The Jersey City news., 1906-08-07
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the day are now paid only when servic
is actually rendered. Construct on
now separate from maintenance so tha
at the end of 4 given period it can b,
told how much we have added to thu
capital value of our plant and how mucl
maintenance costs us.
The question of removingsupplieS from
pipe yard, when they are unsatisfactori
ly protected, to the Wayne Street stable
which affords better facilities, was taken
up, but its settlement has been held in
allegiance until it is definitely known
whether the stable is to be utilized fol
other municipal purposes.
| The correction of arrearages of water
| rentals, at my direction, now being pro-
ceeded with, and it is expected that by
November first, prox. they will have
practically ceased to exist.
The free use of water by the schools
and charities, ets., and cur inability to
more than guess as to the volume so
consumed, has also been taken up,
] though conclusion has not yet been reach
ed. The legality of this gratuity is dues-
tionable, and | have indited a circular
letter to be sent to the various benefi-
carries, requesting that pending a settle
ment of our legal ability to furnish water
without cost, a meter shall be installed
at their expense, whereby we can at
least know the quantity we give away.
Ii it is subsequently ascertained that we
are doing something without warrant of
law, the cost of water installation should
be made good to the consumer.
The investigation of the supplying Of
water through meter to our large consum-
ers, and heretofore referred to, produced
| such startling results, and was of such
| Importance that to the partial exclusion
OF many other matters, much time was,
and is, being devoted to the subject
i w hQ pnn fba+ ~,
past eighteen months. the department
has, at cost of more than one hundren
and twenty-seven thousand dollars ($121.-
I oOU) been engaged in laying two new
water main systems, one for increasing
the supply and pressure in the upper
| Hudson City section which system is
now completed and in use; the other for
same purpose, to benefit the lower city
land Lafayette section, which is expected
to be completed and in use within cou-
/ pie of weeks. The cost of these two sys-
| tens being borne, not by Water Account,
| but being paid for out of fund provided
| by general bond isue and the actual
work being done by contract outside of
the department, it was reasonable to
| expect that our own force had been,
| meanwhile, engaged i'll laying thai lesser
quantity of pipe required to keep pace
with our natural requirements, and while
| the pay rolls during the period noted will
| indicate very substantial expenditure
sufficiently substantial to warrant belief
| that the necessities of service had been
provided for, it would now appear that
such belief was not well founded
| 1t was likewise reasonable to expect
| that, anticipating the completion of the
! two main systems heretofore noted, pro-
per care would have been taken to pro-
vide against that waste which such com
| pietlon foreshadowed This has not been
! DONE
1t is confidently predicted that
when water is turned into the so-called
! Newark Avenue main system, our con-
| sumption will indicate an immediate in
| crease of three to five million gallons
| dairy for which we will have to pay Gf
the. Water Company's insistment is
| maintained by the Courts thirty-tive dol
| lars $3.50 per million, or a total of from
one hundred and five dollars (S1O5) TO
| one hundred and seventy-five ($175) per
| day IN, excess of what we are now charg-
| ed with while the return to the city
| would be perhaps but ten 40 per cent?
OF tine amount; where waste now exists
| there would be increased waste by reason
of the increased pressure nor is this all
| our daily output would aggregate rather
more than forty million gallons. which is
not only a tremendous and almost nnpar-
| alieled per capita consumption, but repre-
| sents more than feur-fifths of the entire
capacity of our new works
With the object of at least a partial
| correction of water waste, l have direct
| ed that. a house to house canvass be
made OF the entire city, in order to de-
| tect leaky service pipes and fixtures. and
| nave them repaired and kept in order by
| the owner, with the alternative of shut
| ting off the supply.
This action will result in the continual
! engagement OF some employees whose SER
1 vices would have, otherwise, been suner-
| iinous, but even the initial and direct
| money-saylng to the department should,
at least, treble the cost of inspection
| If retrenchment is necessary. if econo-
mics are required (and the language of
the resolution designating me as Execu-
tive Head of this department either
means that. or it means nothing) then
would fail in my duty to you, and like
| wise in the duty which [ owe to the pub.
tic and to myself if | neglected to direct
| your attention to the necessity for a
curta ailment in the number of employees
now indicated on the various pay-rolls
i9f the department. | can but suggest.
IT IS Tor You to give those suggestions
that vitality which will emphasize them,
| and thus assure ME that the respons;bi
| lty which, without my solicitation, you
nave vested in me. is responsibility not
shifted. but shared
"oulu hIsl suggest Inat all pipe lay
ing be done by contract. 1t can be done
much more expeditiously, and at a dis
tlnct saving. | am further prepared to
now indicate to you what reductions can,
in my judgment, be made in the various
pay-rolls of the department at the pres
ent time and in the near future, whereby
can be saved to the department annually
between twenty and twenty-five thou
sand dollars.
In rendering account of my steward
snip, | have refrained from reeountinp
the many obstacles which have injected
themselves to retard progress, and the
petty annoyances which had to he put
Iasde.
4 The past month has been one of hard
tearnest and conscientious work to bring
about better condition of things, In
the doing of which no thought has beer
given to self. No question of politics no1
Ipersonal feeling has been permitted r.
nave weight in arriving at decisions.
| As to the general result, while progress
mas undoubtedly been made. it's measure
is not satisfactory to me, nor can [ b.
satished until, as the result of the find
| ings. correctiyes are instituted and th.
resultant benefit begins to mako itseli
lapDarent
There exists. at least, one other caus,
OF dissatisfaction with me, namely. tha1
since the first day of May, part of m,
salary has been paid out of water ac
count. It was so ordered by you priol
70 my beng made Executive Hea1 auf
because the duties of the Clerkship were
n your Judgment. sufficiently onerous