that under the
| contract the term SHOULD be i've years,
extending from the date that every new
Ianp was put down after the mdktug or
the contract. The Supreme Cour set
| aside all these things, and there seemed
to be only a slight uIfferencs OF opinion
| relative 10 the advertisements being per-
| fectiy proper. In other words the con-
tract was sustained and the only flaw
| there seem ms apparent is III the ADVERTISE
ment. Now, all that has 10 be done to
make this contract more binding is Tor
the Mayor and the President of the
Board OF street and Water commission
ers TO renew it. Virtually the Board of
Finance gained nothing III the suit. and
the nuly opeu question now Is on the ad-
y~ertisement. l believe that there Is u
fair chance OF defeating the contract.
me new one is hardly 10 operation now
and we are paying under The Old contract
made by the year"
DECIDED TO APPEAL
The Finance Boaru, CONSIDERING that it
would cost but a few hundred dollars to
appeal the case. aud in this manner save
the city, unier the five year contract, a
sum equal to-. il not exceeding, Sl00,0O0. 1t
was decided by resolution to appeal The
case. The compauies holding Tile con-
tracts are the United Gas improvement
Company, Jersey City Gas Light Com
pany and the Consumers Gas Light Com
pauy. This disposed OF, Que or ex-Mayor
Cie~velauu's ghosts, aud there are several
precincts to oe heard from yet, is laid
The next question brought up Was the
appointment of Thomas Reynolds. one of
tue indicted big Four" by the
Street aud Water Commissioners
| as Assistant SUPERINTENDENT OF the pipe
layers ut u salary of 500 per month. The
resolution was promptly
| In. Another little matter which attr tcted
| the attention OF tile board was Il Claim of
S25 vrsseu ted by j.. I. O'Sutlivau, au
Assembly messenger. for copies OF Legis-
| latlye attachments. The claim was
pigeon holed.
For the ficst time iu a year or W.
Water Department pavrolls were passed
A ~ - Ia 1oI fI.. Mac
,,ayralls Of the Water Registrar for
s2.9I4.93. and Reassessor for $500. The
buaru generously authorized the con-
| structiol of an 1S-incn Drlck wal sewer
III Grace street, between Summit to Cen
trai avenues.
E~NLIvENING MATTERS.
The meeting WAS beginning TO get tame
| again. aud accordingly the Commissions
ers proceeded to euliven IL. Tue old
board in its hurry TO dispose OF ali hung
| payrDlis aud claims walch hnd been
| steadily ~accumulatlng during It's reigl OF
usefulness passed. the following claims
/! of Anthony Saith for water cocks. gates,
| traps. etc., used at Belleville, S3i2. S420.
| s455. 1915, s225. SIS, S43S. S43S. S43S, 306
ana Bog Then came II lew Of john
Notanss for tagging at Bellevllle. There
were $3.50. S462 81. $3.50. $40 aud SOU. Tue
resolution ordering these paid WAS re-
scinded, anu subsequently The CLAIMS
themselves opconcu tred III and returned
To the Street aud Water Board for in-
| spection, and, If Decessury, revision.
Thu board then placed the controi OF
all the city property now owned by pur-
chase or under the Martin act" in the
naads Of K nmous 81 Co., with instruc-
| tons not 10 lease uuy OF the land for Il
! longer term than one year. Eninous IL
Co. will also collect all rents emanating
from the property, and turn it over to the
City II easurer.
Then came Il sensation on q small scale.
Under a resolution passed by The board
IN May 19, Comptroller Hough had ruli
coulroi OF tue liquor license money which
AIayor Wanser cahsed to be tied up until
he could fleet u compromise with the
Street aud Water Commissioners, where
by the money OF this fund sci aside for
special streets shouid be applied for that
purpose in future.
LIQUOR MONEY TIED UP.
AT the present time there are claims
aggregating $4,000 awaiting payment
from this liquor iicense fund for the year
of IS9I-g3, Comptroller Hougn did not
like all 5le responsibility placed upon hrs
shoulders, aud accordingly the Finance
Commissioners decided Lnat iG wodld be
n~dvisabls for them to review all the old
sclsims in conjunction with the city's law
officers aud then forward them to Mr.