The New York herald., 1874-09-27
WATER SUPPLY IN JERSEY.
The North Hudson County Water Commissioners
in Search of the Wholesome Liquid-How 1t
Is Proposed to Mortgage the Peoples
froperty-A Four Million Enterprise
What the People Say About tt
The Eoboken Drainage Project

discussion and opposition In the townships OF
" est Hoboken, town OF Union Weehawken and
especially HobOken. These municipalities EN-
brace the entire portion OF Hudson county north
OF Jersey CITY, and, according to the census of
1870. contain population Of about $4,000. The
assessed value OF this whole tract OF land is lit
tie over s2l, 100000, and when it is considered
what large ratio the proposed expenditures
bear to this value, IL can well be un-
derstoOd with what anxiety and susp-
cion the already burdened taxpayers look
upon the undertaking. The first project
is one for the introduction into those townships
OF q supply OF water either from the Hackensack or
the Passac River. the New Jersey Legislature
recently passed an act entitled "An act to autho-
rtze the appointment OF Commissioners to ascer-
tain the probable cost and the best OF supply
ing the city Of Hoboken and other northern Dor
tons of the county of hudson with pure and
wholesome water" The preteXt for the establish
ment OF such a commission was that Hoboken had
to rely solely upon the municipal government OF
Jersey City Or her supply, furnished from Bellevie;
that the annual cost OF such supply was rapidly
increasing, having reached in 1878 the sum OF
$75,S15, and that as no contract Tor this supply
could be legally entered into with Jersey City lor
term exceeding three years, the
CHANCES OF FAILURE
TO obtain water therelrom were too great to per.
nit OF the contin nuance OF such a system. And it
was lurtner asserted that the yearly rental which
it would ere long become necessary to pay to
Jersey city would be sufficient to pay the interest
on the money requisite for the construction of
water works for new and Independent supply.
The only question, therefore, was as to the best
means OF obtaining the water. 1t was evident
that the townships by acting conJontly could pro-
cure water with Tar greater pecunary advan age,
and accordingly three men were selected from
each of the four townships to carry out the pro-
visions OF the act. W. w. Shppen, OF Hoboken,
was elected President OF the Commission. Soon
after their organization they mad surveys made
Ihe engineer in his report asserts that
a sufficient quantity OIL water can be obtained from
the Passaic but, with the appreciation OF the Com
misSlOners, he dlsmisseS the consideration OF q
supply from nat quarter, owing to the increasing
lmpurty OF the water, and the difficulty OF making
solid foundation Tor the conduit across the
marshes. Nevertheless he estimates the cost OF
such scheme at 81 2Sl ,434 but 1t Is well known
that, by counting the usual incidental and extra
expenditures 1t would cost more than three mill
IONS The interest on tins sum, together with the
expenses fiitratlon. working engines, salaries
and contingencies, would exceed a quarter OF
because the works 80 constructed wOuld form part
OF plan (which may IN the iuture become neces-
sary) lOr a supply from Lake HOpatcOng, by way
THE HAoKRNsACK SCHEME
meets with much greater favor from the Commits
siOners, first, because Of the purity of the water;
second, because the aqueduct could be con-
5LIuCCeU Oh u SeCuTc lOuuuaIlOu, anu tllTU De~
cause the probable sale OF supply thereIrom to
Engewood. Hackensack, &C., would become
source o. Tne place s a. Which It Is
Hsckensack. line drawn west from Yonkers
would nearly strike the location. The quantity at
present Obtainable from this source ranges from
l., 0OO 600 TO 20,0OO,0UO gallons day; but by the
construction OF dams and storage reservoirs the
supply could be maintained ut 80 00O OO0 which Is
about one-tnlrd OF the amount used daily in New
York. The water would be carried through
q conduit o masonry sixteen miles in length, ex-
ri n n
the English and Bellman's creeks to pumping
well, whence it would oe lifted by steam power to
q height OF l75 feet above tide level, separate
reservoir TO ne built at height OF $50 feet LOT the
accommodation OF the more elevated dwellings OF
works is estimated at $a,O00,O0O but before they
could be completed they would entail an expendl-
property owners would, consequently, be equtva-
lent to u mortgage OF the whole properly OF north
assessed value. Hence 1t can readily be conceived
that the great mass OF the taxpayers are about to
rise against the execution ol such project. Apart
from the very enormity OF the expense, which the
property cannot bear, 1t Is generally believed that
such an enterprise could not now be commenced
without the formation OF ring OF jobbtng con.
tractors, surveyors and politicians, who would
have very little scruples In initiating an example
gwen not iong ago IN Jersey CITY anu New YORK
creasing the actual cost OF the works In no small
degree. And although it is not denied that such
project may yet become necessity IL ID con-
tended that when the inevitable
CONSOLIDATION WITH JERSEY CITY
ernment can execute the project for the entire
county at cost very II tie In excess OF that OF the
proposed works, thus lessenlng by one-hali the
burden which would otherwise rest upon the
northern section OF the county. 1t was not sur
prisng, therefore, that much excitement was Gre
ated when the HODOken common Council recently
passed a resolution iavorlng the scheme, and
ordering the names or directors 70 be registered
OF the Council putting its stamp of appreciation on
the big jOD seemed TO create an impression that
there was "nlgeer" OF toerabe Dimensions IN
tho fonn = 10 moi a mai q
made to push the matter at present, the majority
OF the people being fully determined to sue for an
Injunction against 1t whenever the attempt may
be made TO pursue the purpose of the projectors OF
the scheme.
The second question which is universally dis
cussed In Hoboken Is that Of the drainage oi The
Meadows patch o swamp sandwiched In be.
tween HoboKen ana Jersey CITY Heights. Upon
this ground the tide rolled freely until recently,
when great deal Ol the ground was filed in by
the railroad companies, thus shutting on, IN
much malaria and sickness. AT one time the mu-
nicipai authorities completely shut off the
ness tSat @ 'as specdiy ensued compelled them TO
readmit the waters rom the river by
recent legislative enactment, commission OF
three men was established for the purpose OF
draining the said locality by means Of n sewer ana
pumping engines. As In the scheme for the water
supply, the people were not consulted before the
appointment OF the commissioners The Common
Council refused at frst TO appropriate money 10r
the purpose but they latey manifested symptoms
the Commissioners and John Logan an ex.C0uncll-
man, for the cOnsttucti0 OF the sewer. by virtue
OF q clause In the act establishing the commission
the powers OF the members to eypend money were
unlimited, nor was any limit put TO the amount
which m ight be spent on the scheme Moreover.
the act provided Tor an assessment OF UNIFORM
snm Of money upon each lot on the drainage dis-
trict and not In proportion to the beneft received
as is the constitutional method OF imposing taxes
for improvements. The growing
DETERMINATION OF THE PEOPLE
not to submit to an increase OF the city debt ny
$500 900; the consciousness OF the property owners
in said district that the benefit derived, II any,
from the drainage would not equal the cost and
the general belief that the scheme was visionary,
prosecution Of the work. Judge Bedle promptly
granted the Injunction on the grounds that the
mode of leyynp the assessment was uncOnstitu-
tiOna and the benefit would not justify the outlay
OF an Indefinitely large sum or money on the work.
The bitterness with which some OF tne pIoPeIV
owners on the drainage district have been assailed
for opposing project that would rum tnem mas
given rise 10 some misgvings as TO the motives
mil ritza alAa1a- In QQQd