The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-24
MAYOR FAGAu ANGRY
Refuses to Sign Warrants IN
til the Sewer Bills Are
Investigated.


The chief topic of conversation about
the Hoboken City Hall yesterday and to-
day was Mayor Fagans veto of Con-
tractor Thomas Cavanagh's bills for the
construction of the lateral sewer in Ferry
street. There is to be an investigation,
which will in all probability reveal some
interesting facts.
The members of the Common Council
have called a meeting of the Committee
OF the Whole for January 80, to consider
whether they will accept the sewer as
1t is now. completed or not
Mayor Pagan wants to know how it is
that Messrs. Tivy and Smith certify to
the correctness of a bill for $40 922. 80 for
piling one-third of the sewer, when En-
gineer McCann's bill for piling the other
two-thirds only amounted to S7,4S9.7O.
Then, again, the specifications for paw
ing only called for 100 square feet and
over 5000 were laid The Mayor wants
to know about the mysterious disap-
pearance of several thousand paving
blocks.
There was $4,000 worth of paving done
which the original specifications did not
call for, and as the Councilmen who were
upon the Sewer Committee deny ordering
it. his Honor would like the Engineers
to explain to him why it was done These
and many other queer little things the
Mayor wants explained before he will
sign one of the claims now before him.
relative to the sewer which cost the city
over 100000.
Mayor Pagan speaking to a News
reporter said:-'I don't charge anything
or accuse anybody, but have my opin-
ion of the matter, and must be convinced
otherwise before one cent is paid on
these claims.''
The Mayor then went into details re-
garding the construction of the sewer
and showed how Tivy and Smith had
ordered the extra paving, upon the order
of the committee.
If it is true" continued the Mayor,
that the committee ordered the extra
work shall find out where they got
their authority
DO you think that lCavanagh should
have repaved the street at his own ex-
pense?" the reporter asked.
Il certainly do. The contract stipu--
lated that he should do So and use the
old blocks. It is the old paving blocks
Mr.. Mccain thinks he has accounted
FOR them when he says they were re-
moYed 3 s,,e by the North Hudson County
that they never removed stone.''
The, Mayor then referred to the exorbit-
ant charges Of Tivy and Smith for piling.
and said that if in nothing else an inves-
tigation should certainly be made in this
case.
Mr.. MeCann was seen by a reporter this
thought of the vetoes. said
fact wo,a rather anticipated that the
eavanaghs Claims ppye NY duty Si was 9onsfnGppr sfmpg
to certify to the amount and character of
the work done. There were 2.2Se square
that ha IS al ceTted Dn my eefson far Is and
derng the work done 1 had no hand in
that. It was all done by the committee.
good job of it with the. old stones and told
Cavanagh to go on ahead. OF course
had nothing to dc. with that. and in GER
It point to state that it was ordered by
the committee. I did that anticipating
that fault would be found: and wanted to
place myself upon the safe side.
.sAs regards the removal of the old
blocks by the North Hudson County Rail
way Company, | believe that to be the
away one day and was told by Mr. Cav
anagh ana 4 that the railway company was do
was betrayed. that's all
Councilman Snyder. Chairman of the |
Committee on Sewers. was seen by re-
said that the committee ordered Cavanagh
TO do all the new repaving.
THAT IS not true" the Councilman re-
olied, the only new paving which the |
committee ordered done was fully specified |
n the contract He was to put the street |
n the same condition as he found |
t."
Councilmen Capelli and Fox, the other
.wo members of the committee, also deny /
hat they ordered any new paving.
Contractor Cavanagh could not be found I
It is alleged that the old paving blocks I
which the Mayor said so mysteriously +
disappeared have been used in the foun-
lation of the sewer.