Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-03-03

Paving In Front street Will cost the
city and taxpayers at least ten times
as much as was originally estimated,
and, as a result, property owners will
probably never pay their share or the
cost, was the claim of Alderman VIII
liam C. Wilson today. He has d>s-
covered that the price OF excavat1ns
in that street has reached the start
ling cost OF S16 a cubic yard in some
places and S32 cubic yard in others,
whereas 1t was thought tAat tne city
was being robbed at the : e OK eigh-
teen cents a yard, when the Hast
ings Pavement Company charged
sixty-eight cents cubic yard.
Complaints have been made to
Mayor Ferd Garretson, to the
aldermen, newspaper men and
others. 1t is claimed that there are
SO many men on the job that they
stand in each others way. that some
wander about the city and others
drink In saloons while drawing pay
from the city. 1t is claimed in COM
plants to the mayor and others that
much favoritism Is being shown, that
at least one ont of town man mas
been engaged, that there is an unnec-
essary inspector on the job; In snort,
It is claimed that the job Is the most
misconducted one ever attempted In
this city. Mr.. Wilson, practical
builder and contractor, states 1t is
the most mismanaged Job he ever
saw and in his opinion 1t will do
more for the installation Of the COM
mission form OF government here
than anything else. He wishes to go
on record as an urgent rooter for
that form of rule.
Complaints About Favoritfsm.
Complaint was first made to the
aldermen about alleged favoritism
mismanagement and the engagement
of Charles Hilker, a resident of Tot
tenvilie Several men who had
worked on the street complained to
Mayor Ferd Garretson this week
TheI Iclaimed to be the heads ofneedy
families and said they had been laid
of When young and unmarried men
were We ng steadily, because they
were IVA. healers" or something OF
that sort. They said that there was
an inspector on the job. Mayor
Gs rretson said today, that he could
see no necessity for an inspector on
Job which the city itself was doing
He would not like to see any scandal
IN connection with the job, he said
but II the assessments rose above the
estimated figure Of $50 lot, II would
indicate to him that the work had
not been conducted properly.
When seen today Street Commits
eioner George M. Adair rubbed his
hands and said he had nothing to dc
with the Front street work. At the
scene of operation, when visited by g
NEWS man today, nearly half of the
men were fcnnd idle, leaning on theii
shovels, rolling cigarettes or lighting
pipes. Later when In company will
Albert Mcdonald, the NEWS mar
found that nearly all of the men were
at work. Mr.. Mcdonald, who said he
was foreman and timekeeper on the
1ob, stated at the time that those
who were not busily engaged were
waiting for teams. He said there
had come handicap through lack OF
curbing. Both he and another fore
man, P. N. Kennedy, declared en-
phatically that no favoritism wal
= shown when they engaged men. Mr.
Mcdonald said that all comers. II
they appeared worthy, were engaged
and none were discharged, but some
were laid off at intervals to give al
a chance at work He declared tha
the chances were equal. that no fav
oritism was shown to either Demo
erat or Republican. He declared
that single and married men, some
Of the former having mothers OF
sisters dependent upon them, were
given employment. In conclusion he
said the Job and books were open fol
Inspection at all times.
Charles Hilker, brother of Alder
man F. William Hiiker, could not BIZ
found today. 1t was stated that ht
was away on a case. Mr.. Mcdonald
said that he was working for Hans
Eatter & Son, together with Chri:
Brogger, setting curb.
Some Mismanagement.
Alderman Chris Jorgensen, chair
man of the committee on streets anC
sewers. who is directly in charge o.
the work, admitted that there nigh
be some mismanagement, but he con
cluded that could not be helped un
der the circumstances, He admitted
that Charles Hilker, Tottenville
resident, had been given employment
but he said that was on account Of
his brother being an alderman. The
street committee chairman said thai
Charles Hilker had his views on the
Job changed. He came there believ
ing that he was an inspector, assist
=. ant foreman or something OF tha
nert, but once Mr.. Jorgensen found
tim standing around doing nothing
o he ordered him to work assisting
Brogger at setting curb. Broggel
Forks for the Satter firm, while
1ilker is paid by the city. Mr. Jor
Xensen stated. The street department
head admitted that some single meI
might have been given more worl
than heads of families, as complained
to the mayor, but he was trying Il
rectify such things and make the dis
tribution OF work better to help thu
most needy and worthy. When seer
he was on his way to the scene o.
operations to view the situation. A.
the Job Mr.. Mcdonald stated that nt
Investigation OF applicants for post
ttoB2 was made because of lack O.