The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-18
SUGAR AND WATER.
With Ginger and Birthstone
for Flavoring, All in
Mayor Hoos'. Pri-
vate Office.
w, D. EDWARDS In A RAGE
And His Honor Mad as a Hor-
net--Charges Of Buneo
and Bad Faith.
CHECK FOR $4,000 INVOLVED
Trouble Over the Sugar House
Water Rents The City Back
ing Out of an Agreement.
RESCINDER THAT WAS A B0MBSHELL
Passed by the street. and wster BOARD
This Morning by Order of the
Masor-Then There Was
Time.
RESCIHDER THAT WAS A BOMBSHELL

An innocent little ..rescinder'' passed at
this mornings meeting of the Street and
Water Commissioners precipitated lively
debate in the Mayors office between His
Honor and Mr.. w. d. Edwards, counsel
for the Sugar House people, whose water
taxes have been in dispute for some time.
The '.rescinder" is virtual backout by
the city from an agreement made with
the Sugar House people that the rate for
their water should be $50 per million cubic
feet instead of 500 under the new rates.
To understand the case little history is
necessary.
For many years the Sugar House con-
Germ took water from the city at $50. Last
spring. when the new assessment was
made, the water department put the rate
of the American Sugar Refining Company
up from $50 to s1O0 This the company
objected to and an appeal to the courts
followed.
BY an agreement with the city that if
the old rate. so far as the Sugar House
people were concerned, was kept the COM
pany would pay up the arrearages due.
MIR. Edwards, for the company, paid the
city something like $4,000 on account of
these arrearages. and last Monday the
Street and Water Commissioners gave
official sanction to the agreement by pass
ing this resolution
Resolved. That consumers of measured
water consuming more than 2.500000 cubic
feet per month be charged therefor from
and after November l, 1897, at the rates
charged to them respectively prior to
April 20, 1881
Mayor Hoos yesterday afternoon put his
signature to that resolution. making it
doubly binding. This morning, however,
His Honor regretted that act. He thought
that the resolution was SO sweeping that
the Erie. Pennsylvania and other big cor
porations could come in and the city would
be out many dollars thereby from the in
creased assessments. His Honor, too, be-
lieved that there was perhaps too much
Partially exhibited and TO sum up he
thought that the resolution should be
rescinded.
Clapping his hat on his head he walked
across to visit the Street and Water Com
missioners who were then in secret ses-
sion prior to the open meeting, and treat
ed the Board to small lecture. He told
them that the resolution was all wrong
and ne misunderstood its purport yester-
dav when he signed it. Reflection, he
said. convinced him that it should be re-
scinded The members told His Honor.
that having pledged themselves to make
the concession for the city's good, it would
NOT he proper to rescind the resolution.
The Mayor was obdurate and limited that
he would veto it. Not wishing to have
any more fights on their hands the Com
nissioners said they would rescind and
thus end the trouble, as they thought.
According at noon the Board, after do
ing some little routine work, rescinded
the resolution of November Is, thus put
ting the Sugar House people up to the
new rate. They had just adjourned when
Mr.. w. D. Edwards walked in just to see
what was going on. When Clerk G. I.
Bouton told him what the Board had done
the lawyers face was a study. lndigna-
ton stood out in every line. For sec
ond he didn't speak, and then he broke
OUT
ssWhy. that's most extraordinary con-
duct. to make an agreement one day, and
deliberately back out of it the next. It's
monstrous. BY whose authority was this
done?"
Mr.. Bouton blandly replied that he be-
lieved Mayor Hoos knew something about
1t, and wouldn't Mr.. Edwards see that
gentleman?
81 never heard of such a proceeding
Every cent of the money l paid into the
city will be returned, mark that; and as
for the Mayor, I'll let him know my opin-
ion of this action"
Mr.. Edwards walked across to the
Mayors office, and before His Honor was
aware, the lawyer opened broadside
The doors was shut, and they were left
together. The Mayor came out few
IL, Io.,:xr 10