The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-03-15
IMPROVEMENT DELAYS.
Commissioner Nolan Told
the Twelfth Ward Asso-
citation the Why's and
Wherefores.

Street and Water Commissioner James
Nolan attended the meeting of the
Twelfth Ward Improvement Association
at SptznageTs Hall last night, and took
occasion to explain the apparent derelic-
ton of the city authorities in carrying out
certain needed improvements. Alderman
Gustav 10th was also present. Both are
members of the association.
When the committee on the proposed
Manhattan avenue sewer reported that
the matter had been readvertised COM
missioner Nolan took occasion to say that
the maps were approved for the work
over a year ago and the contractor who
bid lowest secured the contract for the
sewers construction. The price Of iron
rose during the Spanish war and the con-
tractor found he had bid far too low. 'V5e
cost of iron pipe had doubled. The JOB,
he said, was further delayed in connec-
tion with the crossing of railroad tracks.
Mr.. Nolan said the contractor could not
be forced to do the job but that he would
be chrged up with the difference between
his bid and the lowest bid received in re-
sponse to readvertising. He declared the
work would be prosecuted and new bids
were received and the contract was
awarded
Mr.. Nolan also took occasion to explain
the action of the Street and Water Board
in laying off during the month of Febru-
ary and the first half of March number
of men connected with the Water Depart
ment He declared that it was necessary
| and that but little work in their line
could have been done on account of the
weather. These men, he said, had been
put back to work.
AS to the insufficient supply of water
in the Twelfth warU, Mr.. Nolan said he
had found in some sections that the pipes
were too small They were about to be
replaced with larger pipes when the
price of pipe went up. He blamed real
estate men when selling land to buyers
for not telling the latter that there were
no fire plugs in the immediate locality OF
| their houses.
The park question was discussed by the
| members and reorganization of the JOINT
| park site committee was effected at the
| close of the associations meeting, with
Robert Muir, of the Hudson CITY I'M
provement Association, as president, ana
Frederick Bugasch, of the Twelfth Ward
Improvement Association, as secretary.
AT the associations meeting Messrs Muir
and Hoehl reported visit they had paid
Mayor Hoos in efforts to secure the
Mayors aid in securing additional land
| for the Ogden avenue park site. They
! said the Mayor appeared to be favorably
| impressed They said also that they would
wait upon the Street and Water Board
| and urge the old unused reservoir lot as a
park site.
Concerning this Commissioner Nolan
said that after a conference between
various city Boards it was generally con-
| ceded that when the new water supply
was furnished the reservoir lots will be
NEEDED for big reserve to be stored in
| case of a break in the single pipe line.
| Mr.. Nolan said he favored the purchase OF
additional land for the Ogden site if 1t
| can be secured, but he was of the opinion
| that s4OO 600, which had been asked for and
has been authorized by law was for the
| terracing of the present site. He said
| something should be done to the present
| site, which is now but a dumping ground
Mr.. Holder complained of lack of fire
| escapes on the public school buildings,
mentioning No. 10 School especially, a
| three-story building with two wooden
/ stairways and yet has no ire escapes
| Mr.. Holder said there had been but one
! fire drill in the school in four years.
SHOULD a fire occur on the first hoor OIL
this rickety old building said Mr.. Hold
er. 1.-The loss of life among the children
would be terrible. A committee, consist
| ing Of Messrs. Holder, Stroksahl and
| Prigge, was appointed to look atter
the matter of fire escapes on the public
schools.
Joseph Engel, of No. 147 Columbia av-
enue; Arthur Corby, of No. 1856 Bowers
street and William Spleidt, of No W
Griffith street, and Joseph Bauer, OF NO.
l9S Hutton street, were elected members
of the association
T. President George Hoehl, who is looking
for appointement to the Fire Board was
endorsed for that position.
The station house committee reported
that Assemblyman Vollers had been sue
cessful in getting his bill for the new
station house safely from the committee
and that it was now to be reported for its
second reading in the Assembly.