The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-29
DAYz EXPLAINS.
Pathetic Appeal for His Tab
lets, the Living Diree-
tory Doorkeeper.

The shaking up Mayor Hoos gave he
City Hall Commissioners on Wednesday
last relative to the maintenance of an
unnecessary force of ornaments at the
City Hall, who are supposed to take care
OF the building, brought the following re-
ply from Superintendent DATE to-day
Honorable Board of CITY Hall Commits
sio1ers, Jersey City,
Gentlemen-I would respectfully return
to your honorable Board the comrnunica-
ton of His Honor, the Mayor. received at
your meeting, held Oct. q, 1897, and which
was referred to me-.
His Honor recommends a reduction in
the cost OF maintaining the City Hall by
the discharge of three employees, to witt
First, one ~bookkeeper; second, one eleva-
tor IMAM; third, one fireman.
1t is unnecessary for me to state that
/ hav always understood from our
Board thai it was your desire, and have
attempted of my W election. to mini
mize in every way the expenses of the
City Hall Commission.
The position of door keeper cannot be
characterized as an unnecessary one. The
convenience OF the general public and the
proper safeguarding Of the building re-
day Waterman In all public buildings
of equal size to the City Hall, such a
position has been found to be not only
a convenience to its patrons but an ABB
solute necessity in keeping out of, and
preventing from lettering in, the rotunda
and corridors obnoxious persons and sus-
plCAoAS LAG lax dOIlC bCC
educated to look for Information from
such an official in preference to search
ing directory tablets, thereby being saved
time and trouble which they might other
wise encounter, as such an official is
often called upon to- give information
which cannot be CLEANED from the tab
let's.
The saving to the city by the discharge
Of one elevator man and the consequent
operation of a single elevator would be
a small matter to the city in compare
son will the Inconvenience thereby AUS
ed to the public having business daily in
the City Hall. On court days at the
their utmost. In addition, one of the
men is required to be on duty several
nights each week for the convenience of
those Boards which meet at night.
In case of the firemen, / find it is nee
essary to employ three iremen during
the winter months covering a period from
October l to April l, in order to properly
heat the building, so that. there will be
steam enough to maintain an average
temperature throughout. the building both
eight hours per day. During the rest Of
the year one of the firemen has been adj
v~antageously employed in assisting the
outside work, caring for the. grounds.
Their present condition attest the wis.,
dom of u an action.
My experience as Superintendent of this
building, since-its occupancy by the vari-
GUS municipal departments, leads me TO
say that it would be next to impossible
to properly maintain and care for it as
it should be, with a force of help less
than present one.
Respectfully submitted,
EMIL e. DATZ,
Superintendent.
Superintendent DATES stand for Door
keeper Cooper astonishes Mayor Hoos.
His Honor will communicate with Mr..
Datz on the subject. How Cooper keeps
obnoxious persons from entering the Hall
by holding a chair dow in the main hall
all day puzzles the Mayor. He thinks
Mr.. DATE has forgotten that there are en-
frances on Mercer and Montgomery
streets. 1t is said that the Superinten-
dent does not care to incur the Rev. John
l.. Scudder'S displeasure by recommend
ing Cooper'S dismissal.
Mayor Hoos will insist upon a reduction
of the working force no mater what Mr..
Datz thinks. The Mayor will probably
show Mr.. DATE what each man at the
Hall has done for his money since last
May.