The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-02-24
MR.. BARRETT'S TACTICS.
Nefarious Efforts TO Kill Jersey
City's Water Bill Countered by
Mr.. Edwards. "
Special to the Jersey citu Mems.

TRENTON, Feb, "a, 1S92-Michael f.
Barrett, by the grace of James Smith,
Jr., Senator from Essex county, thought
he did smart thing yesterday. AS Chair
man of the Senate Committee on Munic-
ipal Corporations, he presided over the
joint hearing by his committee and the
same committee of the House on the
water bill. The juggling to which he re-
sorted to kill the bill by unfair means
was beneath petty ward politician, let
alone Senator of the great State of
New Jersey. The energetic action OF
Senator Hudspeth has made it
impossible for Mr.. Barrett to
smother the bill even though in his fall
he had descended SO low as to form an
alliance with that arch enemy of Democ-
racy, ex- Boss Gardner, of Atlantic. So it
became necessary for him to resort to
other disreputable tactics. He consulted
with the leaders of his county and plan
was agreed upon which, in short consisted
or drawing Jersey City's fire by urging
everyone present to speak for the bill.
and then, after the Committee had been
in session a little over an hour, adjourn
ing the hearing until next week. In this
manner it was hoped that the bill could
be STAYED off until it was too late to se-
cure its passage.
THE FIRST STEP.
He began by changing, at the last mo-
ment, the place of hearing from the Sen
ate Chamber, where it had been publicly
announced il would take place, to the
Presidents room In the rear. The con-
sequence was that when the members of
the House Committee strolled over to the
Senate Chamber to attend the meeting
they could find no trace OF the committee
and thinking that for some reason the
hearing had been postponed, went away.
The only member of the House Commit
tee present as Mr.. Ketcham, a RepuDli-
can from Newark.
When the last speech had been made
for Jersey City, Barrett announced that
the opponents of the bill would be heard
next Monday evening.
MR.. HUDSPETH OBJECTS.
"Hold on, Mr.. Chairman" exclaimed
Mr.. Hudspeth, II object to that. This
bill was introduced January 8. and no
action was taken upon it until l brought
the matter before the Senate. Then a
hearing was fixed for today. You know
that the final adjournment has been fixed
for March II, and If this hearing is put
off until Monday night the bill Will be
killed"
Arch-Enemy Gardner here interrupted
Mr. Hudspeth with coarse. common
place jest, but was quickly silenced by
Mr.. Hudspeth, who gave the ex-Atlantic
Boss to understand that 1t was serious
matter to the people of Jersey City, and
not matter for coarse jokes.
''rhis is an important matter and
should be disposed of at once" contin-
ued Mr.. Hudspeth. There are men here
from Newark Let them be heard now
and report the bill tomorrow. 1t will be
traves5y to postpone this hearing. If you
want to kill this bill, do it like men. Let
it come before the Senate and let 1t be
discussed openly"
Then the purpose of Mr.. Barrett s
scheme in changing the place of hearin g
appeared. He said that no interest was
taken in the bill; that Mr.. O'Neill, the
Chairman of the House Committee and
introducer of a similar bill in the House,
had asked him to postpone the hearing
aud he called attention to the fact that
none of the House Committee was present
except Mr.. Ketcham. He said that the
men who had come down to speak for
Newark had gone home expecting that
the hearing would be postponed.
Mr.. Barrett held a short consultation
with ex-Boss Gardner and then announced
that the hearing would be postponed un-
til Monday evening at no hour.
At this Mr.. j. Picnic Haynes, Mayor of
Newark, jumped up and wanted the hear
ing put off to Tuesday. No attention was
paid to him and the committee went to
dinner. Mr.. Hudspeth said that he
would move this morning to take the bill
from the committee.
MR.. EDWARDS SPEAKS.
Mr., William ID. Edwards made a
strong argument for the bill. He said he
appeared as resident and taxpayer of
Jersey City. He called attention to
the present state Of affairs and
said there was no doubt of the
individual ownership in property
and that the State could come In and con-
denim it, For years Jersey City and New
ark always had a joint water supply in
the Passaic. There was joint Board of
Pollution, ana whenever the purity of the
water was threatened Jersey City aud
Newark ALWAYS worked together The
two cities have lived together since 1851
on the water questions; why should they
not live together for a few years
longer? He said that the COM
pany proposed to sell the surplus
water. The question was whether the
East Jersey Company should sell its sur
plus water to Jersey City to relieve the
great need of the people for supply of
pure water or to New York for the pur-
pose of putting out fires. He appealed to
the Committee not to put the people at
the mercy of the corporations as they did
not put the corporations at the mercy of
the people.
Boss Gardner attempted to disconcert
Mr.. Edwards by asking him If the law
which allowed Newark to secure the
water supply did not give Jersey City the
same right. But Mr.. Edwards was more
than match for the willy Boss, and soon
compelled him and Mayor Haynes to go
into their shells.
MIR. Edwin f. Manners spoke of the
great Importance of the bill to the entire
State. He said lit was not q question af-
fecting Jersey City and Newark alone,
but every other municipality. Suppose.
he said, that there were but two or three
water sheds in the State. Suppose New
ark secured one, Jersey City another and
some other city the third-what was to
become of the remaining municipalities?
That was the exact situation. Mr.. Man
ners made forcible argument in favor
of the bill, which was substantiated by
legal decisions. He showed how it would
be impossible to obtain supply from
the Ramapo Valley without convention
with New York, as part OF that shed was
in that State. Nothing was then LETT for
Jersey City but the methods in this bill.
Pastor Flights Call.
The Rev. P. G. Blight, of the Lafayette
M. E. Church, has received unanimous
call To the Summerfield M. K. Church