The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-09-13

Further Proofs that Some One Is Trying to
steal il From Us.
A year or more ago the SUNDAY TATTLER
called attention to the fact that the several
schemes for the organization of water
companies and the investing them with
Legislative authority to tap the great water
shed of the State for the supply of COM
munities desiring water supplies, were only
part of an effort on the part of New York
capitalists to divert it to the supply of that
great metropolis, and produced discussions
10 New York official circles in confederation
OF the view. The Sunday Call, of Newark,
which has been investigating the matter,
found all the proofs tending to the estab-
lshment Of the same suspicion. This
effort to steal our water supply has been
holder at times than at Others At first it
took the form OF movement to place all
the great water franchises of the State at
the mercy of an organization of capitalists.
Finally it'sought to extend the water pre-
negatives of the Society for Useful Manu-
facture in Paterson. They claim water
rights in and around paterson of as ancient
date as old as the nation. Under the Nor
ris Canal decision, some say they hold the
| exclusive right of use of the water derived
from the watershed. The plea of the
society was that theyiwanted to store the
water in nool seasons to keep the Paterson
mills going IN seasons of drouth; but when
| it was proposed to amend their act so as to
prevent them from storing water for the
use of New York they wouldn't have it.
The Newark Call quotes an ex-senator, who
was instrumental in defeating one of these
vicious bills, as saying that ne had no idea
when the subject was under discussion of
the magnitude of the scheme.
ut was not till some time afterward, ("
the gentleman continues, sswhen my busi-
ness called me among certain New York
| capitalists, that 1 fully realized it. They
were going to buy the entire watershed
Their belief was that it was ample to supply
not only the deficiencies IN the New York
water service, but the needs Of the entire
State of New Jersey for many years to
come; and they quoted Prof. Cook, Presi-
dent of our Geological Survey, in behalf of
| the boundless extent of the watershed of
the upper Passaic valley. They said that
whatever capital they needed was at their
service, and there was to be an almost un-
limited issue of bonds, which were to be
among the class of securities known as gilt
edged. Had the celebrated firm OF Grant
q Ward not met with fate SO untimely
these bonds would probably have supplied
a tail that would have kept their kite in the
air several years longer, for they were the
concern chosen to place the bonds. Gull
yer Barcalow and his lieutenants of the
lobby supported the promoters of the
4 water scheme. Sam Sloan, who is one of
the shrewdest investors about New York
City, was said to be one of the men behind
it. Asa Packers successors in the Lehigh
Valley Railroad and representatives of the
Paterson Society We're others. Who else !
don't know, but I know that many New
York capitalists had been interested. and
all thought there were millions in it,
i Another circumstance cited by the Cal
in support of the view that the movement
is for New York's benefit, is the fact that
while the bills were pending at Trenton.
General Viele, who was the Chief Engineer
of the New York Board of Works. was in
the lobby urging their passage.
4 The danger of this movement can not be
overdrawn. It will become more aggres
sive every year, and in proportion as the
conviction in our local communities that
the watershed should be taken for our owl
use grows stronger. The right to tap the
shed should not be let out to any individual
corporation. As the watershed is a State
property, for the necessary use of the PEG
pie of the State, its management should BIZ
placed in the hands of State Board, to bt
held by them in trust for the people. TIL,
State Board created by the act of 1882, o.
some other equally competent board, should
have the same kind of control over it tina.
the Riparian Commission has over thu
water front.