The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-07
MORE BROADSIDES.
Grand Jury Expert Scores
the Contractors on the
New City Hall.
oRITICIzING CONSTRUCTION WORK
Ceiling Is In a Dangerous Con-
dition - Anominable Dis
closures of lncompetency.

expert employed by the Grand Jury to
examine the new City Hall, as published
in ''The Jersey City News" yesterday,
created great deal of comment un-
favorable to those having charge of the
construction of the building Today THE
Jersey City News publishes extracts
from what the expert calls the second
part of his examination or rather the
report thereof. 1t deals entirely with
the specifications and drawings. Mr..
Maynicke says
81 have not had the pleasure of meet
ing his Honor, the Mayor nor the gem
tlemen comprising the Board of Com
nlissioners, except Mr.. Datz, whom | met
once at the new City Hall building. Mr..
Broome, the architect, and Mr.. Tallman,
the superintendent, I did not meet until
my investigation began, nor did | know
any of the contractors and sub-contrac-
tors, except the following:-Mr. Robert
Muirhead, sub-contractor for blue stone
work, who has done a large amount of
work under my supervision in New York
City. Messrs. Otis Brothers & Co., sub
contractors for the elevator work, who
have done and are now doing a great
deal of work for me. The Western Elec-
tric Company, who have frequently es-
any contracts under my supervision dur
ing the past few years. Messrs. Mayer
& Son, with whom I had some dealings
few years ago. Messrs. Pattison Bro
thers, the electrical experts engaged by
Mr.. Broom, have been here some years
and are now in my employ.
''It is my opinion that the differences
pointed out are either due to a delib-
Of nf
contract on the part of contractors, or
that they are the result of ignorance,
both of the trades they profess or the
inability to understand the drawings and
the specifications; the latter conclusion
is somewhat tempered by the fact that
in many cases both the drawings and
| the specifications were imperfect and de-
| lusive. There are many more cases of
| improper materials and work, which L
| have not enumerated, but which are
either of an unimportant nature or are
covered so that they are not readily
accessible. However, [ am willing and
shall be pleased to demonstrate the cor
| reetness of my foregoing report, to you
and to the members of the Honorable
| Grand Jury, at the new City Hall build
! ing, at any time you may appoint.
sSecond part relating to drawings and
| the specifications Before entering upon
| this part of my report, desire to state
| that 1 have had interviews with Mr..
| L. H Broome, the architect; Mr. Tall
man, the superintendent; Mr.. English,
Mr.. Kiernan and SHr. Farrier, the con-
| tractors, from whom I have gathered a
| certain amount of information. I have
| also seen Mr.. George H. Jones, the
! building inspector. AT the Comptroller's
| office / examined the contracts made by
/ the Mayor and Aldermen of Jersey City
with Richard English, with John Kier-
nan and with William w. Farrier. In
regard to the contracts I wish to state
| that in each of these contracts the fol-
| lowing clause appears at the end of the
| third section:-
| "'Any dispute regarding the true
| meaning of the plans and specifications
| shall be decided by the architect and
1 his decision shall be final on all par
| ties.
'eThis is a customary clause, and 1t
| gives the architect absolute power to de-
| eide all questions relating to what is
| specified or both, but he cannot give a
| decision as to the contractors obilga-
| tions, on anything that is neither shown
! nor specified. 1 do not think that the ar
| chitect can oblige contractor to furnish
i,ia 9. "a aiu 4.s.s5 -, nofo,rol
ura"ins anu aio' i41e-i'iosa ~ - -
10 IN the specilca'ions, - SUI nc -,
| are OF oiilelenl Ainu ~ o"'- - -, :
% iiio = as I'll, oo,,yao+
ior' uiiless .nes az -,r,, -, -
eu Win 'ae .,o,.l, +bosa
ioF siiliiar NC eei 90 - - ca -,
coVeleu ps .ne 49,, oIa,,sas ,a+-
az 'ie ooi'i @ go ss,1,ts 80 10 be
enis ioi - - 4nao+rs .ra ne.r1v
iiaoe " .ne eoi'i
ailke, s.a.iiis aa o,, +,a
ouon ps' liie.t.s 4t oad - said oitv
prouae'ioil - 'N 20 .,. ~ said
| haVihs ona - -s,.,.;,,o 80
coiiei eeeoi' VI ie e,.:4sot
| ceiliiicq.e' e.s4,, +t,a+ =. ~
| which certlHcate snail SET lorth lhee s"iu
| contractor hath become entitled to such
navroan+ hv reason of having done at
tns4 pas 49, ,,.orar+io,ata nart of all
| that time proportiohate psil " a.
the work and furnished all the materials
| raa,ired bv this contract at the time
reauireu ny .iils -
| OF giving Such cerllncdle ia dccoi u1hoe N
/ with the terms of this contract and
~. ,aoifootions hereto annexed, =
Ing spo0iiies q 'ion7 ,TJ.,,:D.-. nv
The contract with William W. far-
! r,-or,, 20 roI,;+ec+, has been omitted: this
/ Woru archieecl has oe9n
portion of the contract reads, oL d Ger
/ tificate, signed by the said which GER
4 4.faat I'll 80 for+b i **
tlneate shall set ioi'h
/ t.All the specifications which are part
| of tbe resnective contracts contain this
o,o,,sa.l ~ rec : -SS''>.s',