The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-02
CONTRACT VETOED.
Mayor Wanser Knocks Ont
the East Jersey Water
Company's Award.
HIS REASONS FOR 50 DOING
Message Received by the Board
of Finance Last Night--Com.
missioner Keller's Views.


The s7,0O0,o 600 water contract which the
Street and Water Board awarded the
East Jersey Water Company, and on
its stamp of approval by concurring in
it. is dead. Mayor Wanser sent a veto
Of the award to the Board of Finance at
its meeting last night.
The veto knocks the award into a
cooked hat. ant places it in such a posi-
ton that it cannot be revived. The veto
which is a mild one, is as follows
Mayors once,
Jersey City, March 29, 1897.
To the Honorable Board of Finance
Gentlemen-I herewith return Without
my approval the resolution adopted by
your Board at its meeting held Januar
Z, 1897, to witt
Resolved, That the Board of Finance
hereby concurs in the following preamble
and resolution adopted by the Board of
Street and Water Commissioners on De-
cember A. 1896. 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 1896,
on Which day proposals were accordingly
publicly presented, received and opened,
according to law, and the East Jersey
Water aaatr c o9galaa /, q espo on 4ee bidder taq.ns
most 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 stPro-
posal for a new water supply for Jer-
sey City, presented August "a, 1885,, Port
Dram and Beach Glen bid, under Plan B,
with one fifty million gallon pipe, be and
the same is hereby accepted, and a con-
tract awarded to said company accord
ingly, and the Corporation Attorney, with
the approval of the Corporation Counsel,
is hereby directed to prepare a contract
to carry into effect his award and the
~ ,ff =. IN = rsr.ro xrbia1, roi1 rnnnca
is founded While 1t is the charter regu-
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 have been pre-
sented to him, the statute of 1891 Great
missioners invests him with the absolute
power of approval without any time lin
itation in the matter of the water sup
ply in these words, provided. that said
Board of Street and Water Commission
ers shall not enter into any contract or
agreement for a new or other supply Of
water for the use OF the inhabitants of
such city until the same shall a been
concurred in by the Board having charge
and been approved by the Mayor there
Of" See section q, p. 268. laws of 1891.
In arriving at q determination upon
the resolution before me several weighty,
considerations interfered with and de-
layed my action until the present time.
The subject matter in itself is of such
Importance that the wisdom of the statute
quoted allowing the Executive al unre-
stricted period for mature and we'll 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 lave appeared at other times
when attempts have been made to obtain
a new permanent water supply and gave
49, 80 q IL 1,6 - r@nn JfIxr 6fCrNon6
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-
| Quits 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 ago 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 it's 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 lave no option but to continue the
1 1einDOIdIK A uDDl 11z1o Wod1d o0&SAT
| tremely prejudicial to its interests, as the
| cost OF the present temporary supply is
so much greater annually than 1T would
be with the proposed permanent one, or
that it might be with any contract Tor a
| permanent supply.
sThe 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 company 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.
las the whole matter will nave to be
| again re-opened the rospect for more
spirited competition is brighter than It
was last year owing to the renewal of
confidence in the financial world, and to
the removal of the unfayorable financial
conditions existing at the time when the
last bidding was had which very prob
which we all desire. / therefore veto the
resolution.
Respectfully submitted,
PETER F. WANsER,
Mayor
The veto bears date of March %. The
important document has been in possess
sion of Martin Finck, Clerk of the Board
of Finance. since hat date, but that dis
Greet gentleman never mentioned its ex-
istence to anyone.
1t was half-past eight o'clock last night
when the Board met. There were pres
emit only Commissioners Kellers, Bailey
and Simpson. President Brautigam is
ling for his health in warmer climates.
The Board organized by electing Mr..
Simpson Chairman.
When the routine business had been
disposed of, Clerk Finck announced, "A
message from his Honor the Mayor
/ When the veto had been read, it was or
dered spread in full upon the minutes
Corporation Counsel Blair was the only
outsider present when the veto was
read. The Commissioners remained in
session only a short time, and departed
Immediately after the meeting.
Mr.. Simpson or Mr.. Bailey would not
discuss the situation.
Mr.. Kellers, although war of the
existence of the veto a week ago, seemed
surprised.
Its a great pity he said. IF Jersey
City continues at he present rate she
will lose the Rockaway watershed, and it
will be a loss from which generations
will suffer. We need pure and good wa
ter and plenty of It. ] feel discouraged
because the future of our city is GER