The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-10

Water Company, q responsible bidder,
having offered in hue form the terms
Rmost advantageous to the city, by its
proposal below mentioned:
Resolved, That the proposal in writ
ing, presented to this Board by the East
Jersey Water Company, entitled PRO
s posa cif tor q nra new Ma h9Ig, supply 81 1d for 5 5ert
Dram and Beach Glen BID. under Plan d,
With one fifty million gallon pipe, be and
tract awarded to said company accord
| ingly, n the Corporation Attorney. with
the approval of the Corporation Counsel.
to carry into effect this award and the
is founded.
lation that the Mayor should review all
the acts, resolutions or other matters
passed upon by the several Boards of
the city government within ten days af-
ter the certified copies ave been pre-
scented to him the statute of 1891 Great
ing the Board of Street and Water Conn
missioners Invests him with the absolute
power of approval without any time linz
1tation IN the matter of the water sup
R Roa IN IN II these s words, provided, that said
ers shall not enter into any contract or
agreement for a new or other supply of
| such city until the same shall have been
concurred in by the Board having charge
and control of the finances of such city,
I dtQ -DGcH dpp-OfGu Df the MAYOR tnSTG-
of" See section %. p. 26S. laws Of 1891.
In arriving at a determination upon
the resolution before me several weighty
considerations interfered with and de-
layed my action until the present time.
The subject matter in feelf is of such
Importance that the wisdom of the statute
quoted allowing the Executive an unre-
stricted period for mature and well con-
sidered action is unquestionable. Since
the receipt of the proposals and the award
OF contract there has been considerable
discussion covering the whole subject
which | have examined into. The general
features of the discussion were much the
same as have appeared at other times
when attempts have been made to obtain
a new permanent water supply and gave
me no difficulty and We're readily disposed
of. AT the time when the bids were re-
ceived it became apparent that the COM
peting companies seemed to have con-
strued the specifications differently as to
the meaning of the clause regarding con-
duits and the unsuccessful bidder even
filed a protest against the Interpretation
Of the clause referred to as shown in the
| proposal of the successful bidder.
My Investigation of the matter and
the opinion of the court in the Jersey
City Water Company's case led me to the
conclusion some time g that this was
sufficient to vitiate the award, for even
if the unsuccessful bidder did not test
the contract in the courts, the question
would remain an open n and might
eventually affect the city's ability to ne
gotiate its bonds when it should decide
to take advantage of the option to pur-
chase the plant. If the contract was
taken to the courts it could be tied up for
upwards of three years and the city
would have no option but to continue the
temporary supply. This would be ex-
tremely prejudicial to its interests, as the
cost of the present temporary supply is
SO much greater nnually than 1t would
be with the proposed permanent one, or
that it might be with any contract for a
permanent supply.
The most important factor in causing
me to delay action upon the resolution
before me has been my desire to effect a
settlement of the dispute between the
city and this company as to the price for
the temporary supply. The action re-
Gently taken by the p in bringing
suit to recover judgment against the city
at the contract prices for the water sup
piled during the past year was virtually
a notice to the city that they would not
agree to the reduction asked for. The
general merits of the plan of the proposed
contract in so far as the quantity and
quality Of the water, the gathering
grounds and the other principal features
are concerned, together with the ability
of the contractor to perform, are not
entered into in this paper by me, as my
conclusions agree with your action.
AS the whole matter will have to be
again re-opened the prospect for more
spirited competition is brighter than 1t
was last year owing to the renewal Of
confidence in the financial world, and to
the removal of the unfavorable financial
conditions existing at the time when the
ably restricted the wide competition
which we all desire. | therefore veto the
resolution.
Respectfully submitted,
PETER F. WANSER.
jersey City, March 80. 1897.
Hon. Board Of Finance, Jersey City,
r. nnnff0r4nn-T lnf a. PinnE 1EA IN
Eleventh street, is assessed on the tax
books in this office. at $1,000 for year
lS96-1SsI, and should have been at 5000 It
from the field books to the tax books, as
appears by the statement of the Clerk
of the Board of Assessors hereto an
# the facts are as herein stated, the
corrections should be made by your
Yours truly.
City Collector.
Referred to the Committee on Salaries
z. From the City Collector
Jersey City, March 4. 1897.
nave Gsnl reeeiVed from fro = the so B seareis Of Sn Street
and Water Commissioners for collection
in my Office, the following assessment
Improvement. Fairview avenue. from
West Sid to Boulevard, s~2,569.25.
lillDICEGltltAl 1ldIc1iOllt dFSnO0. 1IOIIl
Jackson to Bergen, s9,5as 50.
Sewer Duncan 4 ayenue, from Boulevard
| Sewer, Myrtle avenue. from 600 feet
west of Ocean to Ocean, s2,214.
Sewer, Ogden and Booraem, from Wood
place to Palisade, 81, 430.
Sewer. Irving street, from 80 feet east
of Summit to Central, $1,226. "a.
Sewer, Cambridge avenue. from 80 feet
south of Bowers to 120 feet north Of
Griffith, $,6O5.
Improvement, Sip avenue, from Wiley
street to Boulevard, etc. $500. 40
S. H. SMITH,
City Collector.
Ordered placed on file.
8. From the City Collector
Jersey City, March 81, 1897.
Honorable Board Of Finance. Jersey City:
services Of W. Y. Chilver as temporary
extra clerk in this office should be con-
respectfully ask your Honorable Board
to continue the same at the rate of S26
per month";
Yours truly,
S. H.sSMITH,
City Collector.
concurrence Of the Board Of Finance,
were received from the Board of Street
and Water Commissioners, and they were
each referred to the Committee on Con-
current Resolutions.
j. Ordering paid &c CERTAIN claims
q. Regulating the salaries of Thomas
johnson and Robert F. Martin, general
clerks in the Water Department on and
after April /, 1887.
adopted March %, 1917
8. Awarding TO Reehil & Edwards the
oof fnr tho rpn1frfYp and maintain