The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-07

ROW At CITY HALL
Harrison's Treasurer Objects
to Peckham's Sl0,-
900 Mistake.
MAYORS SECRETARY PUZZLED
His Honor Then Enters the
Lists, Finds Out the Trou
BILE and Pacifies Grace.
MAYORS SECRETARY PUZZLED

Harrison's City Treasurer, Mr.. E. j.
Grace, was at Mayor Hoos' office today.
Mr.. Grace was in a state of mind. he
read the riot act to Mayor Hoos and
took liberties with that veteran Democrat
of the Water Department., Registrar
Peckham. AS was told in 1.-THE News, =
yesterday, the Mayor and Street and
Water Commissioners have determined
to force delinquents to pay their water
taxes.
One of the ~delinquents was the County
Board of Freeholders. To bring them to
time the Mayor refused to pay $4,000 to
Hugh Dugan on account. Collector Du-
gan was mad and with a view to squar-
ing counts he sprang mandamus pro-
ceedings on His Honor. The County Col
~lector's action caused a furry for a time.
Mayor Hoos was just recovering from
that shock when Treasurer Grace, of
{ Harrison, appeared on the scene with
blood in his eye.
Registrar in looking over his
accounts reported that Harrison owed this
city SIG, 600 for water. A trifing error of
$4,000 had been made. 1t was because so
slight a mistake had been made that
Treasurer Grace swooped down upon the
Mayors office today.
Mr.. Grace first corralled Mr.. Peckham
and paraded with him over to the Mayors
office.
In the outer office Mr. Grace began to
cut loose some of his pent up rage. Sec
rotary Hoos did not know that any error
had been made and he did not propose
allowing Mr.. Grace to disturb his father's
peace of mind. He promptly put the
1lox-as an ond q 1iva1r caf-To maS in nrO-
gress when His Honor, disturbed by the
hub-bub, put in an appearance.
Mr.. Peckham kept in the background
until Treasurer Grace made his way into
the Mayors private office. Soft, sweet
language was waited over the transom.
ITS a damned outrage" was heard, and
then there was a thud not unlike some
ones rent falling due.
When the, Harrisonian cooled down, it
was found that SIC. 900 has been paid on
account for water, leaving a balance UNI
paid of Sc, 800. That would ave been paid,
perhaps, Mr.. Grace said, if the town Off
cials considered that they owed such a
sum-.
It appears that last summer the Street
and Water Commissioners sent a force
of men out to Harrison to blow off the
hydrants, with a view to cleaning the
water mains. In the language of Mr..
Grace, the iaborers ''blew themselves and
the hydrants for fair"
The blowing operation resulted, the Har-
r%isonians say, in about $1,000 worth OF
water being wasted. Harrison conse-
uuently wants $1,000 deducted from its bill
and the officials say hat until some re-
duction is made, they will not pay the old
bills which have been submitted to
them.
Mr.. Grace's principal objection as stated
by himself was:-
tAs Treasurer 1 report having made
payments to this city. The people believe
me. Just when the people think and we
know that we are getting along nicely out
come the newspapers with the report that
we owe SIG, 900 and are going to have our
water supply cut off unless we pay up.
These reports injure is and keep people
from moving into our town. This very
thing has been lone so persistently that
the people of Harrison are tired of it.
So are the officials, and I can assure you
that it is a~ggrayating enough to compel
us to join hands with Mayor. Kenny of
East Newark and make an effort to get
out of Hudson county,
Treasurer Grace felt easier When Regis-
trar Peckham explained that the mistake
was on him. Mayor Hoos pleased him
further by promising to have the Street
n Water Commissioners look into Har-
Tison's claim for a reduction of its water
bill. Mr.. Grace was in an amiable frame
of mind when he shook hands goodbye
with the Mayor. There will be no more
given out by Mr.. Peckham
relative to water tax delinquents.