The Jersey City news., 1906-08-20

the day are HOW puiu Diliy WueiA neIf fics
1 is actually rendered, Constructor is
| now separate from maintenance so that
at the end of given period it can be
! told how much we have added to the
capital value of our plant and how much
maintenance costs us.
! The question of remOyingsuppiiesf from
pipe yard, when they are unsatisfactory
ly protected to the Wayne Street stable,
J, 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 for
other municipal purposes.
The correction of arrearages of water
rentals, at my direction, now being pro-
ceeded with, and 1t 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 our 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 ques-
tionable. and have indited circular
letter to be sent to the various beneti-
Charles, requesting that pending a settle
, ment of our legal ability to furnish water
without cost. meter shall be installed
at their expense, whereby we can at
least~know the quantity we give away.
If 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.
1t will be remembered that during the
past eighteen months. the department
has at a cost of more than one hundren
and twenty y-seven thousand dollars ($12I.-
O00) 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
and Lafayette section, which is expected
to be completed and in use within a cou-
PIE of weeks. The cost of these two sys-
tems being borne, not by Water Account,
but being paid for out of fund provided
by a 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 in laying that lesser
quantity of pipe required to keep pace
with our natural requirements, and while
the pay rolls during the period noted will
indicate a 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
pletion foreshadowed. This has not been
DONE
1t is confidently predicted that
when wafer 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
daily, for which we will have to pay Ut
| the Water Company's insistment is
| maintained by the Courts thirty-five dol
lars $3.50 per million, or a total of from
one hundred and five dollars ($105) to
one hundred and seyenty-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 the amount; where waste now exists
there would be increased waste by reason
of the increased pressure nor is this y.
our daily output would aggregate rather
more than forty million gallons. which is
| H5t only a tremendous and almost anpar-
a1feled per capita consumption. but repro
sents more than four-ffths of the entire
thpdcily Oi our rev WOrkS.
With the object of at least a partial
correction of water waste, / have direct
ed that house to house canvass be
made of the entire city, in order to de-
tect leaky service pipes and fixtures, and
have 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
vices would have. Otherwise. been super
tiuous, but even the initial aud direct
| money-saying to the department should,
q t least treble the cost of inspection.
Ii retrenchment is necessary, If econo-
/ mics are required (and the language Of
the resolution designating me as Execll-
| tive Head of this department either
| means that or it means nothing) then I
would fail in my duty to you, and like
wise in the duty which / owe to the pub
lie and to myself if neglected to direct
your attention to the necessity for a
curtailment in the number of employees
| now. indicated on the various ayrolls
OF the. department. | can but suggest.
| 1t is for You to give those suggestions
| that vitality which will emphasize them.
/ and TINS assure me that the responsible
ity which. without my solicitation, you
nave vested in me. is a responsibility not
shifted. but shared.
1 NouluHfSt Suggest IHAf all plpe iay~-
ing be done by contract 1t can be done
much more expeditiously, and at q dis
| tinct saving. / am further prepared ia
| now indicate to you what reductions can,
in my Judgment. be made in the various
pay rolls of the department at the pres
emf 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
ship. | have refrained from recountina
the many obstacles which have injected
| themselves to retard progress, and the
petty annoyances which had to he pui
aside
The past month has been one of hard
earnest and conscientious work to bring
about better condition of things, ir
the doing of which no thought has beer
given to self. No question of politics noI
personal feeling has been permitted n
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,
satisfied until as the result of the find
lngs. correctiVes are instituted and I'll.
resultant benefit begins to make itsel
apparent
There exists. at least. one other caus,
OF dissatisfaction with me, namely tha1
since the first day of May, part of m,
salary has beeh paid out of water ac
count. 1t was so ordered by Won nrio
| my being made Executive Hean All,
nlf nc la.- \ IL