The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-14
APPROPRIATIONS
Tilt Over the Experts Report
of the Cost Of Finishing
Railway R%eformatory.
DAY OF HEARINGS
Travelling Libraries, Epileptic
Farms, Schools and Sol
diers' Homes Discussed.
Especial to .1The Jersey city News

TRENTON. March IA, 1S99.-The Joint
COMMITTEES on Appropriations held a pub
lie meeting yesterday afternoon ana
heard the wants of the various State
boards. The proceedings Of the COM
mittee were enlivened by a tilt between
Chairman Johnson and John Ferguson,
a member of the Railway Reformatory
Commission. Mr.. Ferguson took excep-
lions to the report of Henry Dickson,
a Newark builder, to whom the commit
tee appealed for expert evidence. MI
Ferguso said the experts report was
not worthy of an any answer
Il do not believe hat this committee,
said Mr.. Ferguson, will regard with
favor any appropriation to spend S4o,ooO
or s50,o00 in temporary improvements,
which will be nothing more than a make
shift at the best. The commission does
not want to BIZ forced into doing a patch
work job for which they will be criticised
later. Mr.. Dickson recommends certain
things which dc. not meet with the APP
probation of this commission. The
boiler house for instance should be where
the steam is consumed. 1 have had no
time to go deeply into the details of Mr..
Dickson's report, but I will say that as
a practical man / shall never think of
taking up such a set of plans as these
and picking them to pieces.
Mr.. johnson interposed abruptly to say
that a month was plenty of time for an
experienced man to go over any set of
plans and form an estimate of the cost
thereof. Mr.. Dickson he considered an
expert on prison construction, Who had
a vast experience in building and had
----x--+-l ~ 1850, xr,-rr ~ tho Gfafa
Prison.
Mr.. Ferguson fastened to deny that he
was criticising Mr.. Dickson's estimate
as his figures and those of the commits
sioners were very much alike.
Something about Mr.. Ferguson's re-
marks rolled Senator Johnson and he
broke out. 1.-THE Legislature never con-
templated the expenditure of a million
dollars for the reformatory," he said
tartly, sand the members of the Legisla-
ture were surprised to hear that an in
~stitution of such magnificent proportions
had been started. The commissioners
went beyond their powers when they did
not confine the building to the 100000
mentioned in the act and the Governor
excelled his power when he approved OF
the same. You can't do what you set
out to do now for the SS25,o00 you ask
for. 1t has been impossible for the mem
bers of the Legislature to get any
definite Information as to the ultimate
| cost of this building. Some people nave
| said that it would cost s250,00 0 more,
| others $2ou, 600, while still others said it
| would require $500, 600.
1.-THE result was continued Mr.. John
| son. the committee had to investigate
| the matter on their own account, and our
| expert fixes the figures required to finish
| the building at $1,000 900. Mr.. Dickson, our
| expert, reports that the money has been
honestly spent, but the structure appears
| to have been much more massive than is
necessary. There is a large waste of
room, some 800, 900 cubic feet being prac-
| tically useless in the main building Mr..
Dickson, however, points out how this
| space may be utilized"
Mr.. Johnson's remarks about the com
mission exceeding it's powers brought
| vigorous denials from Mr.. Ferguson and
Mr.. John r. Thomas, the architect of the
building.
II have been familiar with this institu-
ton from its inception" said Mr.. Thomas.
ssand I say to you that no estimate made
in this matter has placed the cost below
$500, 600"
.sThose figures were never given to the
Legislature" replied Mr.. johnson. Tine
commission had no right to go ahead on
such an elaborate scale"
THAT'S a hard statement for you to
make. Senator Johnson said Mr.. Fergu-
son.
Patrick Farrelly, a member OF the COM
mission, said that at no time was any
one authorized to state that the re1orma-
tory would cost less than 100000 and he
did not think the commission should be
held responsible for the u~tterances OF
some irresponsible person unauthorizea 70
speak for the commission
ST don't recollect that 100000 was ever
mentioned to the Legislature during the
tendency of the bill,' said MI. Johnson.
1--WE certainly never heard that the
Mace was to cost $500, 00O," said Senator
stokes. 1--WE all thought $780, 900 would be
4 enough to start and that subsequent Leg
islatures would add to it as he necessity
arose. There was some further discussion
of the subject and the committee ad-
journed.
Mrs. Mary Horton and Mrs. Margaret
Fardley. representing the Confederatior
of Women's Club, were the first heard
Mrs. Horton spoke in behalf OF fravehhe
libraries. She referred to the fact tina
a bill authorizing the libraries was passee
by the Legislature last year, but no ap
preparation was made for carrying tn
bill into effect. The system, she said
carried the best literary works to famille'
not reached by the circulating libraries
In other States the system had proven
itself to be a success and she asked 10
50. 500 for spreading it in jersey City.
The Rev. DR.. J.. M. Buckley spoke mex
in favor of the Home for Epileptics
which has recently been established b.
the State. He spoke of the necessity o
keeping the epileptic patients from CON
ing in contact with other people. Epilepti
cases. he said, were very common in tn
asylums of the State and that there Wer
1000 of them in New Jersey. None Q
these can get a good situation and the
wander over the State unable to ear
their living. He asked for 5000 fer tn
erection of two brick cottages; $4,000 TO
purchase of an adjoining farm. whicl
he said was greatly needed for femal
patients, and $1,000 for salary and runnin.
expenses, including necessary repairs
and $1,000 for water and sewage. Dl
Buckley explained that it was the inten
ton of the commission to supply a youn
man as superintendent and give him
small salary to start with.
4EA