The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-04-09

4
was getting tired of the inactivity put
guess there win be something now 70
keep me busy. Do you know have mad
less to do this morning than ! have had
any morning since came into office
The full text Of the Street and Water
Boards rep.y to the Mayors veto is as
follows
Jersey City, April s. 1892
TO the Board of Street and Water Com
missioners.
| Gentlemen-Your Committee Of the
Whole to whom was referred the subject
matter of the objection Of His Honor the
Mayor to a resolution adjusting water
rents heretofore passed by this Board
March 18th ut, respectfully reports as
fol.ows:-Your committee finds that the
resolution adjusting water rents and that
resolution only was presented TO the
Mayor officially for his action. That 1t
was accompanied by no official explana-
tory statement, and that opportunity FOR
hut little more than cursory explanation
of its provisions was extended to the au-
thorized representative of this Board, al
though offer was made to go into detailed
explanation when requested.
The Mayor claims to have been IN
formed that the proposed adjustment
would have made the entire added income
for the year beginning May l, 1902, about
s6e.Ooo. Gle further claims to have In
formed himself that the changes would
have in reality produced at least $4,000
Of additional income). and that this pro-
posed additional income was solely for
the purpose of of-setting the cost to the
department of water used for public pur-
poses.
The Mayor must have been misinform-
ed. as no such claim was ever made or
authorized to be made by US. We were
face to face with increasing obligations
and with deficiency and took the busl-
ness-like way of meeting the issue his
Honor proceeds to argue on the assump-
tion that the schools are charged with
the free use of water aggregating COST
to this Board of $4,000. He claims that
this would require daily consumption
by every school child in the city Of ten
barrels of water and is evidently amused
by the "absurdity of the suggestion.
AS a matter of fact, the assumption Is
unwarranted and we challenge the pro-
duction of any such insistment made by
this Board or through it.
In January last, the then Supervising
Clerk submitted a statement of the con-
dit;on of the water account, and suggest
ed that the sum of $4,000 be allowed an
nually by the Board Of Finance to the
Water Department as a recompense Tor
that water which is now furnished gratis
for public purposes In that document
which is matter of public record, the
schools were BUT ONE ITEM. EVERY
PUBLIC BUILDING in Jersey City is a
charge against this department for the
water which it uses gratuitously. AL
water used for FIRE PURPOSES Is a
like charge against the department, as Is
also the water used for STREET
|CLEANING, STREET sPRINKLING and
SEWER FLUSHING. THE HOSPITALS
and PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS and the
CHARITABLE and SEMI-CHARITA-
BILE HOMES are ALL FREE AND USE
THAT WATER which goes to make up
the aggregate cost of $4,000.
The water consumption indicated as
aforesaid was not guessed at, but was
figured out mathematically and the school
consumption as shown in the report here
tofore referred to was also so figured. A
smile of barrel juggling does not alter
the value of the facts.
The water used for fire purposes while
perforce approximated to a certain ex-
tent, was also mathematically calculated
on the basis of the best facts obtainable.
The remaining items of water consump-
ton which collectively made up the ball
ance of that sum of $4,000, for which
compensation was desired, were likewise
subject to the same care in preparation
and wherever approximation only was
possible it was methodically made.
The opinion expressed in the report
quoted, that demand should be made on
the appropriating body for the sum of
$50 900 to compensate the Water Depart
ment for the water which it paid for and
was practically compelled to give away,
was as plain and straightforward a busi-
ness proposition as could have been ad-
duced.
The next item of objection appears to
be that the assessment on private houses
has been raised SEQ per house per an
mum. Let US examine into the merits Of
this objection.
Early in the year 1897 the Republican
Board then in existence. adopted resolu-
ton Increasing by ten Co) per cent. the
rates OF every building in Jersey City not
supplied by meter. and this resolution
was approved BY a Republican executive.