The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-31
That Proposed water Contract

That Proposed Water Contract.
For the benefit of busy readers, it
may be useful to summarize the main
points of the 'sCitizens' Committees"
water contract. Entangled as they
are in legal verbiage, the essential
features are not easily grasped, and
there are many, who, while feeling
interest enough in the matter, yet
have not the time or the patience to
pore oyer the entire document.
The contract, then, purports to
ratify an agreement between the city
and company to be formed to supply
it with water. The city ~ agrees to
place its present reservoirs, pumps,
pipes and other plant at the service
Of the company for the period
not to exceed twenty-five years
during which the contract holds
good. The city further ~ agrees
to pay the company quarterly
all the water rates collected from con
sumers at the same rate as at present,
less fifteen per cent. for the expenses
Of collection, and less also 1914, $50, the
amount of annual interest on the pres
emit water bonds of the city, which
bonds are to continue a first lien upon
all the city's water plant. The city is
to be provided by the company with
all the water needed for public pur-
poses, such as street sprinkling and
extinguishment of fire, free OF all cost.
The company agrees (3) to maintain
own expense, and furnish ~ during
the term of the contract a good and
sufficient supply of not less than 100
gallons a head daily for every resi-
dent, Of pure and wholesome water
from the watershed of the Pequan-
mock River, not south of Al degrees of
latitude. The company is also % to
construct and maintain at its own ex-
pense all additions or extensions to
the present water system of the
city between the Belleville reservoir
and the consumers, and the titles to
any such engagements or extensions
are to be vested in the city, and to re-
main with it on the expiration of the
contract, it being agreed that
the company need only construct
such extensions when the city guaran-
tees that the gross income resulting
from them will be equal to one-tenth
Of their cost. The city is to have
complete supervision of all repairs or
extensions, with power of rejection
and guarantee OF idemnity against
bad work.
The company is (6) to construct
separate works to conduct the cityls
water supply from the Pequannock
district to Belleville within two a
The works are to have a capacity
of 5~0,o00,000 gallons per day, and
the city may ~ at any time, at it's
option, purchase them from the
company at a price not exceed
ing a sum to be computed as
follows:-To't the first cost of the works
and the land and water rights are to
be added interest at the rate of five per
cent. per annum from the date of
completion, and "a bonus of ten per
cent. as profit. From the total of these
is to be deducted all money whatever
paid to the company on account Of
the contract. But under no circum-
stances is the price to be over So, 0o0,-
600, moreover, 81, 600, 600 per ten million
gallons capacity oflthe works.
The company tS) is not to sell water
brought through these works to any
one except on the account of the city,
and if it conveys water anywhere
tiiroughthe territory Of the city for
sale-elsewhere, it is to pay the city ten
per cent. of whatever payment it re-
~ceivesfor such water. The company