The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-14
THAT LAST WATER BID.
Board of Trade Condemns
1t and Wants the State
Board Revived.
DEAR AND THE MAJOR SCRAP.
Reon Barnes of Lehigh Valley Fame
Alone Speaks for the
Flimsy Scheme.
DEAR AND THE MAJOR SCRAP

MIR. Joseph A. Dear, one OIL Gne NueIS VI
the Epeninq Journal and Major q.
K. Pangborn, the editor of the
same consistent aud upright news
paper. The meeting was called
by President Dear, for the pur-
pose of discussing the water question, and
more particularly. the bid OF the Jersey
City Construction Company which is now
being considered by the Street and Water
Board. During the discussion Mr.. Dear
made speech in which he denounced the
scheme of the Construction Company.
and declared that the price was too high.
He pointed out the many defects in the
plan, and wound no by Offering resolu-
ton TO the effect that the Board request
the Street and Water Commissions to
reject the bid.
When Mr.. Dear had taken his seat, up
popped the Major like iack-in-the-box.
and began to tell the Board, Ia tnat
superior manner of his. just what they
ought to do, and how they should do IL.
He started off with the statement that he
had once swore that he would never at
tend a meeting of the Board OF Trade
again uEti1 that organization made real
effort TO do something effecunal and
tangible. Then he paused and looked
around to see what effect that declara-
ton had upon the meeting, but every one
looked tired, aud the Major went on
smiling
THE MAJOR DoEs'T BATTLE.
II find that you do The same old thing" "
he went on. You talk and talk all
around. and then you come out of the
same hcie you went into. You have been
saying here that the Passaic water is all
right, that 1t is pure and wholesome. II
y tbat is The case, why not stop talkin q
about a new water supply. For my own
part do not even Datne in it, mucn less
drink the stuff.
..The questions you have to consider
are:-First-Do you want new supply
of water2 Can this jersey City Con-
struciion Company give you sufficient
supply within the time it specifies? Ii
they can fulfill their agreements In these
PARTICULARS then 1t is serious matter,
and ought to be accorded grave and
careful deliberation. II they"
Here the Major was interrupted by Mr..
Dear, who waved copy OF their joint
newspaper and requested permission to
read an extract from it. What Mr.. Dear
wanted to read was the editorial OF the
Maj n advocating the acceptance or the
bid which appeared few days ago and
letter of Mr.. Dear's advocating the
rejection of the bid which appeared in
the next column.
The Mayor, however, refused to be
nwav, while those presentsaughed this
controversy between partners, and adj
mired the ingenuity of firm that could
thus get upon both sides of question OF
this nature.
MR. BARNES TAKES THE FLOOR.
The discussion was opened By Mr..
Barnes of Staten Island. known in Rail
road circles as the great and only Reon,
from the manner in which he has
represented the Lehish Valley Railroad
Company In this vicinity. He attended
the meeting iu the capacity of special
advocate for the Construction Company.
Mr.. Barnes was more childlike than ever.
and fairly beamed with unalloyed
innocence AS he took the members of the
Board to his bosom. and confidentially
told them all about the Construction
: Company. Perhapsi
Mr.. Barnes first read the company's
proposition to the Street and Water
Board aud then the petition. copies OF
which have been extensively circulated
iu Jersey City since last Monday.
Mr.. Barnes said that the petition had
been signed by over five hundred persons.
Then he spoke of the status Of the Con-
structiou Company and It's relation to the
East jersey Water Company, saying that
the two corporations were absolutely In
dependent OF each other.
'Ihe Jersey City Construction Com
pany," said Mr.. Barnes, ''has made an
arrangement for supply Of pure water
with The East Jersey Water Company,
and 1t is now seeking TO sell that supply
to Jersey City at fair profit 1t has
been charged that the time given the
Street and Water Board to accept or
reject the proposition WAS too brief. |
don't thibk SO. The water question is
pretty well understood in Jersey CITY.
s.The time was purposaly made brief, so
that the company could furnish supply
of water to the city within the time speci-
fed. The company figured that the
street ard Water Board would want a
week to discuss tba propositions; that the
Board of Finance would want another
week; that the Mayor would want sorne
time for the same purpose, and. finally.
that the city's law officers would want
time to draw q contract which would
amply protect the city's rights aud inter-
ests. Allowing for all of this time, the
company thought limit should be fixed
il it were TO bring pure water supply to
Jersey City ny June 80.
MR., BARNES's PROPHEsIES.
"lt has been said," Mr. Barnes contin-
uei, 'thRt the price is high. | don't
know of any city IN the country that is
getting water cheaper.
"a feature of this corporation which
you must take into consideration is that
corporation which has spent vast
sums Of money In building g
water plant has undertaken to sell tC
the Jersey City Construction Company
return fair profit On the other hand,
the Construction Companyis is trying TO
sell to Jersey City. at n price which will
enable 1t to get out whole and even fair
profit. / venture to say, gentlemen,
that this price would not be
deemed large once your property
began to appreciate In value under
the influence OF a supply of pure water
/ believe the rateables of Jersey
CITY would increase at least So 600 900 iu
less than year. and that alone would
more than cover into your treasury, al
your present rate of taxation, the
Increased cost of the water. The fact
remains. however, that there Is supply
this city can have this spring. know Of
no other supply which is so easily obtain
able. [ believe jersey City will take it. .
Mr.. Barnes also expressed the greatest
concern for the health of the citizens OF
Jersey City. and conveyed the impress
sion that instead of being out Tor The
money of the city,h he was simply there Ioi
its health. He drew a vivid parallel be-
tween the disease breeding Passalc ano
The Elbe as Hamburg, and declared
that the conditions Of the two rivers
were identical. He declared that Will
the return of warm weather would come
the cholera, and the Construction Com.
many. which is not in any way connected
with the East Jersey Company or Lehlgt
Valley would guarantees TO deliver tut
4 r a