The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-16
The East Jersey Water Company
BETRAYED.

One of the most remarkable changes
of heart we have ever observed is
that of the Newark Journal upon
public water supply and the relations
of the State thereto. In an editorial,
yesterday, it made the following re-
markable utterances:-
II is a reproach upon the State that the Legis-
lature did not long ago have all the watersheds
xamined as 20 their capacity and the fitness
and ~unfitness Of tneir waters for domestic use.
Ali the statistics available are those which give
ultimate of the amounts OF water drained by
the watersheds. and in these statistics no idea
is given OF the present and prospective value OF
the watersheds as sources OF supply.
In passing, we cannot but comment
on the gross misstatement at the open
ing of this paragraph. 1t is quite in
keeping with the reckless falsehood
which distinguishes the organ OF Mr..
Jim Smith, Jr., among the papers OF
the State. The State is in no degree
liable to the reproach asserted by the
Journal. The State, through the
Water Commission, has prepared a
great mass of most useful information
upon the subject of the northern
water sheds, and has even gone to
the length of partly formulating
plans for the supply of the big cities.
The information contained in the
maps and reports of this Commission
has frequently been used by Governor
Albeit, Governor Werts and other
public spirited persons interested in
the water question. 1t has only been
ignored by those whose jobbing in
terests were imperilled by the plain
facts ascertained by the State officials.
OF course one of the parties which
thus ignored the State Water Com
mission was the Newark Journal, it
being the mouthpiece and tool OF the
abominable Newark water ring.
However, we did not quote from
she Journal for the mere purpose of
pointing out its c~rookedness. That
would be a work of supererogation.
We desire mainly to draw attention
to its admissions, direct and infer
ential, that the city of Newark has
been buncoed by the East Jersey
Water Company in the Pequannock
water deal. This is a matter of great
Importance to Jersey City. because
the same company. masquerading as
the Montclair Water Company, is a
bidder to supply Jersey City, and has
been pulling all the wires Reon
Barnes and Orestes Cleveland could
command to impose a contract upon
us even more atrocious than the New
ark mi
In the passage quoted above, the
admission that Newark did not know
what she was buying is explicit. 1t
might be inferred that she got much
less than she bargained for; but in
ference is unnecessary. The Journal
talks plainly enough about it. 1t
says
When Newark entered into It's contract for a
supply from the Pequannock ir was with very
imperfect knowledge both OF the amount ana
quality of the water to be furnished, although
data had been supplied from several unof1clal
sources. When the East Jersey Water COM
paDy had n nsssya e0mt M ppsst,aat shs p aad e .as ealyd
shat the average supply for the year would pc
very greatly less than that which had been cal
culatbd on.
Now we cannot just Immediately
account for the Journals change OF
tone. Why it has gone back" on
he company, whose puffer and
over it was for so many years, we
not understand. But there is the
Yin fact. The Journal admits that
Pequannock service is an i'm
ure and a humbug-though it
uously insisted on the payment
,r million dollars for it, a few
S ago,-and the warning 80 our
and the Street and Water
is complete
after whether we get a water
elsewhere or not, it is plain
1t afford to deal with the
ey Water Company.
tleman who proposes to cut
he shade trees on Gator
he purpose OF moving his
tainly a curio in his way.
fright and fair play are,
advanced in the n
,tion that he will at
9 if a delegation ssof
1rop In some wen
him the trouble
se-and cutting the
it.
r, before resortfng
sure of justice, the
erty owners may
call upon a maj
ioIds public re-
lay in the First
g, and who has
pretty sharply
ideas of law
zeugner type.
trouble left
alton to Mr..
. Samoan
unity. The
difficulty
n of the
pre- cleo