The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-24
MAYOR STOPPED IT.
Street and Water Commits
Sioners' Scheme for New
Water Proposals
Killed.
ADVERTISING is NECESSARY
Majority of the Board Of Fl
\ nance Said to Oppose All
Propositions Now Be-
fore the City.
Aldermen Think the City Ought
to Construct Its Own
Works at Once.

Mayor Wanser has very effectuallJ
put an end TO the plan of the Street
and Water Board to receive additiona
propositions for the furnishing of a new
supply of water on Saturday. He sim
ply won't have it and has so informed
the members of the Street and Water
Board. Yesterday when the announce
ment was made that the Commission
ers. acting as a Committee of the Whole
had decided to reject the formal bids
of the East Jersey and Jersey City
Water Company and to receive prop
ositions promiscuously on Saturday, ii
was generally believed that the action
would be legal.
}CiM, Attorney Weart has all along
4 co 90 ded that it was not necessary
8ofor The city to advertise for bids before
II making a contract. The only lawyer
i who disputed his assertion at the many
, hearings that were held in the Mayor S
office was Mr.. Charles Corbin, the rep
resentative of the East Jersey Water
Company.
ADVERTISING NECESSARY.
He contended that the advertising was
legally necessary. Not much attention
was paid to Mr Corbins contention, but
yesterday afternoon when 1.-The Jersey
City News editorially called attention
to the fact that the officials were lay
4 ing themselves liable to indictment by
). ositions without advertising, there was
a lively scramble for some one well
versed in municipal law.
a Mayor Wanser called the Street and
ater Commissioners to his office last
ght and long conference was held.
operation Counsel Blair was summon
land he decided that il would be illegal
ST ftake any action without first adyertis-
ing. He based his opinion upon the de-
eision of the Court of Errors and APP
5peals in the. five-year gas contract liti-
rgation, in which it was shown that the
I lcity had not properly advertised for BIDS.
1T was eontended that the law distinctly
8 requires advertisement for bids in cases
zyhe-2 the amount to be expended ex-
IS IN view of these facts Mayor Wanser
said he. would NOT allow propositions to
/, THE calls NOT r SENT OUT.
The result Of the Mayors decided stand
published in THE News yesterday, Were
not sent e the promoters Of the various
their PROPOSITIONS with a certified check
The action of the Street and Water
committee is not binding. 1t was pro-
posed to ratify the action at meeting
has : been cen altered % f2e Mayor M p has gone gone
a step further and declares that he will
not recognize any official consideration
fore the street and Water Board. He
insists upon one thing at a. time being
disposed Of If the formal bids are re-
either on Thursday or later new adver-
tising will be made necessary.
Just what course is to be pursued is
not known. President Macarthur declines
TO discuss the situation The whole thing
appears to be SO hopelessly confused
that the officials don't know "just where
they are at
Mr.. McDevitt- the representative of the
East Jersey Water Company was on
hand bright and early at the Mayor s
Office this morning He engineered, it is
said, the Newark contract, and he is try
ing his hand at pulling a contract out
of this city. !,
A majority of the members of the Board
of Finance are said to be opposed to all
the bids and propositions now before the
city. Readyertising for bids seems in
eyitable