The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-01-12
CAMDEN'S WATER WAR.
The Question is Shall the
City Works be Sold to a
Syndicate"

CAMDEN, Jan. II, 1880. --The ques-
ton of the sale of the waterworks,
next to the grip" is the principal
topic of conversation in Camden at
the present time. Newspaper men,
who touch all classes of society in
their daily rounds, are better quail
fled, perhaps, by observation and
training, to gather the predominant
sentiment of the community on any
subject of great public interest, than
any other class of men; and every
newspaper man knows that three out
of every four persons he meets is OPP
posed to the city disposing of its water
franchise at the low offer made by the
Cohn-Armstrong syndicate
Opposition to the sale, in about the
same proportion, exists among the
members OF the City Council, but
there is every indication that yigor-
GUS and unabating effort will be made
to force the sale, and this influence
may have considerable bearing upon
the election OF Couneilmen this spring.
Besides the great majority of citi-
zens who are opposed to the sale of
the works there is O considerable num-
Der who. while coneeding the need
OF better water, and who are willing
for the city to part with the franchise
If this can be secured, are opposed to
the proposition made by the Conn
Armstrong syndicate ON the ground
that their offer of $500, 600 is ridicu-
lousy small, and that much better
price could be secured.
AN OFFER OF 81 500, 600.
A member of council, who is a re-
preventative of this class, told a re-
porter that he firmly believed that
the waterworks were worth over
S., 100000.
Why said he, three years ago a
syndicate Of New York and Philadel-
phia capitalists offered to give 81, $780,
900 for the works if the city would re-
tain two-ffth interest in them, but
the couucilmen wouldn't listen to the
proposition. They offered tofurnish
all the water for fire plugs and other
public use free, while | understand
the present syndicate expects The city
to pay for this. At the rates paid by
consumers this would cost the city
from $40, 600 to $40, 900 year.
1t was also stated that another syn
dictate is being formed to make an adj
vance of 100000 on the $500, 900 offer
of the Cohn-Armstrong syndicate, and
to go higher if necessary.
A city official and member of the
Council who was discussing the water
question announced that he was OPP
posed to the offer made by the water
syndicate because it wasn't anywhere
neafthe value of the works.
BIDS SHOULD BE ASKED FOR.
IF, said he, lit is to the adYant-
age of the city to sell the water works
why not go about it in business-like
way, and realize as much as we can
from the sale. / would suggest that
the plant be described and bids adj
vertised for in the leading newspapers
OF Philadelphia, New York. Chicago,
New Orleans, San Francisco, London
and Paris. A simple statement of the
revenue derived from the works in
the past five years would attract cap
ital from all parts of the country and
from abroad. This would be bust
ness-like way of selling the water
works and it would not SAVIOR of a
job"
The efforts of the officials of the
water department to improve the city
water or find better supply have not
been suspended by reason of the offer
for the works. There is S., 900 avail
able for this purpose under the present
appropriation, and the department
officials have 81, 600 available for sink
ing driven wells to test a system in
which steam jets are used, and which
has proved highly successful in the
west.
The department is also in connluni-
cation with water experts in Cincin-
natl and Nashville, and arefurnishing
maps and data as to the geological
strata around the city to these ex-
perts. There will probably be devel-
opment in this direction by the next
meeting of council
Local Assembly No. 81, Knights of
Labor, has appointed a committee to
draft resolutions protesting against
the sale of the water works by the city
to the syndicate.