The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-03-12
VERY COLD WATER.
Newark Influence Beats the
Eminent Domain Bill Fav-
Ored by Jersey City.

supply OF pure and wholesome water is
dead. Mr.. Hardin's motion to strike out
the enacting clause was carried by a vote
OF 30 TO IL after a debate of over two
hours. The bill came up on second read
ing 10 the afternoon, when Mr.. Hardin Of
Newark offered an amendment striking
out the second section Of the bill, which
gives city the right to condemn joint
interest in waterworks. Mr.. Mullone
offered a substitute, which merely author
ICES city to condemn the surplus waters
Of any other city's supply, taking them
from the storage reservoirs or dams by
independent pipe lines. The substitute
also placed IN the hands of the Supreme
Court instead of the Ct ate Water Com
mission the decision as 70 whether any
one city Lad larger supply than she
needed. on which another might draw.
Mr.. Hardin Immediately moved that
the Dill be laid over until the amend
ments could be printed. Mr.. Mullque
strenuously opposed the motion. claiming
that the bill WIS too important a meas
ure to be killed by delay, and he pleaded
for the disposal of the DILL in the regular
order. Mr.. Hardin insisted on his mo-
tion, and Mr.. Mullone moved that the
bill be MADE a special order for half-past
eight O'Clock, aud afteri the motion was
amended d so as TO be conditional upon the
bill being printed at that time, IL pre-
vailed.
Mr. Mullone then fastened to the
clerks desK TO secure the copy OF his
amendment and hurry IL TO the priuter.
But the amendment could not be found.
Mr.. Mullone Immediately called the at
tention of the Speaker to the fact, and
intimated pretty broadly that it had been
spirited away by the Newark men Tor the
purpose of delaying its printing Mr..
Hardin resented the imputation, aud was
proceeding to free his mind when the
amendment was discovered. 1t had been
mislaid. MIR. Mullone made the amende
honorable. and said that he meant to cast
no reflection upon the Newark gentle
men, but in their zeal to defeat this bill
they had resorted to means which were
hardly fair
When the evening session opened the
amendments were printed and at half
past eight O'Clock Mr.. Mullone called up
his bill, aud in speaking TO the substitute
claimed that his amendment did away
with every objection which Newark htd
made to the bill. Newark claimed that
the bill gave Jersey City the right to
condemn portion OF its water works.
His amendment removed that objection
by striking out the condemnation clause.
Another objection to the bill was the
clause which gave the State Water Board
the right to determine the surplus. In
order TO do away with that objection this
amendment took that power from the
State Board and gave it to the Supreme
Court.
The bill did not give the right to con-
denim any part of Newark's water WORKS
II simply gave to New Jersey the right
of eminent domain TO the surplus water
aud not the right to interfere with
Newark's rights TO the water which she
had contracted for with the Lehigh Val
ley Railroad Company or some other
water syndicate. His amendments pro-
tected- Newark in all her rights aud no
man would oppose the bill unless be was
in favor of some railroad company or
water syndicate.
Mr. Keicham OF Newark related the
history of Newark's contract. He was an
Alderman of Newark four years, he said,
and was chairman Of the committee
which took the first step in 1888 to
secure the new supply for Newark He
denied the assertion that Newark wanted
to divert the waters from the State. 1t
was not the question Of eminent domain;
for Newark was using that right in OBJ
tanning Its supply. He denied that New
ark was attempting TO deprive Jersey City
OF water supply. He made great
point of the fact that Jersey City had
never made movement to secure water
supply until lately, when Newark had OBJ
tanned her supply. Newark was not foi5-
terlng monopoly, he declared. but was
IN the Heiu LOOKING IOF d new water sup
ply before the water syndicates. She
spent $25, 900 in experiments, while trying
to find new supply.
Mr. Daily interrupted Mr. Eetcham and
asked him where the surplus of the water
went after Newark had taken her supply.
Mr.. Ketcham replied that il went to Jer-
sey City if she would buy 1t.
Mr.. Mullone replied TO Mr.. Ketcham.
He said his argument was upon the origi-
nal bill and in view of the amendments
was not the point at all. His whole argu-
ment was to show that Jersey City might
DO as Newark had done and purchase
supply from syndicate. The
amendments, Mr.. Mullone claimed,
benefited the whole State and en-
abled the cities of Paterson, Hoboken,
Elizabeth. New Brunswick and the west
ern part of the State to secure a supply of
pure and wholesome water by the eXer-
else of the right Of eminent domain. If
Newark was going 10 be u dog in the
manger in the interests OF water syndi-
Gates aud deprive other cities of water
supply, it was time the State knew it.
Mr.. Thomas Smith wrestled with the
question awhile, but was q uickly thrown.
Then Mr. Hardin paid his respects to mis-
"foxy friend from Hudson" as he desig-
Lated Mr.. Mullone. and argued for some
time to show that the bill as sought to be
amended was just as dangerous to New
ark as it was before amended. He closed
by Withdrawing his amendment. and
moved to strike out the enacting clause.
Then Mr.. DAILY took turn for Hudson's
side.
City Counsel Coult OF Newark, Mr.
Potts said, went before the committee.
and said that if the condemnation clause
was taken out of the bill all NewarK's OBJ
lection TO it would he Withdrawn. And
now when that was done the member
from Essex moved to strike out the ell
acting clause He did not think that was
fair He appealed to the members of
other sections of the State, whom the bill
would effect in the future, to guard their
own interests.
The debate was closed by Mr.. Mullone
and then the vote was taken with this
result
Yeas-Albright. Berger (Speaker). Ber-
tram, Burns, Campbell, Carroll j., Cole.
w. H., Davidson, Engard. Ernst. Har-
din, jackson, jacques, Johnson A. E,
Johnson S. E., Keteham, King,
Kyle, Lane, Manahan, Muineron, Neider.
Perkins, Pollock, Post, benstein,
Spark, Smith L., Stokes, Swart-
wout. Tappen, Taylor, Tine, Trefz,
White. Williams-36.
Nays-Boyle, Byrne. Carroll r.. DAILY.
Haggerty, Hoover, Madden. Moylan,
Mullone. Potts, Pusrer, Smith 5. H.,
Usher.-13.
During the debate and vote Comptroller
Connolly of Newark circulated among
the mem bers working up votes
ldr. Hardin then moved to reconsider
he vote and Hudson endeayOred TO Keep