The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-20
MAYOR AT CROTON WORKS
Lebbeus Ward Accompanies
His Honor to Explain
the System.

| Mayor Hoos is out of town today. He
is the guest of Lebbeus B. Ward and is
accompanying the American Society OF
Civil Engineers ON an inspection of the
Croton watershed, and particularly the
Croton dam, which is a few miles out
side the city of Peekskill. The Mayor
accepted the invitation of Mr.. Ward to
accompany the engineers because he
wished to see large water plant in OPP
Grafton. The Mayor says he cannot learn
too much about water plants before taxi
ing action which will bind this city to
accept a plant which is to cost nearly
IS, 000, 900. The representatives of Mr..
Flynn express themselves as being pleas
ed to have the Mayor inspect water
works. They contend that liberal inspec-
tion of plants in operation will convince
him that the plant offered by Mr. Flynn
is a model one and one which will be a
credit to the city. They do not hesitate
to say that the plant Mr.. Flynn proposes
constructing cannot be excelled. Every
modern appliance is to be employed in
making the works perfect in every par
ticular
Mayor Hoos will probably compare the
salient features of the Croton plant with
those of the Flynn works. One thing the
Mayor proposes studying closely today is
the plan adopted to prevent the contain
ination of the Croton supply. That is the
one point Mayor Hoos is particularly
anxious about in regard to the Flynn
plant Mayor Hoos will probably make
statement tomorrow concerning the in
formation h ehas gathered today. Having
Lebbeus B. Ward for an adviser will
doubtless result in the Mayor being i'm
pressed that the Flynn plant is faulty
in many important respects. Flynn's en-.
gineers will be prepared to combat any of
Mr.. Wards objections.
The city officials are enjoying a hearty
laugh about Tom McEwan's objections.
They say that the ex-Congressman has
dealt in generalities and that 1t is very
notorious plays to the gallery.
L take no stock in McEwan or his OBJ
jeetions,' said Expert Ferris this morn
ing. Il have examined the Flynn plans
and I reiterate that they are the very best
ever offered this city. When Thomas Nc
EVAN talks about the water supply he Is
talking about something he knows moth
ing about
'.Tom McEwan is taken too seriously"
said George Bouton this morning He is
given a lot of newspaper notoriety He
likes 1t. He will object to everything in
sight so long as his name is published in
the papers.
Commissioners Heintze, Boltwood and
Nolan refuse to discuss McEwan or his
objections further than to say that his
objections are like himself-very light.
1t is not unlikely that a demand will
be made upon Mayor HooS for at least a
copy of the protests filed by McEwan,
which are reported to be signed by prop
erty owners. Not few of the city Off
cials declare that the protest is a public
document and that the Mayor has no
right to secrete it, even though Tom Nc
EVAN request it. The members of the
Boards which awarded the contract say
that the protest is an assault upon their
actions and consequently of more import
to them than to the Mayor. They
want to see the names of the pro-
testants, and they hold that they and
the public are entitled to see them.
The officials further declare that if the
protestants are honest and sincere in
their opposition of the contract they will
not object to their names being made
that the protest be not made public, has
caused the officials to assert that the pro-
test doubtless possesses names of mythi-
cal persons, persons owning no real estate
and persons who are not in any particular
concerned what disposition is made of the
water contract.
"The proceeding is a cowardly one and
one that smacks of McEwanism," said a
prominent official today. What aston
ishes me most is that Mayor Hoos should
be deceived by McEwan's movements.
His Honor, I feel should sustain the
members of his administration and not
lend assistance unintentionally to a poll
tical fakir of the protestant's calibre."