The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-08
TO NULLlFY SECRECY CHARGES
Mayor Wanser Need Not Now
Sign or Veto the Resolu-
tion Until the goth inst.
BUT HE,MAY ACT TOMORROW
Board of Trade Specialist Expec-
ted to Tangle Up the Sit
uation Next Week.

The Board of Finance met last night
and again concurred in the resolution of
the Street and Water Board, awarding
to the East Jersey Water Company the
contract for permanent supply of water.
The proceeding was unusual but was
taken, the Commissioners say. for the
sole purpose of putting an end to the
report that the Board, in concurring in
the award the first time, acted in a secret
manner and behind closed doors.
9 The meeting at which the award was
concurred in originally was held Tues
day evening, December 90. 1896. On that
occasion the Board was addressed by a
body of prominent taxpayers headed by
Henry Lembeck and Judge James S.
Erwin. After the Commissioners had lis
tened to the appeal Of those gentlemen
to concur at once in the award so that
a permanent supply of pure and whole
some water might be procured without
further delay, recess was taken. The
meeting resolved itself into a session of
the committee of the whole. That ses-
sion was held behind closed doors. Sew
eral reporters were excluded from the
room while the session of the committee
of the whole lasted When the commit
tee had arrived at an understanding as
to what disposition to make of the Street
and Water Board resolution of award the
Board reconvened.
1t was claimed by the newspaper re-
porters who were in the hall that the
door Of the Finance Boards office re-
inained locked after the Board had re-
nd ,od1 ffav
the resolution concurring in the award
had been passed and adjournment taken.
It is a fact that no one knew Of the ac-
ton Of the Board until Commission Kel-
lers emerged from the meeting He had
his hat on and was slipping on his over
coat when he walked out in the hall.
It's all over. you may go in now,"
he is reported as saying
The New York world, which has as
stunned an amusing variety of positions on
the water question within the last few
months and which is now reprinting what
was published in local papers several
years ago about other proposed water con-
tracts, attacked the Commissioners for
their alleged secret action. The attack
has been kept up to such an extent that
the Commissioners say they have tired of
it, and in order to show that they have
no fear of the tsWorld'' and also to demon
strate that they had no Intention of act
ing on the water question in a secret man
ner behind closed doors they reconcurred
In the award last night with the door OF
the office Enthusiastically open to the public
At the meeting there were present Cor
poration Counsel Blair, the Mayors Sec
retary, John j. Nevin, and two reporters.
In order to reconcur in the award the
Board by resolution expunged from its
minutes everything which was done at the
reported secret meeting on December %,
1896 This done the Committee of the
Whole presented the same report 6t did
when the award was concurred in. 1t was
as folcws:-
sYeur COMMITTEES of the Whole, to whom
was referred December II, 1885, the pre-
omble and resolution adopted by the Street
and Water Commissioners, ON December
8 1895, relating to an award to the East
Jersey Water Company for a new water
supply for Jersey City, would respectfully
report recommending the adoption of the
following resolution, to witt
Resolved That the Board of Finance
hereby concurs in the following preamble
and resolution, adopted by the Board OF
cember 4, to WITT
Whereas, This Board did duly adver-
tise in the official newspapers of Jersey
City for a new water supply for Jersey
City, to be presented on August "a, 1886,
on which day proposals were accordingly
according to law, and the East jersey
Water Company, a responsible bidder,
having offered in due form the terms mest
advantageous to the city by its proposal
Resolved That the proposal In writ
ing presented to this Board by the East