The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-04
TALKING About WATER.
Mr.. Bartlett Answers QueS-
tions for a Meeting
of Citizens.
HOW HE WOULD SAVE THE FLUID.
He Would Not Have 1t Wasted by
Flowing Into the Sea.

nuHuleu clbizenS tnaG the llfe, liberty anu
pursuit of happiness of the inhabitants of
Jersey City depended altogether upon
their obtaining their water supply from
his company
In this undertaking he succeeded to
such an extent that committee was ap-
pointed to confer with Mr.. Bartlett and
draw up formal contract between the
city and the company.
AS the citizens who appointed the COM
mittee represent no one but themselves
and have no authority in the matter, the
contract that they will evolve will bind
no one. but will merely show how good
bargain the city can secure from Mr. Bart
lett.
The meeting was held under call
which was signed by L. ]. Gordon, Fran
els s: Emmons, Louis V. Booraem, Col
onel John McAnerny, Joseph A. Dear, D,
Z. -McNaughton and William NJ Laws
and which stated that at recent meeting
OF citizens to discuss the water question
the suggestion was informally made by
some gentlemen present that Jersey City
might advantageously make contract in
substance as follOws:-
The Montclair Water Company to furnish new
r
water shed, and take as its pay the water rev
enues of the city; the company guaranteeing ~
10 pay the interest on the city water debt, t2l
assse 81 he To water Furnish rates watep tG
to the public buildings and the fire department
without charge. (Q To make all the necessary
extensions and renewals. (5) To give the city
the option to buy the works at cost plus a fair
commercial profit, within time named.
The call also stated that the signers be-
l1eye this proposition to be worthy of care
full consideration, and that the meeting
would be held for the purpose of discuss
ing 1t with Mr.. BARTLETT of the Montclair
Water Company
1t was nine a'clock when DR. Gordon
called the meeting to order. There were
present John d. Carscallen, Colonel John
McAnerney, John A. Walker, AL
derman Anthony Hauck, Robert
Parker, W.. f. Downes, superin-
tendent of the chemical department of
Dixon Crucible Works, Robert Parke,
Julius A. Pratt, John V. Bacot, Post
master Kelly, James Flemming, L. A.
Booriem, Jacob Ringle, James NJ Hall,
Frank Caller, ex-Mayor William Clark,
Thomas w. Leake, f. G. Wolbert, H. W
Carr, E. r. Vessels, Major z. Kallikrates
PangbOrn, DR.. Ben Edge, Henry Mayer
aud several other citizens
OPENING THE DISCUSSION.
DIR. Gordon was chosen chairman and
Mr.. Frank Stevens acted as secretary.
Mr.. Joseph Dear opened the ball by say
ing that he was not convinced that the
bese thing to dow to obtain water from
the company. He thought that nothing
| should be done until u fair, direct offer
| had been received from Mr.. Bartlett
There is evidently some misunder-
! standing upon this subject Mr.. Bartlett
began in replying to Mr. Dear. 81 have
| made no proposition nor am | here to
make one, but simply to discuss the one
made at the last meeting. The PROPOSE
ton | made was to supply the city with
pure water at SO much per million gallons.
When the proposition mentioned in the
| call for this meeting was made, | said it
would be carefully, thoughtfully and l
thought favorably considered"
| Mr. Booraem asked Mr.. Bartlett sew
eral Whether, under his
scheme, he intended to use meters in the
distributions of his water? Whether Jersey
City lost any of the vested
rights it may have in the waters
of the Passaic if contract was
made with his company? Whether Jersey
City will retain the title to its plant and
will lay and whether Mr.. Bartlett would
form some other company or use the
| Montclair Water works as figurehead?
| In replying, Mr.. Bartlett said:-"I al
not in favor of metering out the water,
except to large consumers. Meters are
costly and are used only where there is a
limited supply. 1t is impossible to say
about the title to the plant. Since
the last meeting l have given this
matter consideration, and j find that
the plant at Belleville and the pipe line
across the meadows are in bad condition.
Engine No. at Belleville broke down;
/ then No. was used until that broke
down. Then the parts OF No. l, which
were intact, were taken to repair No. 2,
and thus Engine No 2 swallowed No. 1.
| 1.-THE pillngs upon which the pipe line
across the meadows is built have rotted
away and the pipes are liable to break at
any time. 1t will not be long before the
larger one put in. The mistake OF
Jersey City in building this plant was
! in making no allowance for renewals.
HOW MIR. BARTLETT WOULD SAVE WATER
"As to the State having right to the
waters of this section, will say that the
| State does not own a gallon of fresh water
| in the lakes, rivers and streams. 1t all be-
| longs to private individuals. Now, in re-
gard to taking water out of the State, the
surplus of the Passaic water which goes
/ out of the State and is lost in the Atlantic
Ocean amounts to from 250,000,000 to
300, GOO, 900 gallons a day. What propose
to do is instead of taking that water out
of the State, to hold it back and supply
the cities and towns of New Jersey.
have made q proposition to supply New
York, but that is only with the surplus
1t will take $50, 900, 600 to construct those
works, all OF which will be invested in
/ New Jersey and taxable here. l do not
take gallon out of the State except what
is now being wasted.
''In 1884 the authorities of Jersey City
offered to sell water to New York for S44
per million gallons, the water to be deliv.
cred through pipe line six miles long
Now, offer to bring the water down from
the hills and mountains across two rivers
and deliver it at Belleville for $40 per mil
hon gallons"
Mr. Dear wanted to know whether Mr..
Bartlett considered himself legally able
to build the pipe line, or was he relying OIL
the right to condemn which would be as
signed to him by the city.
To this Mr.. Bartlett replied by saying
4 that the corporation would have the right
to condemn, but that he had found pur
chase and prompt payment the best man
ner in which to secure the water rights.
.The people up in the watershed" hi
continued, "are watching the needs o.
Jersey City, and as they grow SO the price
of the water they have grows. The ques
ton with you is:-Can corporation fur
nish you with the water you need?s II il
can, you should make contrac
with it, and compel it to put up ,
bond to fulfill that contract. / don't
think anyone would enter into an enter
prise of this magnitude If he did not know
that he would be able to carry it out WI
have already purchased the right tC
enough water to supply you with all yoI