The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-10
FODSuAPPHRY.
Board Of Trade Opposes the
Water Award Temporary
Supply Approved.

A dozen members of the Board of
Trade, aided and abetted by an equal
| number of gentlemen belonging to
Good Government clubs. met in the
Boards rooms, under the Second Ma
tional Bank, last night, to criticize the
award of the water contract to the
Jersey City Water Company. 1t was a
mixed assembly: some didn't want any
supply at all, Passaic nastiness was
good enough for them, and ought to be
for the rest of the citizens; others be-
Iieved in purifying the foul stream,
while third group advocated commits
sion consisting of intelligent citizens
themselves, of course. included-to take
charge Of the whole matter. The speeches
were generally redolent of abuse for the
officials in general. and Mayor Wanser
in particular, and this style of argument
was fittingly capped with a motion from
one gentlNnan that the entire meeting
resolve itself into Committee of the
Whole, and at that time, Il P. NJ, pro-
eeed by trolley cars to Greenville, rout
Messrs. Reuben Simpson and
Jacob J. Detwiller out of
their beds. and insist that they
recant their heretical opinions and agree
luton in the Board of Finance Luckily
for Messrs. Simpson and Detwiller the
motion was not seconded.
Seated in the rooms were DR.. L. ].
Gordon, DR.. 1. N. Quimby, H. " Con-
dict, w. c.. Drake. L. B. Ward. w. ].
TAFT. E. S. Leaycraft, c. C. Jewell, NJ. L.
Stowe. of the Board of Education; Fire
Commissioner j. j. Cone c. G. Rochat,
P. Hall, Robert A. Simpson, fudge W.
p Douglass. ]. A. Bouker. George G.
Fountain. E. T. Mclaughlin. Chauncy
Holt, Major Peterlxin, Robert Anderson,
and John w. Heck. In the absence of
President John ]. Voorhees, Mr.. C. c..
Jewell presided.
PUBLIC SCANDALIZED.
The first business was to pass a set of
resolutions. and these were read by
Secretary TAFT
missioners of Jersey City have awarded
a contract to the Jersey City Water
Company for a supply Of water for. a
more more than S. 0oO, 900 above the lowest
bidder, and under specifications and
plans drawn without the assistance and
ed by the city, and on alleged grounds
that will not bear examination.
Whereas, The Board of Finance. first
having put themselves on record as be-
ing in favor of the employment Of an
expert engineer, have suddenly and with
out justifiable reason concurred in said
Resolved, That public opinion has been
seandalized and the fair name of our
city has been wounded by the unac-
missioners of the Board of Finance with
regard to a concurring in the award
of a water contract to a bidder not clear
lX- ant OA nf u TGfa a iflE
publicly avowed conviction that the pro-
posal of such bidder was not the most
refusal or failure to authorize the ap-
pointment of an expert to assist the
Board of Finance in forming an intelli-
taking its official action.
Resolved. That the unprecedented and
explicit charges made by said Commis-
in written statement. signed and present.
ed by them to the Board of Finance at
its last meeting. alleging unlawful in
reference with them in the discharge
of their sworn duty as public officials
with regard to the water contract, to
coerce them into line of conduct agree
Judgment, must, unless they are dis
proved, shake public confidence in the
integrity of the city's administration
ties of the city will be satisfied by the
Introduction of the temporary supply
from the Pequannock Aqueduct, and that
Il
action of the Street and Water Board
and the Board of Finance of Jersey City
in. awarding contract for such tempo
rary water supply; and we urge the
Mayor of Jersey City to sign the resolu-
tien awarding such contract as soon
as possible to the END that the people
of Jersey City may, at the earliest pos
sible moment, have a supply of pure
water; but we emphatically condemn the
twenty-five years to the Jersey City
Water Company for the price named in
that company's bid. and request the
Mayor of Jersey. City to- veto the reso-
lutions of the Street and Water Board
and of the Board of Finance awarding
said contract.
MR.. CONDICTS TRADE.
Counsellor H. v. Condict gave the
pitch for the evenings talk by TRADE
against Messrs. Simpson and Detwiller,
and incidentally Mayor Wanser, all of
whom, he declared had forfeited the
confidence of the people. He read the
letter of the Finance Board to the May
or and afterwards the letter explain
ing the voting ON the Jersey City Water
Company's bid, which change of front in
Mr.. Condict's opinion was an evidence
of cowardice.
"Up to last Thursday night the Board
of Finance had the confidence of the
people l am surprised at the conduct
Oh COuIulSSiOuGIS oHIpSOu anu DGlWll-
Ter. They were led away by our May
or. 1t is the most deplorable condition of
affairs have ever known. These men
towards, l should say-didn't dare
stand by their opinion. They allowed
the Mayor to bulldoze them. Such men
the city should be ashamed of. / am.
They have forfeited the confidence of the
people and their self-respect."
This speaker was followed by the chair
man of the Goo Goo League. who, irni-
tating the abusive line of argument in
augurated by Mr.. Condict, ended a dis
connected speech, with the threat of
appealing TO the courts. and heroically
tapping the pennies in his pocket to
slsaity that he would give bountifully
10 carry out the threat.
GOO GOO VIEWS.
AZ this iuncture Mr.. Chauncey Holt of
Good Government Club No. thought It
a fine chance to air his pet scheme OF
appointing water commission. He
wanted water, he said. but with regard
to cost and repeated conversations Of
thrilling interest which he had held with
prominent citizens who wanted water,
but didn't want to pay for It.
Then came Mr.. E. Tufds Mclaughlin.
whose son-in-law, Mr.. Edlow s. Harr1-
son, is engineering the rival Hudson