The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-09
ROAD COSTS.
Mr.. Edlow w. Harrison
Gives the Engineering
Bureau Items.
TASKS OF HIS sUBoRDINATEs.
The Appeals in Condemnation
Cases Call For Much
Work
TASKS OF HIS sUBoRDINATES.
Many Surveyors Needed to Eeep
Work Plotted for the Com
tractors Gangs.

TRACTORS Gangss
At yesterdays meeting of the Board Of
Freeholders Clerk Boyd read report
from Chief E ngineer Harrison as TO the
expenses connected with his Office. At
the conclusion of the reading, Freehelder
Ellis asked that the report be received
and referred to the Committee on New
County Road. His reasons for this were,
be said, because | have received more
information concerning this Office than
have ever heard before. Since the En-
ginesr had a week to prepare this docu.
ment, would like to have y week to
examine it. noticed some comparisons
that the Engineer has made which. be-
lieve, will not bear inspection. !"
The report was referred to the com~
mittee. Engineer Harrison reported that
he estimated that it would cost $167, ,402
TO pave with Macadam and Telford pave.
ment, the Boulevard between the Kill
Won Kull aud the Morris Canal.a distance
of about two miles. He also advised
that five inspectors be appointed
for the County Boulevard to see that
the work was properly done on the sec
tions covered by contracts 4. 5. 8, z and 8.
Later in the evening the board accepted
the recommendation aud appointed as in
spectors, Martin Kelly, Paul Decker,
John Logan, Morris Welsh and Michael
O'Grady. The compensation is $3.50 per
day.
The full text of Engineer Harrison's
report was as follows
To the Honorable Director-at-Large and
Members of the Board of Chosen Free
holders of Hudson County, N. j.
GENTLEMEN:-I am Informed that cer-
| tain claims against the New Public Road,
| presented ut your last meeting, and Rp-
| proved Of by me in accordance with law,
| were rejected by YOUR board, charges be-
! ing made OF needless and extravaganza
| expenditure In my Office, and construc-
| tion engineering expenses.
| This course on the part of your board
| was surprise to me. as l was present
| as usual at the meeting of the Committee
| on New Public Road for several hours
that afternoon, ready to answer any ques.
tions. and explain any claim bearing my
| endorsement, and know that the claims
rejected were considered and endorsed by
a ainajority of the whole COMMITTEES.
Such a charge, whether founded Gu
| fact or not, made as 1t was, cannot be
allowed to pass unchallenged.
| | deny that the claims rejected, were
| for needless and exCravagant expendI-
i lures, and that there has been any need
| less or extravagant expenditure In the
| operation of my Office, or in the claims
endorsed by me, Tor services upon the
New Public Road. Furthermore, | in
| vite the most exhaustive examination of
| the items of these expenditures aud
| claims. knowing that such an examina-
| tion will show that instead OF extrava-
cance, the expenses of my Office and for
| construction engineering. are lower than
the usual amount required and expended
| for work of similar character elsewhere.
There are at present employed in my
Office, as follows:-
An assistant engineer at $3.50 per
month. A chief CLERK at 1925 per month";
A typewriter at $50 per month, U essenger
at $50 per month, and three assistants
eacn at So per day, averagiLk $40 per
month. Total payment Of office force,
S620 per month.
AS l understand. no criticism was made
of the employment or the Rsslstant engi@
neer or typewriter.
THE CHIEF CLERK.
AS tor chief clerk, this appointments
was made, and the compensation fixed bE
unanimous vote of the last board IN the
early stages OF the work, sths incumbent
being nominated by me at the REQUEST OF
may members of that board, aud with
the endorsement of numbers Of prom
inent citizens and taxpayer OF this county.
The duties of this position, in addition to
those usually deyOlving upon CLERKS
snch as comparison or contracts. speciti-
cations aud estimates, checking claims.
&C., cover Keeping set of books showing
in detail every item of expenditure
charged to proper account, With the du.
plicate voucher for all payments npon
the road, without rejecting upon tbe
list and aggregate amount OIL Claims
which are fled by the clerk or your poara
semi-annually as directed by tHe Public
Road Act, but which is not required to be
classified luto separate accounts.
These books thus kept. contain the only
complete record of expenditures uponfhiB
work which show intelligentiy. aA9las q
glance. the date, number and amount OF
each claim. and the amount paid each
person or for any class of WORK. (
AS, by the law, | am required TO certlry&
to nearly every payment made. the aoiI
ity to tell in q few moments, the exac ~
standing OF any account or contract AM
10 trace any claim or item. is indispens&# Is
bic,
On the completion of the WORK, tne
books will furnish a detail showing
every item OF expenditure under It's prA
er head. &
In addition there is necessity
some person with a general knowlede y
affairs of the road, to devote an RVA
OF one half of each day In answeri
inquiries of citizens having d1recQ ~
est in the opening or construotion< 81
road. The CHER engineer is NED
very much engaged when In thq4|4I
and the assistant engineer has al H..
III the future spend the greater 3
the day iu outside WORK. Every & f.
entitled in pu lie ohtce, TO ''5
ing, aud every courtesy III NJ i||
any matter connected with the II II
The above constitutes the VI II
chief CLERK, they are nd '|
neither is the Office sine q
quires some person to I'LL III 4 | T.
knowledge of accounts. gooG ||1