The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-26
The State water Bin Hearing.


The arguments advanced in favor
of the State Water Commission bill
before the Senate Committee on Nun
icipal Corporations yesterday, were
altogether convincing as to the JUS
tice and propriety of the easur and
the feasibility of the plan it contem-
plates. They showed that the bill
provided for the present and future
good of the people on a broad and
public spirited plan. After hearing
them, no member of the committee
who was unbiased by syndicate IN
iuences could have any remaining
doubt as to the propriety of reporting
the bill favorably to the Senate and
taking an active part in securing its
enactment.
We have in this State an ample sup
ply of as good water as can be found
in the world for all the inhabitants OF
our great cities-a supply sufficient
not only for the needs of today, but oil
the next century. The rivers and
streams. however, are SO infested with
capitalistic pirates that it is fmpossi-
BILE for the people to derive the least
benefit from them except by paying
outrageous blackmail. The case OF
Newark is a monumental example.
That city has been simply robbed Of
81 600, 900 by the rapacity OF water
spectators, the venality of its W
politicians and the blind vanity OF its
newspapers and people.
The measure now before the Legls-
lature prevents any such schemes OF
spoliation in the future. 1t places
the control of the water supply OF the
State in the hands of a competent
commission, to be portioned out to
the cities in proportion to their needs,
they to pay all the fair, just and rea-
sonable expenses and no more. The
bill is equitable as respects all vested
proprietary rights. 1t provides for
their condemnation by the courts by
regular process. OF course, the the
DRY OF Its hackers is that there can be
no proprietary right in running
water. But if the opposite idea is
true-the claim of the syndicate, that
there is ownership in the fluid which
is here now and somewhere else in an
hour-why then we cannot see that
the bill does any injustice, for the
point must come up before the courts,
and no doubt they will uphold the
right, whatever it may be.
If we have our doubts as to the
passage of this bill, it is not because
we doubt its wisdom or justice. 1t is
because we doubt the capacity of a
Republican Legislature for any policy
beneficial to the people on a broad
scale. We especially doubt this when
corporate and ~capitalistic influences
are on the other side. A Republican
statesman loves a monopoly by mere
force of nature. In the present issue,
we have Carrot A.. Hobart, John w.
Griggs and John Kean, Jr., actively
opposed to the bill, and General
Sewell and all the rest of the State
leaders are passively hostile to it.
The only hope in the situation is in
the advocacy of Senator Bradley. who
seems to be much better than his
party. The Senator is a great power
at Trenton this year. He a block
all the plans of the Republican man
ayers If they do not secure his alliance
by concessions to his sense of right.
If he chooses to make the fate of this
bill the parting of the ways, he can
individually secure its passage and
earn the gratitude and respect of the
entire people.