The Jersey City news., 1904-02-04

architects work. When was it that
one man. hecause of his peculiar oppor-
tunity, could disayow his own compet-
ency to pass judgment on his fellows and
then, through the public press, proceed
to assail the reputation, the ability and
the very integrity of his co-worlpers, not
in the fashion of an honest critic with
contentions of his own devising, but with
the covert assault of some persons whose
reliability was such that their comments
necessarily arrested his attention
.We beg of you to be sufficiently can
did with the public, as we'll as ourselves,
to state who are the authors of these So
called criticisms"
After paying their respects to Mr..
Brady, the hospital expert from Balti-
more, introduced by the Mayer, and who
referred to them there plans and say
ing ''they amt no good" the statement
reads
''At this meeting, at which Mr.. Brady
attended, Mr. Watson recited the his
tory of the work of our Board, and he
closed his remarks with statement that
he would be ready the following Thurs
day, to which time the meeting was to
be adjourned, to vote for the adoption
of some plan of construction; that there
had been SO much delay in the matter
that he would vote for any reasonable
plan, as long as proper hospital could
be built for Jersey City, but that he
wanted it done either at that meeting or
at the next meeting; that he was tired of
the long delays, and that the impression
had gotten out among the citizens of Jer-
sey City that 1t was never the intention
of the administration to build hospital,
but it was simply postponed from time
to time without doing anything"
Another extract:-
''You must admit that from the in
ception of this work your policy, as we'll
as that of your advisers, has not been
firm one.
From the time when Prof, Hamlin
>f
tion," the hospital trustees have been
changing plans and methods and shifting
from one idea to another. Because you
could not agree with former Board, sew
eral of its members were placed in
position where they thought it best to
resign"
The statement closes with these re-
marks
Because we, as trustees, do not join
with you in insisting that man who
has contract with the city shall re-
lease the city from that contract, you
then say, I can no longer work in har-
mony with you, and l therefore request
your designations For what purpose?
Do you expect to appoint in our places
men who will be entirely subservieut to
your will? Is it your expectation that
they will say to Mr.. Long, You must
acknowledge your own incompetency on
this work, and if you do and agree to
pay 81 800 to another person whom the
Mayor will appoint, we will continue to
keep the contract previously made with
your Or is it your purpose to again
write Mr. Brady of Baltimore to visit
US and have him prepare some additional
drawings for the purpose of enlighten-
ing the people of Jersey City as to their
requirements? Perhaps you would pre-
fer to return to the idea of having a
Supervisor of Competition and if so,
may we ask do you intend to request
Prof. Hamlin to release the city from
any claim he already has under his con-
tract? Do you expect to have the new
Board take up the work where the old
Board leaves it, or do you think it
would be wiser that they should begin
the study anew and perhaps secure OPP
tions on property in some other sections
of the city? Do you anticipate that the
new Board will be ready during the
present year to advertise for bids, and
is it really your expectation to see the
hospital built during your administra-
ton?
''Now, we have no desire to embarrass
the city in any proper effort that wil be
made to meet this important question
If we believed that it was proper for us
to resign we would do so at once. But
where the only point of dispute between
us is on your insistence that we should
require a man who claims legal rights
against the city to release his claim be-
fore the hospital is constructed, it seems
to us that you are the obstructionist and
that YOU are not meeting the situation