The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-18
REMOVE THESE MEN
Action of Street and Water
Commissioners Which
Mayor Wanser Should
Take Note Of.
UTTER DISREGARD OF DUTY
Resolution. Awarding Street
Paving Contracts to High
est Bidders. Railroaded
Through the
Meeting.
UTTER DISREGARD OF DUTY
No Semblance Of Honesty in Their
Proceedings. and the Ciiy's
Interest Totally Ignored.

There was disgracetul wrangle at the
meeting of the Street aud Water Com
missiouers this morning, which was pre-
cipitated by the action of President
John f. Madden and COMMISSIONERS Yos
audCook raiiroading a resolution through
the meeTing which is IN direct
violation of the law governing their
movements and which expressed their
desire palmer than words can tell, to
squander tho ci,y's mouey confided to
their care. and also furnished proof
positive that tae interests Of the city
were OF secondary consideration when
personal Interests were TO be benefited.
Not many months ago Mayor Wanser
jumped on the entfre board for squan-
deriug the special street appropriations
and finally demanded of them that they
DO certain paving with belgian bloc ks
and also considerable asphalt paving If
they desired 10 get penny Of the special
street money this year.
The agreement was entered into be-
tween the Mayor and The board. Bids
were advertised for and the Trinidad
Asphalt Paving Company submitted an
estimate TO do the work for 81 10 per
square yard over cobble stone payememts
and s270 on belgian blocks over con-
crete.
The Barber Asphalt Paving Company.
which was recently implicated in a dis
graceful job iu Newark proposed to do
the work for s. s. per square yard over
cobbles anu 1928 over concreta.
THE JOKER" RESOLUTION.
This rnornin. Pre- ident Madden off .red
resolution and Commissioner Cook
moved its adoption. The resolution pro-
vided .hat the following streets be paved
by the com pauies. us follows:
Bnrber Asphalt Paving Company
Birrow street fran north side of Grand
TO south side OF Newark avenue. omitting
iu erss ction at York antl Montgomery
streets: Eighth street from Grove st rect
TO east s,dr vi Coles, pavement TO be over
concrete; East Hamilton Place from as
phslt pavement on Eighth to south side
of Ntnfh street.
Trinidad Asphalt Paving Company
Fourth s,reet from Erie street to east
of jersey avenus TO east slds of Coles
rect; Bergen avsnne, from north side
OF Hai rison avenue to south side of Bal.
mont avenue. ever concrete or be.gi Ii
bncg.
As soon as the resolution had been
read Commissioner Somers jumped to
his feet and said:
c0ArEpo n d IErTc
II object to such course being pur-
sued. Here is resolution which,
If adopted. will compel the city
pay forty or sixty cents
more a square yard for work than we
Cam get it done for. The Trinidad Com
pany is low. aud I will never be party
to . scheme to award contracts to the
highest bidders. We have seen samples
cfboIh pavements, and from what I can
learn tha Trinidad pavcment is the best.
''If the members supporting this rsso-
iution will tell me why contracts should
be awarded to the highest bidder / will
say no more"
''Some Trinidad pavement was laid in
Albany and it was not success" inter-
rupted Mr.. Cook.
"We have divided the work." said
President Madden.
''Wes" retorteds ar. Dugan. I'VE have
done nothing OF tEs sort. lido not know
anything about the scheme and will
not vote to pay twice as much for wor
as is necessary.
''The Trinidad Company Is a RESPONSE
BILE bidder, and guarantees its work for
ten years." said Mr.. Somers.
President Madden m ade q hopeless
effort to wriggle out of the scrape by
laying the blame on the CommiItse on
Stree of which Dugan is chairman.
THE ENGINEERING PRESIDENT.
"The committee had nothing to do
with this m AFTER" replied MIR. Dugan.
"rhe President has engineered this thing
ana won't be drawn into it. The Pres
ident aud the members supporting 1t
ssem to be very much interested In the
Barker COMPANY"
II think the board is exercising good
Judgment in these awards" said Mr.
Madden.
well. as you are making the awards.
Mr.. President. would let some one else
discover the good sense or good judg-
ment of it." retorted Dugnn. "Such a
course is not legal. aud we have no right
or power to ignore the law and award
contracts TO the highest bidders,
You are no authority on law, replied
Madden. !
II imagine I can teach you few
things" cooliy replied Dugan.
This concluded the squabble. but Mad
den. Yoe and Cook passed the resolution
Acting Mayor Simpson. however. will
MATTERS OF FACE