The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-10-14
CITIZENS REBEL.
Lafayette Men Will Take
Pacific Avenue Bridge
Before Grand Jury.
LAME EXCUSE FOR THE DELAY
One Speaker Declares the
Contractors Are Doing
Other Work in the
City.

AboutAforty members of the Lafayette
Citizens Association, met last night in
Bunnelrs Hall, at Communipaw avenue
and Van Horn street, to discuss the
Pacific avenue bridge question. After
several hours discussion a committee of
five was ultimately chosen to go before
the Grand Jury and urge that body to in
| vestigate the course of the delay.
President Mortimer Lampson called the
meeting to order. He explained the
object of the session In a long address in
which he stated that the Lafayette people
had been treated very shabbily and that
the delay was an unmitigated outrage.
THE Board Of Freeholders has been
blamed and the contractor has been
charged with negligence said the Presi-
dent, "but these rumors are not suffi-
cient to convince US. We are here to find
out just where the trouble lies and TO
have the evil remedied. In my mind a
bridge cannot be erected in a few months.
Business men of this section claim that
they are losing money because of the
closing of Pacific avenue. besides suffer-
ing great Inconvenience
Freehclder Mark Fallon was called upon
to explain the situation. He told OF the
board the various legal complications
and traced the matter to its present state.
When the work was ordered stopped
by the old board said the Freeholder,
1--WE were informed that the price of steel
had gone up about S22 ton. The board
awarded the contractor $1,000 in addition
to the contract price He promised to go
ahead with the work, but we all know
that the bridge remains in the old state.
have suffered personal insult from the
delay and If it were in my power to
have the work done should do it as soon
as possible. I introduced a resolution at
the last meeting of the Board. demanding
the contractor to begin work within ten
days, or have the county take action
against him, and force him to complete
the contract. The contractor tells US he
cannot get steel, and that's all / know Of
the matter"
Mr.. A. A. Campbell wanted to know if
the old board had ordered the work on
the bridge discontinued
Freebooter Joseph Zumbuseh replied
that such was the case because of legal
complications regarding the grade
brought about by the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road. Mr. Campbell said that the COM
tractor must have known that the price
Of steel was going up, and that he should
have given the order for it long ago. Mr.
zumbuseh said that this would have been
very unWise move on the part of the
contractor because no one was sure at
just what grade the bridge could be built
and the steel work had to be made ac-
cordingiy.
.'The contractor has tried to give the
contract for steel to three or four firms,
but has not succeeded said Mr.. Fallon.
whether he is negligent and responsible
for the delay 1 am not in position to
state at present, but may be in few
days. A more deplorable state of af-
fairs could not exist in any community.
But this talk of a money deal. Mr..
Chairman, has only originated In the
minds of some who feel disappointed at
the exasperating delay"
81 saw the contractor Monday said
Mr.. Zumbusoh, !" and I was told that the
steel was being drilled in the mills and
would be put together for shipment in
couple Of weeks. I was also told that the
bridge could be built within a couple OF
months or before the winter weather set
In. The structure over the canal which
so many people fear, is much safer than
the old bridge The contractor also as
sured me that he would be willing to
give the Grand Jury any information re-
quiredt regarding the bridge"
Freeholder Fallon said that the engi-
neers. Hunt g. Co.. were willing to with
draw from the contract last May, after
having received 5000 for work already
done.
1--WE did not care to have the engineers
Withdraw, said he, therefore our board
granted the extra Sc, 900 asked for because
of the increased price of steel. It was
then promised that the work would be
completed before September 49,
Mr.. John Hauck said that the Board
would have done well to have let the
engineers out of the contract and perhaps
the work would have been completed be-
fore this.
Mr.. Fallon replied that the engineers
were held ito their contract by advice of
counsel Our Board would have to pay
the extra money for steel no matter who
the contractor was, said Mr. Fallon.
'Further than that, it would cost con-
siderable to readvertise for bids and much
time would be lost IL contractors We're
changed,
was an outrage. The contractor. he said,
found, time to accept contracts in other
party OF the country even after the Pacing
avenue bridge contract had been signed,
and was even at this time doing work on
more recent contracts. He wanted to
know If the Nrand Jury could not give the.
people some relief. He then moved that
a committee of five be appointed to go
before the Grand Jury and urge that body
to Investigate the delay and punish those
responsible. This was passed unani-
mously.
If the contractor was guilty, he said
he should be punished, and If any Off
cials were involved In the delay they too
should be punished
Freeholder Fallon said :-ssIf I am in
anv way found mixed up In the delay,
An perfectly willing to be punished.
win receiva censure without murmur
/ will also give all the help ! can to-
wards having the true state Of affairs
brought out.
Messrs Frank Angel Charles O. Bar
ter. Henry Steffens, Archibald A. Camp
heli and ex- Freeholder Joseph Zumbusch
were appointed on the committee to go
before the Grand Jury. Fhe Lafayette
park subject was brought up and the
Park Committee WIS instructed to appeal
fo the Board of Finance again. While
fha meeting was In session the Repuh1i>
cen candidate for Sheriff appeared See-
ing that there were no politics n sight
he quickly disappeared before being rec-
ognized BY all present,
M-411EK1 or Fdcx
New JerseSa best fiour costs z5c. more per
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