The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-16

Company, and that therefore, if !
signed the resolution, l would do so
with the knowledge that rejected pro-
posal was some 50, 2,ooo.o 10000 cheaper than
the one which the resolution before me
accepted as the basis of an award of
supported by any facts. and when /
interrupted the person first making 1t
that day 1 obtained an immediate ac-
quiescence to my statement that I had
nothing to do with the purchase of the
water works but simply with the pur-
chase of the water by the gallon. The
signed the resolution to purchase the
water by the gallon. made 1t posslple
for the people to vote at some future
time to purchase the plant, works, etc.
That is true. and I am content to leave
it to them. and if the question had been
debated upon that line during the past
six weeks by those who appeared pefore
me, no exception could be taken to
such discussion, but to have to force
them TO this position was no pleasure to
me, as it has seemed to me pitiable
sight to see people who knew or could
learn the facts, make such unsupported
statements, which were as short lived as
the time it takes to present the facts
with which to controvert them. The
public knows that the issuing of the
bonds to purchase the water works first
becomes a debatable question when they
agitate to buy them in order to stop
the payment of measured water.
The statement concerning the differ
ence in the price of the option in re-
jected proposal and the accepted one is
the result of the agitation-which. hav-
ing insured the facts within the law.
has also incorrectly used the specifica-
tions and proposals. The city asked for
proposals in which there were certain
prescribed requisites, such as that
the water should be as good as
given standard of purity; that it should
be delivered by gravity at High Service;
that it should be delivered at a certain
head of pressure; that there should be
at least one hundred QG0 days storage,
ETC.; the specifications being so planned
that any bidder desiring to offer a pro-
posal could do so. Three did so and
complied with the requirements OF the
specifications, in which alone appears
necessary similarity in order to be formal
but otherwise the plans were as distinct
and different as the bidders were with
in the knowledge of the officials. Yet
it is atte- lpted to discuss these bids
as if each was alike the other and con-
sequently that the prices (of the option)
in each was the only matters in which
the proposals differ.
Perhaps the opposition to the accept
ance of the bid of the Jersey City Water
Company is directed to ascertain my
views as to the merits of the proposal
of the Rockaway ard Hudson Water
Company. Upon that 1 can readily in
form them by saying that no proposition
to furnish water from any source equally
liable to sewer pollution and offered with
sewer as an integral part of the pri-
mary plan, as is the case of the Rock
away and Hudson Company's offer, could
receive my approval, while any possible
source of supply remained available free
from that danger and objection. I be.
lieve that such source is available and
is offered in the proposal now before me.
tempted in the. present discussion is
cleared to that extent.
I am perfectly convinced that the peo-
pie of this city want new water sup
ply, and 1 am equally sure that the cost
of the water by the gallon will make
the water rents or taxes higher than
desire and absolute need of new water
supply, have been a part of the re-
cent efforts to settle the matter. Not
withstanding the not uncertain expression
only as lately as the last spring election
of the public desire for new water, it
may seem surprising to some that SO
little positive assistance has been offered
to settle the matter by the general pub
lic To me there is nothing strange about
it, as the subject has been agitated SO
many years; maps, statistics, plans, ar
guments and claims have been made
by parties as their various interests
prompted them to state their views, un-
til it seems to those who have not kept
up or had to keep up continuous study
of the subject to form a maze of in
solvable data. AS Mayor, I received my
first lesson by signing the first set of
specifications in the early part of my
term and visiting the water sheds offer
ed by the bidders at that time; and if
the 10000 people comprising the popula-
tion OF the city had visited the various
sheds and considered the present bids, I
am confident that this matter would be
solved if in their hands as it will be
settled by me at this time. 1t is because
they have not seen these water sheds
and examined the plans that I have de-
cided to file this memoranda giving my
reasons for my action on the resolutions
before me. I have repeatedly inspected