The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-05-26
The MAYOR AND
THE JOURNAL. !"
An Editorial In the Repub-
lioan Organ Causes the
Executive Extreme
Surprise.
THAT NEW HOSPITAL GIFT
Journals Attack Brings a
Lengthy Reply From the
Mayor.
That NEW HOSPITAL GIFT

In reply to the column and half edi-
torial in yesterdays Evening Journal
under the caption of the New Hospital
Project to Be Abandoned, Mayor Pagan
this morning gave out to reporters the
following signed statement
Il have read with profound astonish-
ment the attack made upon me by the
Evening Journal in relation to the
new City Hospital. The journal" has
been misinformed as to the facts. 1t
makes the following assertions directly or
indirectly.
Il. The new City Hospital project is
to be abandoned. This is not true, nor
has the abandonment of the project, or
even its temporary delay been so much
much as contemplated or suggested by
me.
2. That have concluded to make the
new Hospital wait for the public bath
and new schools. including a new High
School. This statement is without the
slightest basis Of fact.
3. That Mr.. Zabriskie has offered to
give s150,000, half of the proposed cost.
and that DR.. McGill has offered to give
$4,000, and that these offers, at least
that of Mr.. Zabriskie is still open; that
these funds are available for Hospital
buildings in connection with such money
as the city might appropriate. There is
not any basis for such statements. Meth
er Mr.. Zabriskie or DR.. McGill ever made
any such offer. Mr.. Zabriskie offered to
give S15o,0o0 towards the new Hospital
upon the condition that a ike amount.
was raised by private subscription by
other citizens of Jersey City. DR.. Nc
Gill offered $4,000 upon the. same condi-
tons. These funds have never been avail
able because the condition could not be
met. personally devoted large amount
OF time in trying to meet the conditions
of these offers but failed.
f. That, as Mayor I had an oppor-
tunity to carry out the following plan:
TO abandon the present hospital site
and buy larger site in more desir-
able section of the city. That funds
were available to buy this site and build
hospital buildings. That the Zabriskie
and McGill subscriptions were available
towards the erection of additional build
ings, but that this plan has been aban-
doned without reason and the Hospital
Commission left without means to pro-
vide hospital of any kind. That
now propose as a substitute for the
foregoing plan, to patch up the present
hospital, to repair the leaky roof and
to put cots in the cellar. and to postpone
indefinitely the building of a new hos.
pital These statements are incorrect.
l have had no opportunity to carry out
the plans suggested. The funds for such
plan have not been available and can
not now be obtained. The Zabriskie and
McGhl offers have never been available
The Hospital Commission has not been
left without means by me. | do not
now and never have proposed to abandon
or postpone the building of new hos
pital or to spend one dollar in repairing
Or renovating the present hospita. On
the contrary, when such plan was
suggested, | vigorously protested againss
it.
THE real facts are as follows--After
I assumed Office law was passed pro-
viding for an issue Of 100000 Of bonds
for new hospital. I appointed board
of trustees under this law. The first
attempt of the board to act was thwart-
ed bs legal proceedings. by which the
validity of the Hospital act was at
tackled. This suit has absolutely pre-
vented the selling Of my bonds under
that act, and delayed the hospital one
year. At the last session a new bond
law was passed, but companion law
intended to meet the legal objection
against the present Board of Trustees
failed of passage because of the opposi-
tion Of tie Democratic members of the
Legislature from Hudson County. After