The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-22
THE WATER PROBLEM.
The Present Status of Pend
ing Negotiations with
Bartlett.
THE CITY MAY BUY THE PLANT.
But 1t Will Cost Six or Seven Mill
ions--State Engineer Wards
Views.

The water question is coming into fresh
prominence today. The Citizens Asso-
citation have taken it upon themselves to
look into the matter, and the result has
been the agreement upon the form of q
contract with Mr.. Bartlett that may be
acceptable to the city. There has been SO
much doubt as to the nature of this
contract and the general status of the
negotiations that reporters of THE JERSEY
CITY NEWS were instructed to see gentle
men representing both sides of the ques-
ton who were probably in possession OF
the facts.
One of the gentlemen of the Citizens
Committee, who was seen as most likely
to supply the Citizens Committees view
of it was Counsellor James Flemming.
LAWYER FLEMING's VIEWS
Mr.. Fleming seemed reluctant to give
his views. He said that he was only one
of committee into whose hands the
citizens had entrusted the matter, and
he thought he had no right to make
known the details until the committee re-
ported. The committee had suggested to
Mr.. Bartlett that he furnish the city with
water at the cost of the present supply.
This Mr.. Bartlett agreed to, and said the
water would come from the Passaic water
sheds. Mr.. Bartlett was also willing to
agree to furnish any number of gallons OF
water up to 50,000,000 He would permit
the city to collect the water rents and re-
tain per centage on the collections, and
the city might have absolute control of
the works and water. The city would
have the privilege of purchasing the en-
tire plant within three years.
"How much does Mr.. Bartlett want for
the plant"
'sBetween sc, 600, 900 and 81, 900, 900, but /
fhfrlK NOT 10 MN mn ~
''If the city does not make the purchase
within three years, as the contract will
stipulate, could it ever do so!"
mo, suppose not"
"Do you think the city would be better
able to make such a large purchase three
years from now"
MORE WATER NEEDED.
''That cannot say, but don't suppose
it will. / don't care where the water
think is the feeling of all the committee,
but Jersey City must not be put in a
worse condition than it now is to secure
the water"
81 am not in favor of contract now; I
think the city should own its own water
works, but II it cannot afford it we must
get pure water as cheap as we can. /
don't know that Mr. Bartlett will give us
better water than we have now. / have
grave doubts whether q contract can be
made without further legislation. There
is one thing believe all now agree on
we must have u supply of better water
than we now have"
MIR. DEAR's VIEW OF THE CONTRACT.
Mr. Joseph A. Dear, of the Citizens
Committee, said:-''We are negotiating on
q basis outlined by the proposition set
forth in the call for the meeting held in
the City Hall, June q A contract is being
drafted which will protect the interests
Of tha oit nd Mt hn ho foir.
to Mr.. Bartlett. When this is completed
we shall submit it first to Mr. Bartlett
and then to a meeting of citizens"
DIR. Gordon, another member of the
Citizens Committee, had no time to talk.
Ex-Speaker John d. Carscallen and
Louis Y. Booraem, the other members of
the Citizens Committee, were absent
from the city