The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-23
Deficiency of About $780,
600 in the Account and
New Bonds Talked of.
COST OF TEMPORARY SUPPLY
Ex-Judge Kenny's Report to Mayor
HoOs-Income, Liabilities
and Arrears.

Ohless II IS possible to collect all arrear-
ages, new bonds will have to be hoated.
City Treasurer Samuel D. Dickinson
has refused for the last five weeks to
pay claim of any kind against the
account He viii continue to withhold
his signature Sfrom warrants until some
way out of the difficulty is provided. AS
consequence of the squeeze, the Street
and Water Commissioners will at their
next meeting adopt resolutions giving de-
llnquents sixty days in which to make
settlement. If assessments and rents In
arrears are not paid at the expiration of
that time. the water supply win be cut
Off
This was agreed to at conference be-
tween Mayor Hoos and the Commissions
ers yesterday afternoon. When the
Street and Water Board passed into the
control of the Democrats an examination
of its affairs was made. 1t was found
that there was already a deficiency ar
that time. The extent of it fuctuated
between $1500O0 and 100000 One indis-
putable point unearthed was that the
payments made on account Of the tenn
porary water supply had discounted the
receipts s65,00O, while the payments to be
made to East Jersey for water currently
LUZ WOuIu call LOT S1sUVU loI SetSiA
days water receipts. The new water
schedule. it was found, was good for an
increase of about $4,000 a year in the re-
ceipts, or just about enough in the pres
ent year to make good the advance drafts
made upon the years income.
Owing to the increased schedule, how
ever, water rents have come in very
slowly this year. Six weeks ago. the
Treasurer put on the screws. Mayor
Hoos communicated with Water Assessor
Kenny and requested a detailed statement
showing the extent of the arrearages and
a general summing up of the true con-
dition of affairs. The Water Assessors
report was placed in the Mayors hands
yesterday afternoon.
The report shows that under the in
creased schedule the regularly assessed
house rents would aggregate this year
$3.50, ,646. 81. The metered water revenue
would reach 1904, ,S6S.S6, giving a total of
$765, ,015.23. The water department debt at
this interesting period is about 5000, 900.
The bonds outstanding for that amount
bear per cent interest.
1t is customary to pay from the first
receipts of each years rents, the interest.
lump. Following the interest settlement.
comes the contract with the East Jersey
Water Company. At the present rate OF
consumption the city has to pay the COM
pany 81, 900 a day or $685., 900 a year. The
cost of the water added to the interest
makes a claim of s7l5,0OO against the
$765 900 of receipts at once, leaving a
margin of about $4,000 from which sal
to more than double that sum annually.
In addition, there are the supplies Tor
the department. which amount to a good
round sum, and all such matters as pipe
line extension and repairs to the acque-
ducts, reservoirs, and other works must
be provided for.
The Street and Water Commissioners
knew of the approaching trouble and
have in every possible particular re-
trenched and saved. They have even
withheld claims for supplies which are
absolutely necessary for the proper main
tenance of the department.
The officials have gone over the ground
carefully, and have concluded that, first
of all, the only course to pursue, is to en-
force the payment of all rents in arrears.
Water Assessor Kenny has filed report
of the Jersey City arrearages from 1873
to 1896 1t shows that the arrears of the
various years are as follows:-1S7S, $3.50;
1874, S1625; 1875, $29; 1876. ss275; 1877, 5000;
1878, $9475; 1879, $146.5O; 1885, $171.69; 1881,
s1SS15 1882, $751; s1SS3, $25SS5; 1884 $2S7. .2o
1885, $244.5S; 1885, $275.S4; 1887, $4SS.S2; 1888,
1884 64 1889, sS16.S5 1890, $1,0s4.05; 1881, ST.
S134S; 1892, SS,1s9.26; 1888. s6.223.S7; 1894.
$40 64561 1896 $24 57O15; 1896, s54. 2l5.26. to-
tai of S106, 1865.
These arrearages with the $765. .0l5.23 for
regularly assessed and increased water
added to $10,516.75, which is due from
Kearny, $16,256.4O from Harrison and
$50 192.O7 measured water in arrears, cre-
ates a possibly collectable total of $685.
14710.
If it is possible by any means to coll
lect the whole amount the difficulty that
seems unavoidable may be postponed for
a while. Very little hope, however, is en-
tertained of collecting the whole amount.
but a vigorous effort in that direction is
to be made. The first step to be taken
is to have the Street and Water Board
declare its intention of shutting of water
from delinquents. Two of the largest OF
these are the American Sugar Refining
Company whose water bill reaches 200
a month, and the Board of Freebooters,
who are now indebted to the city to the
extent of $4,000 or more. for water fur
nished at Snake Eilh Some of the ofti-
cials insist that it will be necessary to
issue bonds to meet the deficiency, but
Mayor Hoos will vigorously oppose any
such action.
ut is not business he said yesterday.
"to enlarge our water debt while suffi-
cient money is outstanding to meet our
obligations. This system OF reducing
water assessments indiscriminately has
had much to do with placing the city
in the predicament 1t finds itself in to-
day"
The present Street and Water Commis-
sioners lay a great deal of the trouble
at the door of the East Jersey Water
Company. When the temporary water
contract was first spoken of and advo-
Gated it will be remembered, ex-Mayor
Wanser vigorously opposed it, for the
reason that such a heavy additional drain
ON the water receipts would result In the
creation of a big deficiency annually. At
that time he told the advocates of a
temporary supply that there would be
an annual shortage of $500 900 If the con-
tract were made. 1t was suggested that
the shortage might be met by inserting
it in the tax levy. To that proposition
the ex-Mayor dissented, and he also de-
nounced the plan of issuing bonds to
tide the water department over until the
city might be able to procure for itself
an Independent supply of water. Pending
efforts to solve the problem of how to
make both ends meet the Street and
Water Commissioners propose running
the department on the narrOWeSt possible