The Jersey City news., 1899-06-13
PL UMBERS KICK.
Award Of Library Work To
Lowest Bidder, a New
Yorker, Makes Local
Tradesmen Complain.
APPEALTO BOARD OF WORKS
DR.. E. j. Gordon Explains That
Home Talent Would In
volve a Loss OF
$4,000.

=
Commissioners 1t is all about the plumb
ing work of the new Free Public Library.
which they think should be done by a
Jersey City plumber rather than New
Yorker in spite of the fact that the New
York firm was $22 900 below the lowest
Jersey City bid
Commissioners A. Hauck, J. S. Nolan
and f. Heintze were in their Office when
delegation from the plumbers associa-
ton walked in. 1t consisted of Fergus
kelleher, Fred Ewald, Thomas Hethering-
ton, j. Mcdonald. 7. Moran, j. Sprouts
and R. Coulson. DR.. L. J. Gordon, chair
man of the Free Library Trustees, was
on hand to listen to the kick
The chairman of the delegation stated
the case, saying that Plumber John j.
Keilt, of Newark avenue, had obtained
permit from the Street and Water Board
to put water into the new Free Library
building and this permit, it was charged,
Keilt had transferred to New York
firm, Wells & Newton. This act of Keilt's,
it was urged, was in violation of Rule 8
of the Street and Water Board, which
reads as follows
mo licensed plumber will be allowed to
transfer his permit to any other party,
or sign for an unlicensed plumber or sus-
pended plumber, or allow his name to be
used by any other person or party either
for the purpose of obtaining permits or
doing any work under his license. under
penalty for each and every offence of $40.
The committee argued that Jersey
City plumber couldn't go into Newark
Hoboken Bayonne or New York and get
permits and why should foreign firm
come in here? They asked for protection
They did not ask to have Keilt's license
revoked although he was liable having
infringed the rule, and had transferred
that permit to Wells & Newton All they
asked was to put stop to action of that
kind in the future.
J. ]. Keilt, who was present submitted
a contract which he had with Wells &
Newton by which he was to insert taps
on the water mains and make sewer con-
nections for $21O He said that he had
paid for two permits and he was going
to do the outside work.
sYes," said one of the plumbers, you'll
do the outside work, but when you come
to the inside, what then?"
sThat's all rubbish, retorted Kelt.
you've got me for marker. but am
going to put in the sewer and main work"
Il would like to have an affidavit made
as to that" said another plumber.
s'I'll make it now,'' said Keilt promptly.
Commissioner Hauck sympathized with
the plumbers saying that it was too bad
that the work on public buildings can't
be given to Jersey City people, who help
to pay the taxes They ought to be pro-
tected as far as possible. The Board had
Of tba fap n a ai "a
got a permit it had none that he had
transferred his permit to another.
1t was then Dr. Gordons turn to speak
and the information he gave surprised
the Commissioners. He riddled the
plumbers case completely by showing
that the contract for the work on the
new Library was open to all comers out
the New York firm was $4,000 below
any Jersey City mans figures, and why
should the Free Library Trustees expend
s22, 600 more on the work simply to bene-
fit a. Jersey City man? The Doctor
pointed out that the figures on the con-
tract by local men were as folloWs:-
w. Robertson & Son, s22449S; J. I. Row
land & Son, s217, ,11S; NJ. T. Connolly Co.,
1920. $40: J. Jewkes & Son. $224, 800; Nor
cross Brothers, to whom the contract
was awarded, s2oS, ,191, with an allowance
Of $4,000 for stacks.
s4Now," said the Doctor, when we
drew up the plumbing plans and specih-
cations we submitted them to the plumb
ing inspector of the Board of Health.
He offered suggestions which we incor-
porated in the plans. We don't propose
to hand over $4,000 to one firm when we
save that money for Jersey City and all
the taxpayers reap the benefit. If we,
the Trustees. were to award the contract
to a Jersey City firm, simply because it
was local affair and disregard that OF
an outsider who will do the work for
s22, 900 less. we would and ought 10 go
to State Prison. Why should we, IN race
of facts and figures, give 1T to another
firm? I can't see any good reason why
we should lose that sum. The people
should have it and they'll get 1t.
CAS- to the charge" continued DR.. Cor
don. "that it is outside labor being en-
ployed on the building, that's not true.
The excavation, mason work and other
work Is all being done by Jersey city
people Jersey City men only are en-
ployed on the building. The statement
that plumbers can't go to Newark, New
York and Hoboken Is all rot You can
no more stop Interstate commerce than
you can stop the sun. Here we want
water in the new building and we can't
get it, and thereby Jersey City people
are kept idle because certain people, un-
successful In bidding, have a fancled
grievance / hope the Board of Works
will at once facilitate the progress OF the
work on the new library"
The delegates then withdrew. The
Commissioners will allow Keilt to go
ahead with his outside work and will
afterwards determine what they will do
with the "fnside question The Trus-
tees may, if there is any opposition to
the work on the inside of the building,
by the New York firm, order them to
go ahead and Yet the opposers have re-
course to the law for relief II any Is
needed. Wells & Newton could open
plumbers shop in Jersey City, get Ii
cense and go ahead, but, as DR.. Cor
don pointed out, they do not believe in
evading the law in that fashion.