The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-19
TILE JERSEY CITY NEWS, TUESDAY, DECEMBER -, 1893

al ocnooI NO. 20, the commissioners eyadec
the law
A CLINCHER.
How, Mr.. Cook, do you explain that you
signed bids presented ON one day for these
claims and you passed them on the same day,
and yet you say that you Investigated them
as to their accuracy? q"
well, l knew they We're right. The men
had done work and ought to be paid"
"Did you examine the site Of School No.
70, before buying it Z"
"No, SIR he replied. "Some of the citi-
zens said we ought to buy that site and it was
purchased
'sHow was the work of paving Green
street and East Hamilton place given outg'
u don't know. Mr.. Dugan gave that
out"
"Do you know that Byrne had the work
on Bay street in 1S91-3g'
u don't remember"
Nv as 1t given out in the same way as Mr..
Dugan gave out the Green street job"
THE same way, without estimate" said
Mr.. Cook.
SAME III REASON.
And | suppose, since the bills are in item
each for $495, it's the same old reason, that it
is to suit the contractors
Yes, sir; l suppose so.o
who had charge of that work?'
"Mr. Dugan."
Then, in reference to tagging at Belleville
and the items each 1895 paid to Nolan, wit
ness said that Commissioner Dugan ordered
the WORK and that there was no estimate for
the work.
Other items for the same work was given
out in the same old way, because the Com
missiouers did not know how much work
had to be done, and it, in their estimation,
could not be estimated for.
Mr.. Erwin continued with further amounts
paid to Nolan for tagging, in May,
1Sut nf Eoct Gonn1ka~- H. Dali
vile, and furnishing, and Mr.. Cook
said that no contract or advertising had been
made. The money came out of the water
account. The So, 1862 item paid to Nolan for
paving Grove street was not advertised for.
Neither was there any advertising for Mr..
Gordon for ~repaving Greene street, Wash
ington place and Bridge street. These
and there was no advertisement and no con-
tracts made.
"Ill admit" said Mr.. Corbin, s'that on all
OF the bids there was no advertising or con-
tracts"
EMS.
Pointing to the item for repairs to breaks
in the w~aterpipe for which there was no i'd
vertising, MI. Cook said it was an urgency
item.
Don't you think it suspicious that the two
items should be exactly alike"
Not a bit, if he had charged it sou said
Mr.. Cook.
''Oh, then if he had charged a larger sum
you would have passed it,"
Certainly said Mr.. Cook.
FOL TRUCK HIRE.
"How much did your board pay for truck
hire between 81 and '92? Do you knowa
"No, sir.n
eDid you know that $4,000 was paid to j.
F. Somers for truck hire by your board.'
8! suppose SO if it says so" replied Mr..
Cook.
''Can you estimate the amount of truck
hire for your trucking"
"No, sir"
Mr.. Erwin continued reading amounts
paid to Hugh Dugan for feed, and asked
why the board doesn't advertise for it.
Couldn't say,n said Mr.. Cook.
AN IMPUDENT ANSwER
"Why do you take it from one man
Dugan!"
because we feel like it," was the reply.
"Don't you think it would be better to ad
vertise for competitions"
1--WE get it cheaper this way" replied Mr.
Cook.
"How can you tell that without advertis
ing!"
Witness didn't know.
Under charge N o 8, why is it you haven't
collected anything under the law for tagging
since you have had the fund of $4,000 ap
propriated!"
"Well we've served the notices bu
haven't had time"
"Under the law do you think you lave The
right to pay an inspector out of the appro
priationE'
eyes, we do. He has served notices anG
done useful work"
H WATER DEPARTMENT.
Witness went into the arrears of collec
lions of water rents already detailed in the
printed list of charges, but said that thest
mounts were true and said that the arrear
ages were less than usual. He testified as tx
the income of the water department as stated
last year. There was a contract down fol
work supplied by Philip G. Martin and T
Smith & Brother. There was no advertising
or contract made for goods from Bob Davis
Jersey City Supply Company.
"Now we come to the last charge of giving
land to railroad companies" said Mr.. Erwin
who began with the Brown place matter, bu-
counsel objected to the matter being re
opened. Mr.. Erwin finished the cross-exam
nation, and Mr.. Corbin on redirect drew
from the witness that the board had nevel
been dilatory in the matters contained in the
last charge, and that when the board Of
Finance had given the board the money fol-
building the schools, the work had beer
commenced as fast as possible.
The hearing then adjourned until "a;
P. M.