The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-11-24
MAYOR TAKES
BACK TRACK
Pagan Admits Street and
Water Board Is Right on
Sewer Cleaning.
NO LONG CONTRACT.
Present Method to Be Contin-
ued With His Honor AS
Chief Sewer Inspector.

An animated and instructive confer
ence took place this morning at the City
Hall ON the question of the specifications
for the cleaning of receiving basins and
sewers 1t was animated in consequence
of the vigorous opposition of the Street
| and Water Commissioners to the plan
proposed by the Mayor and Republican
Finance Commissioners that the work
should be given out by contract for a
term of three or five years, and that the
contractor should be paid for each foot
of sewer cleaned. The conference was
also enlivened by the stand taken by rep
resentatives of the knights of Labor,
who objected to the city adopting speci-
fcations which would favor contractor
who has a newly patented sewer cleaning
machine which he desires to put into
operation. 1t was instructive because
the Mayor learned some things about
cleaning sewers which has led him to be-
lieve that the city win gain nothing by
changing its present method of cleaning
sewers.
Those who took part in the conference
We're Mayor Pagan, Street and Water
Commissioners Heintze, Nolan and Sui
livan, Finance Commissioners Ringle
Lembeck, Brock and Bacon, City Engi-
neer Ven Keuren and Corporation Coun-
sci Record
Richard J. Allen, Thomas Lochran
and Charles Zoeller were present as rep
Iresentatives of District Assembly No. 1876
knights of Labor.
A half a dozen sewer cleaners in the
employ of the city were ON hand to ex-
plain exactly how their work is done
under the direction of the Street and
Wafer Board. which has $4,000 a year
at2its disposal for this work every year.
CONNOLIY'S SIDE. ~
Contractor Michael 7. Connolly, who
owns the sewer cleaning device which
was responsible for the proposed change
in the specifications was also on deck to
do what he could to impress on the Off
cials that long term contract would be
a good thing for the city.
Before the conference started at 9:45
O'Clock, the Republican Finance Commits
sioners gave the reporters to understand
that their presence was not desired at
the session. To emphasize the fact that
the conference was secret, the door lead
ing to the conference room adjoining the
Mayors Office were closed. When it was
| all over the Mayor said that there was
no reason on earth why the newspaper
men should have been shut out. He re-
marked that he did not desire to keep
anything from the public.
During the entire session the sound of
angry voices foated through the corri-
dors of the City Hall. It was apparent
! from the first that the Street and Water
| Commissioners did not intend toNrecede
from their position from which the FL
nance Board proposed to drive them. The
! Street and Water Board not only object
ed to long term contract, but protested
against the proposition to pay the man
| who got the contract for every foot of
sewer cleaned, whether dirty or other
wise. They insisted that the only fair
method would be to pay so much per
square yard for the amount of sewage
1 matter removed. This, they contended,
would insure clean sewers. If the city
paid for each foot Of sewer cleaned, they
said, the temptation would be great for
the contractor to tackle only those sewers
which were practically clean.
! The fact that Contractor Connolly was
invited to attend the conference caused
much comment among those who failed
to see what right any particular contrac-
tor had to- instruct the city officials in
the adoption of specifications on which
they proposed to bid.
ARE THEY WE'LL CLEANED?
1t was learned after the conference
that Mr.. Connolly charged that the sew
| erse are not properly cleaned. He was of
the opinion that il he had long con-
tract he could with his machines remove
every obstruction from them. He as
sured the officials that the apparatus
would work to perfection.
Richard J. Allen, Adam Zoeller and
/ Thomas Lochran told the Mayor that
/ they protested on behalf Of organized la
Dor to any scheme whereby the city
should LET contract for the operation of
machine to do the work of men. They
also said that the city had no business to
become the advertising agent for d ma
chine which is not being used in other
places. They claimed that it was more
j or less of an experiment anyway. The
delegates took decided stand against q
long term contract under these conditions
and insisted that the work should be done
by their own laborers.
Mr.. Connolly's emphatic statement
that the sewers are not properly cleaned
was denied by the sewer cleaners them.
selves, who explained how they have
done their work.
FAGAN'S, STATEMENT.
When the conference was over Mayor
Pagan made this statement to reporter
Of THE News 81 have learned much