The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-30
NO NEED TO TALK
Democrats Find Nothing In
the Republican Cam
paign.
The WATER DEPARTMENT
In Better Condition Today
Than It Has Been for
Years.

Since the Republicans have refused to
make an issue of any kind Democ attic
candidates and orators are having diHi-
cult time of it. They are simply con-
fning themselves to telling the public OF
the abuses that have been corrected since
the city has been in Democratic control.
About the only branch of the city govern
ment the Republicans have lad the
courage to attack is the water depart
ment They charge extravaganza ana
mismanagement.
That the water department has not been
able to meet all its obligations promptly is
due entirely 10 the manner in which the
Republicans mismanaged it when they
We're in power. So badly were the al
fairs conducted and so recklessly were
supplies purchased that the water rents
had to be increased. The prices were put
up by the Republicans to such an extent
that the Democratic officials were forced
to lower them. Several reductions have
been made and more will be made as soon
as practicable.
When the Republican Street and Water
Commissioners retired from office they
left claim of about S11S000 to be paid
the East Jersey Company. They ieplet-
ed the water account at the last minute
by ordering 100000 paid the company,
and at the same time passed resolution
directing that the first water money col
lected be employed in the payment OF
the East Jerseys claim
White the Republicans ordered the S20o-
O0o paid the money came out of the funds
which by rights the Democrats should
have had to use in the proper main
tenance of the department. The 100000
was a first lien and not a dollar could
be paid anyone until that claim had
been satisfied. The water account was
then $3.50 600 in arrears and the contemptl-
Bile course was pursued of mortgaging
the first years receipts OF the Demo-
cratic administration.
Notwithstanding that handicap the
Democrats paid the 100000, and with 1t
S1ls000 to the same concern, and hung-up
claims and payrolls aggregating Sso,ooo
more In all the Democrats during their
short term of office have paid S4lS,0O0
which the Republicans should have paid
had they not by their extravaganza de-
pieted the account.
These statements are facts and are
borne out by the records of the Street
and Water Board.
The water department is today in bet
ter condition that it has been in ten
years. The department is operated by
smaller force than ever before, fewer
supplies are purchases and there are no
sinecurists on the payrolls. The last of
this class to be disposed of was Super
vsing Engineer w. H. Hooker. He was
holding down an office that was created
for him. The Democrats abolished 1t
together with a half dozen other unnec-
cessary berths that Republican henchmen
had been sleeping in.
Republican orators may call attention
to the water department affairs, but every
time they do it they alarm the Republic
cans who were in charge of the depart
ment before Mayor Hoos took charge of
the city. It is fact known to many that
the old Street and Water Board narrowly
escaped Indictment for its management of
the department. Carrots at 81 barrel
for horses and salt hay at $1S ton were
features of the Republican management.
There were other. such cases.
One of the noted improvements in the
management of Street and Water Board
affairs by the Democratic officials; was
the abolition of the unbalanced bid sys-
tenn 1t was an old trick of the Republic
cans to allow certain favored contractors
to submit unbalanced bids. In that way
the favored ones secured all the public
work and did it as they chose. The re-
suit was cheap, bad work at exorbitant
prices.
Property owners were continually COM
planning of the high assessments for
public work and were always charging
that the specifications were departed
from Of course appeals to the Republic
cans were ignored. When the Demo-
Gratis came in control they recognized the
justice of the complaint, and at once
adopted plan of bidding on the percen-
tage basis, which put an end to the sub
mission of unbalanced bids.
Now the Board fixes the cost of an inn
provement and bidders may accept 1t at
that price or leave it alone. Cheaper bet
ter work has resulted and more improve
ments have been made under the Demo-
cratic administration than eyer before in
the city's history
Mayor IIoos does all in his power to en-
courage the making of improvements
And he sees to it always that complaints
of improper work are attended to and the
cause of complaint removed. It is his de-
yotion to the cause of the public that has
made him the best and most popular
Mayor the city has had.