The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-08

debt Of the city Of S2so.s71.2 as. This is to BE-
offset by. 5000, 600 Of bonds issued to build
the new schools and 500, 900 for the new
| Public Library. Sc that, apart from these
splendid improvements, the bonded deb
would have been decreased $s7O, 600 by
Mayor Hoos' administration, down to De-
cember /. last. Since that date, still fur
Their reductions have been made, as the
papers have show from time to time.
Next in Mr.. Watson's letter we find
this
During five years of Republican rule no
scandal arose, or violation of law existed
in any OF the city boards. Recently the
spirit of the law has been Vloiated,
notably in the purchase gsof $1,000 worth
of pianos for schools without advertising
for bids.
Mr.. Watson has a bad memory for Re-
publican scandals. Let us remind him
of DIR. Shayne and the stove, of Or. Ulamor
Allen and his attempt to locate children
in a fretrap owned by himself, when he
was President of the Board of Education.
Let us remind him of the appointment of
Police Commissioners Ahernethy's brother
to the police force. though a resident Of
Brooklyn-and all that has ensued there
upon. Let us point out to him the recent
scandalous doings by Commissioners
Abernethy and West, relics of the Wanse
regime.
1t will also occur to most persons that
the construction of the new City Hall by
Republican Commissioners and architect,
during Mayor Wanser's administration,
was more than a trife fertile in scandals.
Talk of scandals: Was not the knockout
of the water contract-rightfulIy or
wrongfullya pretty large-sized scandal?
And we would like to know how Mr.. Wat
son would classify the infamous term
extender.
Mr.. Watson goes on
The Republicans secured track elevation
for this city, which has increased the
value of property and protected the lives
of our citizens.
Well. if Mayor Wanser got the Erie
tracks elevated, honors are only easy; for
the late Orestes Cleveland caused the
elevation of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Mr.. watson goes M:
When Mayor Wanser was elected he
nearly 5000 for SUPPLIES and salaries.
These were all paid off. and during his
term city employees received their pay
regularly every month; | understand now
the employees in the Water Department
have not been paid for the past six
months, hundreds of thousands of dollars
of claims are past due, and the unpaid
bills for water since October are S251,oVo.
Mayor Nanser found a debt and paid
it, and left behind him as big a one. If
the Water Department bills are unpaid, it
is because in the last month of Mayor
Wanser's term, the Republican Street and
Water Board made a contract with the
East Jersey Water Company which all
but bankrupted the city, and which will
be a milestone about the taxpayers necks,
so long as it holds good.
A paragraph or two are given up to
statements about street improvements of
one sort or another. which were effected
under Mayor Wanser's term. OF course
these constitute no argument at all. There
has been about the same amount of work
per annum of this sort unde Mayor Hoos
as under Mayor Wanser. But neither
Mayor is entitled to any particular credit
for this. The work is done whenever the
property owners petition for 1t, at their
expense. and the Mayor has nothing to
with it,
Mr.. Watson alsc has some general state
ments about the school and engine houses
being kept in repair. But he .disin-
~genuously ignores the seven splendid new
that Mayor Hoos' administration
has given to the city.
Finally Mr.. Watson claims the support
of union labor men on the ground that
the job printing Office, which he repre-
sents. recently consented to a reduction
in the working hours per day, demanded
"