The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-06
COUNTY'S DISGRACE.
Board of FTeeb0oters Pill
1oried for Holding Up
Warrants for Goods
Delivered.
MORE MONEY FOR THE BOULEVARD
Bids Received for Sidewalks on the
County Road-eounty Board
of Health Criticized.
MORE MONEY FOR THE BOULEVARD

1t has long been a matter of public
scandal that people having claims against
the county experience the greatest diiil-
Guilty in collecting the money for goods
or work done. For some reason the war
rants are continually hung up and the
unlucky contractor has to humble hlm-
self before the high and nightly chosen
Freebooters. who pay their bills just when
1t suits them. THE people be damned
is their motto and it is only just TO say
that they conseientiously carry 1t into
practice. Instances are innumeraDie
where claims have been passed and war
rants ordered drawn at one meeting, but
months have passed by before the war
rants were in the hands of the contractor
1t is not surprising, therefore, that the
rumor is general that the warrants were
purposely hung up until some Honor
able Freebooter was seen
IT cannot understand indignantly ex-
claimed Freeholder Verdon at last night s
meeting of the Board. when bill for the
Boston Clothing Company for shoes sup
piled to the Almshouse, was up for dis
cussion why warrants are held up IN
the Office. 1t is a disgrace to the county
that such state of things exists. How on
earth can contractor furnish his goods
if he does not receive his pay promptly!
What are the three clerks doing IN the
Office that warrants are held up there Ior
so long a time? Why, / know of a case
where a warrant for E. T. Whittemore
lay in the office from March Ito July II,
simply because of technicality. The
Freeholder laid peculiar stress on the
word technicality.
1f ft,;c on the mart
of Freebooter verdon was that Downes
& Co. the contractors for shoes to the
Almshouse, had failed to supply the goods
and Freeholder McNally ordered them
from the Boston Company's store. When
the Boston's bill for s210 came up for pas
sage Freeholder Hanna objected to the
payment of the bill and during the course
of an animated discussion Downes & Co.
were taken to task for not supplying the
goods One of the firm was present and
when he found an opportunity he ex-
claimed
s.I failed to supply the goods because l
cannot collect my warrant passed four
months ago. This Board can't expect
me to supply shoes when it fails to pay
me- My contract is broken by your not
fulfilling your part; yet you want me to
keep my end and you to be free to violate
yours 1t is not fair. Pay me my war
rant on time and will supply the
goods
Freeholders Hanna and verdon cham
pioned s. s. Downes and denounced the
practice of the Board in holding up war
rants as an outrage.
Freeholder Green made lame attempt
to explain by saying that the Board had
no money because the school tax from
some of the townships had not been re-
ceived and County Collector Dugan had
informed him that he must not issue the
warrants.
..Poppycock,' derisivey cried one of the
Freeholders, denouncing the practice,
that is simply a subterfuge The county
has the money and if it has not where
has it gone to? Warrants must not be
hung up in this fashion, 1t gives the ugly
impression now spread over the State that
a contractor must knock off part of his
claim before he can get the money law
fully due 1 tell you, gentlemen, this is
an outrage and a disgrace to this Board.
Then after more talk the Boston's claim
and others were passed. The payrolls
were submitted and Freeholder Frank
Piercy who never lets slip an oppor-
tunity to exhibit his ears. brayed about
paying Boulevard Inspectors for the ma, "a,
any work, he said statement which was
promptly refuted by Freeholder Clements.
Contractor Baker who for 81 o9e Ro,,a Tn-
vard, sent in this pathetic plea
To the Honorable the Board of Chosen
F'reeholders:-
Under contract with your honorable
Board dated May l, 1897. agreed to
s.clean, sprinkle and maintain the Hud-
son Boulevard for the period ending De-
eember |. 1897 Up to the present dat, date
and properly, and to the entire satisfac-
tion of your County Superintendent.
your Board and the people. of the county.
just prior to the extraordinary and pro-
tracted rain storm which ended about the
Goth of July, I had finished the chief work
in connection with my cont contract, ~ wmcn r,st
ters of the roadway, including all inter-
sections, removing all mud and other for
fa,d eign matters tier ana oeponga roaa eeaning
and flushing the basins and culverts and
then putting the surface of the road In
good condition by filing up all depres-
siens in the macadam with clean crushed
trap rock; and also covering all such por-
tion OF the macadam where the wear had
depressions, all in strict accordance with
/ have also rolled and sprinkled the
road in accordance with my contract.
The storm above referred to has nearly
completely destroyed all the above work
50 done by me, and the Boulevard has in
very construction and existence.
When the storm ceased | found the
road In many places positively impossible
and unfit for any kind of travel. My
first care was 10 get the road OPEN 1t
is now open free from end to end, as the
result of such work on my part.
This extraordinary condition or emer-
gency was not contemplated by me when
/ puf in my bid and secured the contract
In question. / therefore respectfully ask
your Board to meet this condition or
emergency by an appropriation sufficient
to the Boulevard directly by the great
storm.
Your Board. or its committee, can by
personal inspection ascertain the extent
of the damage ard the necessity and size
of the appropriation.
Yours respectfully,
WILLIAM BAKER.
The communication was referred to the
proper committee.
On the motion Of Freeholder Binderna-
gle the bids for the sidewalks on the
Boulevard were read and they. were as
follows:--Julius Tenesti, four foot flag
ging. 16 74-l00e. per square foot 5 it.. II
74-100c.; reiaying tagging, Sc; drains. 10c.
r1 NJ lev. 7c<, %