The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-17
DR.. BRETT HAS A PLAN
For Supplying Jersey City
With Good Water in
Plenty.
BUT DEAR SAYS NOT FOR JOE.
Other Gentlemen Consider the Idea
Worth Thinking 0ver-here
1t is for the Public.
BUT DEAR SAYS NOT FOR JOE.

Mr.. Joseph A. Dear and twelve mem
bers were present last evening when
President Jacob Ringle called the Board
of Trade to order. A youthful member
OBJ jected TO remaining in the room, as he
said he was superstitious over thirteen
sitting down to a feast.
"But this is not feast" exclaimed
Secretary Doane with tinge of contempt
in his voice.
well, if any paper DR.. Brett reads
isn't feast of reason then Pile at my hat"
replied the youthful member with look
hat-three-base-h air.
When those present recovered from the
shock of this attempt at joke on the part
of the youthful member. the Rev. Cor
nelius Brett read an entertaining and in
structive paper on "Our Water supply"
He said in substance
Water composes five-sixths of the
human body-excitement aud exultation
producing constant waste. The healthtul
frame demands constant supply. Ply
sical functions cannot be carried on with
out water Danger often turks in our
necessity. The air we breathe and the
water we drink are naturally great abb
sorbents. Nature supplies an abundant
supply of pure water for the larger part
of our globe. We do not wonder at the
Egyptian superstition which paid divine
honors to the Nile, whose annual over
flow made the valley OF the Pharaoh the
garden of the East.
''The first thought in a new colony is
water. No colonist Is allowed u mono
ply OF the spring which supplies the
town. The congregation of human
ity, almost to congestion. in certain IA
vored localities introduces another factor
in the water question. Men go on in the
old way until disease warns them that
the handle of the town pump must be
wrenched away and the well filled up or
else the desolating angel will pass that
way.
TINE oF PERIL
"This is the critical moment in the life
of the community. The town grows to
be city. Recourse is had to an aque-
duct. Rights to fountain or river be-
yond the reach of the citys' limits is OBJ
tanned, and the subterranean conduit is
built at great expense to convey the dis
tant waters TO the homes of the CITY,"
MIR. Brett then said that the aqueduct
was no novelty, and mentioned the great
aqueducts Of ancient times. Continuing,
he said that later years have developed
new perils.
First, the abnormal increase during
| the last half century of urban population
has sent committees into all the country
/ ".
| founding of new cities limits perpetualIy
| the areas Of search; secondly, every city
4 now becomes the center of large SUBJ
urban populations; thirdly, the growth of
| the factory system introduces a new
4 danger. The factories rapidly increase,
| and their refuse, thrown into streams,
| soon pollutes the water.
THUS 1t happens that II city light on
| a river for its water, however pure IL may
be. there is every probability that within
a decade new towns and cities will soon
| render the water unfit for use.
"Such has been the history of the water
supplies in which we are especially inter-
ested. Both Jersey City and Newark
| have tapped the Passaic River near the
hamlet of Belleville. What a
| change has come over the
| spirit of our ancestors dreams Paterson
has become manufacturing centre.
| Passaic is pushing on with the promise of
\ a wholesome rivalry. One city is twelve
| miles, the other six above the intake of
| our city water; both discharge the waste
| of their factories and their sewage into
| the convenient waterway Bellevilie.
almost opposite it's intake, is rapidly be-
| coming dangerous neighbor, while the
| backset of tides from the greater Newark
adds to the danger.
| WHAT ANALYSIS SHOWS.
| "The analysis OF the Jersey City water
| approaches the danger limit in she pres
| A%<essSSA
| ine."
| Mr.. Brett next made the point that the
| centers of population in this vicinity now
| chartered as separate municipalities have
| Interests In common, which provision for
| the future must take into account.
| Then resuming. he said:-
| "As all changes in the water systems of
| our cities must be made through legiSla-
\ tive enactment, we must, for the large
| scheme which now beg leave to propose,
| go TO the Senate and Assembly for the re-
| lief the public are demanding.
HOW TO SECURE RELIEF.
First, let the Legislature condemn the
series of lakes in northern New jersey, as
surveyed many years ago by the late
! Andrew Clerk, together with sufficient
land to cover the whole watershed, aud
| take possession either by purchase or
commission in the name OF the State;
| secondly, let a massive aqueduct be con-
| structed with main line as far as needed
| and branches to all the cities that may be
| included in the scheme; thirdly, to pay
| for the land and aqueduct let the vari
| GUS municipalities issue bonds; fourthly,
by most stringent laws protect the foun-
tains from pollution. Under restrictions
lands might be leased to the original
holders for agricultural purposes. A
| portion might be made into a State park
| for the health and life of the people of the
| State, but by all means let them keep
from the vicinage all manufactures and
aggregations of population; filthy,
leave to each municipality the lay
ing OF it's mains within its own
streets and the collections of its
water rents; ana finally, make these
water rates uniform, with meters, if nee
essary, and pledge them in advance to
| pay the interest on the bonds and form Il
| sinking fund for redemption as well as 10
pay all expenses in caring for these in
| terests
practically the plan is entirely feasible;
constitutionally the scheme can be car
| ried out without interference with vested
rights; financially. l believe the sue
cess would be assured from the begun
ming; economically, it would provide
| better water at lower rates than under
any other system"
MR.. DEAR KICKS.
Mr.. Dear lost no time in depreciating
| Mr.. Brett's or any other seheme for sup
plying the city with pure water which
does not include buving from a private
| corporation at the corporations price.
| Mr.. William A. Lewis spoke of Null
lone's water bill of last winter which
proposed to give Jersey City new sup
! ply of water ana which was killed by the
Essex members of the Legislature. He
took issue with Mr.. Dear and thought a
supply of water could be obtained with
out recourse to private corporation.
Mr.. l.. Is. Ward made a snort address
upon the subject aud Mr.. Ringle hoped
I Al