The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-04-11
but I do object to having the water

Il
metered out to us. y
Mr.. Bartlett replied that the Passaic is
tidal stream and that Jersey City could
not divert the water anywhere above its
pumping station without compensating
the riparian owners This Mr.. Bartlett
said he had provided against.
Joseph A. Dear said that he figured it
out that at the rate of $40 per million gal
Ions, the rate at which Mr. Bartlett pro-
posed to sell water to the city, it would
cost sum equal to the interest on
S5,000,000. He had been informed by COM
petent engineers that a plant capable of
supplying go, 900, 900 gallons day could be
built for 81 000, 600, and he wanted Mr..
Bartlett to explain the discrepancy.
This Mr.. Bartlett did by quoting cases
where public works have cost considera-
bly, more than the estimate.
OPPONENTS OF THE SCHEME.
Mr.. Carscallen said that Jersey City
would not make a contract to be supplied
at $40 per 100000 gallons, but he was
there to consider the proposition made at
the last meeting, that Mr. Bartlett's COM
pany should take our present plant, pay
the interest on our water debt, and fur
nish us water at the same price we are
paying now. That would be a value con-
tract, he said, to both, and both would
make money out of it.
Mr.. Bartlett replied that he would con-
slider that proposition favorably:
Mr. Van Reipen energetically said
s'The question is, shall we surrender the
water shed of the State to private cor
poration and let it go on and deal the
water out to us2 You know how your
water front was taken, and now there
comes proposition to steal your water
shed. l am opposed to the water shed of
the States passing into the hands of a
private corporation"
Mr. Bartlett, in reply to further ques-
tioning by the gentlemen present, init
mated that his associates might accept the
proposition of the city, and if they did
they would extend the supply to meet the
growing demands of the city. He then
withdrew after vote of thanks had been
rendered him.
Mr. Clerihew moved that it be re-
solved that it is the sense of the meeting
that it is not advisable for Jersey City to
make contract with any private water
company at this time. This brought on q
lively discussion.
''NoT ATTHIs TIME"
Mr.. Booraem moved as an amendment
that the proposition now before the Board
of Works from the Bartlett Syndicate
should not be accepted.
Mr.. Van Reipen thought that if Mr..
Clerihew's motion prevailed the bills to
which he referred before would be passed
Mr. Booraem said that Bartlett didn't
care a cent for Jersey City; what he was
after was New York, and as he couldn't
do anything without getting rid of Jer-
sey City's rights, that city should drive as
hard a bargain as it could with him, and
if Bartlett were hard pushed, Mr.. Booraem
believed he would give the city the water
for nothing.
There was wrangle over the expediency
of Mr.. Clerihew's motion, and he was
asked to withdraw it, but he refused,
saying that if he had undergone a severe
operation. his head was still clear. Finally
the amendment was adopted, and another
controversy arose over the disposition of
the original motion, during which Mr..
Clerihew objected, as he said, to the pres
ident and secretaFy's changing the word
ing of the resolution. He was called to
order by the chairman.
Mr. Dear, who made the strongest oppo-
sition to Mr.. Clerihew's motion, suddenly
discovered the words, 'tat this time, in
the resolution, and therefore withdrew his
opposition and moved to reconsider
The motion prevailed, as did also the
original motion. The chairman and sec
Senator Edwards and urge the passage of
the bills referred to by Mr.. Van Reipen.
The meeting then adjourned to next
Wednesday, when it will listen to State
Water Commissioner Ward on the sub
ject.
Lehigh Valley and Newark lawyers
have made arrangements to get along
without the bill should it be defeated. A
contract will be entered into between
Newark and the company, by which the
amount agreed upon shall be capitalized
at four per cent. This will obviate imme-
diate issue of bonds.