The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-03
TIE MAYOR SILENT.
Refuses to Say What He
Will Do With the Water
Specifications.
WHAT THE GOSsIPS SAY
His Honor, 1t Is Rumored. Will
Allow the Plans 10 Go Through
Without His Signature.

Mayor Hoos received yesterday after
noon the copy of the Street and Water
commissioners resolution ordering the
advertisement of the new CD set of water
specifications, and accompanying the res
olution We're the specifications and plans
themselves. His Honor will not act on
them until he receives the concurrent res
olution from the Board of Finance, which
body will meet next Wednesday and pass
the concurrent resolution. From the date.
December 8, when the Mayor receives the
concurrent resolution, he will, according
to law, have ten days during which to
approve, veto or allow to become opera
tive by default. The latter course is an
ticipated
The Mayor will not talk much about the
water question. He refused this morn
ing to say anything about the. caustic
communication of the Finance Board and
he was equally uncommunicative on the
action of the Street and Water Commits
sioners, in ignoring his suggestions, and
repassing the old plans and specifications.
What his action will be when the concur
rent resolution of the Board of Finance
comes before him is at present matter
of guesswork, unless some diviner of mys-
teries can detect anything in the follow
ing conversation, held by the Mayor this
morning and a News representative
Let me see,'' said the Mayor, reflective
ly, when he had been asked what he
would do with the specifications, there
are ten men against me-
Nine" Interrupted ''The News repre-
sentative Mr. Midlige did not vote on the
Finance Boards report
That's so,'' replied the Mayor, with a
queer smile. well, well make it nine.
Nine against one and you know one man
can't be wiser than nine OF course will
do something, but what, I do not know
yet"
The outcome of the fight is looked for
ward to with the greatest interest among
taxpayers and citizens generally. Oddly
enough, every one is being praised for his
action. The Mayor is commended for his
caution which, however, some say, must
not develop into inaction or captious
criticism. The Boards of Finance and
Street and Water Commissioners are
praised for their persistent efforts to bring
the question to a head, and as the Com
missioners of both Boards have secured
the services of distinguished hydraulic en-
gineers like Messrs. Vermeule and Ferris
whose care, judgment and skill in framing
the Mayors advisers, the people generally
look upon their action with satisfaction.
1t is well known that the Mayor in the
main was well pleased with the plans and
specifications. and had no desire to limit
the bids for the benefit of the East Jersey
Water Company, as it has been charged.
His Honor is not absolutely pledged to
one plan scheme, and as to right of way
and money for default of contract, it is
said, he is willing to waive these points,
believing that when the problem comes up
to the contract stage when his signature
is necessary to make it effective, then the
little points and differences can easily
be settled. But he has other reasons
which have not been fully set forth, it is
said.
we do not pretend to say" said one
of the Commissioners this morning, that
the Mayor is entirely wrong. We simply
say these plans and specifications are
perfect, so far as we lay men, with the
assistance of competent experts, UNDER
stand them On the Judgment of our own
experts we must rely. Let US get the
bidding under way and when it comes to
the hearing stage. or even further. there
will be ample time to remedy any little
difference. The Mayor ultimately has the
say and we think, and every right mind
ed man will agree, that the preliminaries
should not be delayed for trifiing mat
ters which His Honor insists on stopping
everything, but which we don't admit
are relevant or pertinent.