The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-17
PUTTING ON THE SCREWS
Mayor Says the Water De-
partment Expenses Must
Be Reduced.
YEARLY DEFICIENCY MUST CEASE
Board Won't Dismiss En-
ployes--East Jerseys Me-
ter to Be Tested.
YEARLY DEFICIENCY MUST CEASE

The conference of city officials yester-
day afternoon was productive Of little OF
no good. The meeting was held in the
Mayors Office. There were present FL
nance Commissioners Simpson. MidIige,
Heppenheimer, Ringle, Comptroller Hough
Corporation Counsel McDermott, Score
tary IIoos, Street n Waters Commits
sioners Hauck, Nolan, Heintze, Smith and
Boltweod, Clerk George 7. Bouton and
Chief Engineer Van Keuren.
The first subject discussed was the oper-
alton Of the water department. Mayor
reductions made all along the line SO that
the Water Department would not run he
hind, as il is now, at the rate of $4,000 Or
more a year.
1--WE are here for information said ri,
nance Commissioner Ringle. LAS yet !
have little knowledge of the way water
business, however, to look into the sub
Ejaet. If, as the Mayor says. WI are RUIZ
ming behind in that department. there
must be a stop. An individual would lot
continue to conduct a business at a loss,
and there is no reason why the ely
should. particularly as It is possible py
the reduction of unnecessary expense e
put the department ON at least a self
sustaining basis"
1t was argued by the Mayor and Cor
poration Counsel that a substantial re-
dtA1 o1o ~ 00O1N ~ AA<%% o~No
the Water Registrar department into the
City Collectors. Such an arrangement,
It was c~ontended, would do away with the
Offices OF Registrar and Deputy Registrar
and at least six clerks. Mr.. McDernott
also declared hat too many clerks are
retained in the Water Department
80 long as the working force is Kept
unnecessarily large we cannot EXPECT &c
put the department on a self sustaining
basis said Mr.. McDe.1nott.
The Street and Water Commissioners
took po mart i'm the GicrIISSiOn THrllEh-
out the Interview they maintained a dis
Greet silence. Commissioner BoltWooi.
remarked that reductions could douptiess
be made without injuring the eIf1cleney
of the department., but where such reduc-
tons could be made he did not state. a
aalf hour was spent in discussing the size
of the clerical force of the department..
Are you willing to dismiss some OF tae
water department clerks?" the Street and
Water Commissioners were asked.
No direct answer was made. President
Hauck said the Board would look over
the list of employees and ascertain if re-
auctions are possible without Gripping
the department. The stand taken by the
Street and Water Commissioners con
WINGED the other officials that no reduc-
lions in the clerical force may be eN-
pected. 1t requires three votes to make
a dismissal, and Messrs. Boltwood AND
Heintze are the only member who will
vote to dismiss anyone.
The next point raised was a possible
curtailment of expenses at the Belleville
diiu I1lSA
Mayor Hoos cited the fact that there are
at Belleville a Supervising Engineer, an
Overseer and an Assistant Overseer.-
.Inasmuch as no work is being done
at Beileville" asked the Mayor, SIS it not
possible to dispense with the services OF
the Overseer and his assistant?
Thre was no response from the Street
and Water Commissioners. The Mayor
next asked if there is any good occasion
for the retention of coal passers, en-
gineers, firemen, painters. oilers and la
borers at Belleville. Again there was
no answer. The Street and Water Com
m~isSioners would maken no concessions IN
relation to the reduction OF the price OF
employees. The officials finally went on
Engineer Van Keuren remarked that Inc
water department might be kept from
running behind if some check were placed
upon the indiscriminate waste of water.
re also suggested that the East Jersey
Water Company's meter might possibly
be recording the delivery of more water
thar the city receives. A test is to be
made by the Engineer and Water Pur-
veyor Robert Coar. The officials do not
think it is advisable to divulge in just
what way the test is to be made. Whether
the city receives all the water the East
Jersey Company says 1t does Will De
known within a week.
It was definitely decided to put screws
on one class of onsume They are the
saloonkeeperS. 1t has been found that
liquor dealers pay on an average OF S50
a year for water. In nine cases out of
ten they use somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of 800 worth. 1t is proposed to place
a meter in every saloon in the city. 1t
is commended that the increased revenue
from this source will do much toward
keeping the water department from run
ming behind. There was some objection
to placing meters in saloons, some of the
officials declaring 1t would drive a great
many men out of business and conse-
quently reduce the city's income from
licenses. As an offset to that declaration
it was proposed to deduct from the license
account the difference between what is
received from liquor dealers now and
what it costs to keep them supplied at the
present rate of consumption. This pro-
posal was not approved and it was de-
cided that meters would be more effective.
The practical refusal of the Street and
Water commissioners to make reductions
has caused Mayor Hoos to decide that he
will force economy. He will be supported
in everything he undertakes by the FL
nance Board.
Passing from the water subject the
officials took up the question of public
improvement. 1t was decided to make
a judicious curtailment in that direction.
As exclusively told in the News a few
days ago, improvements have been made,
the principal cost Of WHICH has had to be
Thirteenth street viaducts were examples
of this. In both instances the city owned
lots on the line of the improvement or in
the assessable area. 1t also occurred
that the assessments for benefits per lot,
exceeded the value of the lots. In many
such cases the owners, rather than pay
the assessment surrendered their prop
erty to the city. In that way the assess
had to be borne by the city. During the
last year improvements Of this kind have
thrown a burden of $3.50. 900 upon the city.
AS it is an unexpected expense the sum
will have to be raised this year by
direct taxation. 1t was agreed yesterday
Is mako improvements only where the
whole cost of the work will be borne by
ffn nrOraTfV owners.
The five year improvement law vas dis
cussed. Some of the officials disapproved
of it. Others favor it on the ground that
it encourages the improvement of streets.
Clerk Bouton asserted that about so per
cent. of the assessments levied under the
instalment law, have been paid. The law
has been in operation two years and a
half so that payments under it have been.
up to the required limit. improvements
which were contemplated, in which the
city was to bear part of the expense are
to be Abandoned. 1t is believed the jul
dicious authorization of Improvements
will enable the city to cut down the num-
Der of improvements certificates which
are issued yearly.
COMPLAIN OF DENSE SMOKE.