The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-25
DEADLOCK BROKEN.
Boards of S. & W. Com'rs
and Finance Practically
Agree on the Water
Question.
EXPERTS TO BE APPOINTED
Commissioners Hardenbergh and
Jones Dissent From Their
Colleagues Action.

The trouble between the Street and
Water and Finance Commissioners ap-
pears to be drawing to a close and the
outlook is that their differences on the
water problem viii be speedily adjusted
AS was exclusively announced in ''The
Jersey City News" on Tuesday last, it
was agreed that the two boards should
each name expert to examine the
specifications now hanging fire in the
Finance Board, and report whether or not
amendments could be made IN them
which would better protect the interests
of the city in acquiring a new supply
of water by contract. The Street and
Water Commissioners met this morning
and received from the Finance Board a
peculiar communication, in which was
named two experts, one of whom the
board desires to have appointed as its
representative in the proposed examina-
tion of the specifications. 1t was as fol-
lows
1--WE the undersigned members of the
Board of Finance would respectfully
name Benjamin c. Church or A. Fteley
as consulting engineer for this Board of
| Finance. Signed,
JAMES BAILEY,
REUBEN SIMPSON"
was another, which read as follows:-
I'VE the undersigned would respectful-
| " request the appointment of Mr.. A.
FNteley as our consulting engineer.
| Signed "JOHN NJ. JONES.
WARREN HARDENBERGH."
| FINANCIERS DIVIDED.
It is readily seen by this that the Board
of Finance is divided as to its choice,
and it was reported at City Hall this
morning that dessrs. Jones and Harden
bergh would not act with the other city
officials on the water problem until Mr..
Fteley has made an examination of the
| specifications, which will meet with their
| approval.
The Street and Water Commissioners
held a short consultation before meeting
and then adopted the following resolu-
tom
Resolved, That agreeably to and in
| concurrence with the provisions of a.
! preamble and resolutions adopted by
! this Board October 15 1894, Oliver W.
| Barnes and Benjamin s. Church be and
are hereby appointed as water experts
for the purpose therein set forth; that
| said experts shall at the termination of
their duties, or from time to time, when
| called upon, present written reports OF
results ascertained by them; that said
| Oliver W. Barnes shall report directly
| to this Board and that said Benjamin 5.
| Church shall make report of his aScer-
| tainments to the Board OF Finance, the
| scope of his inquiries having such trend
as said Board may direct, and that for
the purposes of such examination the
| employment of experts herein directed,
| and for all expense incidental thereto, a
| sum not exceeding $4,000, payable out OF
the water account, is hereby authorized
| to be expended"
| The resolution will probably be con-
| CURED in at the next meeting of the
! Board of Finance without the votes of
| President Jones and Commissioner Her-
WHO BARNES is.
! Oliver w. Barnes is, according to the
| statement of Commissioner Cone, one
| of the most renowned engineers in this
| country He was selected by the Van
| derbilts to lay out the parallel line of
4 the New York Central to the Pennsyl-
| vania Railroad from Pittsburg to New
| York; Mr.. Church is another eminent
| engineer. The reason Mr.. Fteley was
/ not engaged is said to have been be-
cause of a previous connection with the
| East Jersey Water Company. Engi-
| neer Hirschen was spoken of but he was
! not seriously considered because of
\ similar connection. Engineer Knichling
| of Rochester was considered for a time,
1 but was finally dropped for Mr.. Chureh.
| The agreement of the Board of FL
nance to allow the Street and Water
| Commissioners to engage the experts
| is regarded as a victory for the latter
| Board. The Finance Commissioners did
| not give in, however, until Corporation
Counsel Blair had advised them that
| they had no power TO employ the -e&-
| perts.
| Before adjourning the Street and Wa
| ter Board confirmed the assessment map
| for the Improvement of Zabrislie street,
| after reducing August Zoller's assess
| ment from $94 to $780, a change of grade
| and new sewerage plan for Stuyvestant
| avenue between the P. r. r. cut, Ton
nele avenue and West Side avenue was