The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-23
MONOPOLIST GRIGGS
Through His Efforts tie
Water SyndiCates Have
F1ourished in This
State.
HE DEsPIsEs THE PEOPLE
Democratic Governors Have Cried
Out in Vain Against the Seiz-
ure of Lakes and Rivers.
HE DEsPISEs THE PEOPLE
From the True American.

From the True American.
OF the 100000 inhabitants Of the state
of New Jersey over 100000 are dependent
for their water supply upon the lakes,
ponds and streams of Northern New Jer-
sey.
OF this $50, 900 more than half are cen
tired in large cities and towns wherein an
ample supply of pure and wholesome
water is just as necessary as the air that
they breathe.
This water was and ought to be just as
free to public search and public use as
the air.
But for years there has been a persist
ent effort on the part of corporate capital
and influence to iJnpound these waters
and to force the public, the cities and the
towns, to buy it at high and prohtaple
rates from these corporations.
This trading on the public health has
been going on for years, and the fight has
annually been made in the Legislature to
beat back the demands of the public and
to gradually and surely fasten the hold
of water monopoly upon all the water
sources of the State.
Democratic Governors have constantly
called the attention of the Legislature to
the threatened dangers, but the active
lobby of the water syndicate has been al
ways at hand to defy the Executive warn
ings and to control legislation.
NOTE OF DANGER SOUNDED.
AS far back as 1892 Governor Ludlow
sounded the note of danger IN these
words
THE Importance of broad and com
prehensive consideration a the present
time of the probable demand and supply
of water for domestic purposes in the
future cannot be overestimated. If there
is any one subject in which the States
right Of eminent domain should be re-
served for the use and benefit of the pub
lie. it is in the God-given waters OF our
streams so necessary to the convenience
comfort and health of our citizens. While
many of the communities of the State are
at but the threshold of a great growth
and prosperity, the sources and courses
of their water supply are by natural and
artificial causes, being both diminished
and polluted It requires no great powers
OF prophesy to forsee how dire, at no
remote day. must be the consequence OF
this condition Of affairs in the interest OF
the most advanced portion of our State,
unless its evils are recognized and pro
Fided AGAINST -
A. tls Eext- session Governor Ludlow
aeair tf.6s csGed legislative attention
10 the pressing danSer:-
eTta Commissioners on Water Supply
have presented preliminary report Of
their operations during the past year,
and promise more extended report
during your session. Their suggestions
are tho result of considerable delibera-
ton and should be thoroughly considered
by you Owing to the peculiar juncture
of events, the cities in the northern part
of the State are possibly, not in con
6ition to demand and provide for any
great increase in their supply. but the
will need all that the surrounding corn-
try will provide. I trust that no actlo2
viii be taken by you that will comre'
than, when that time comes, to put
themselves into the hands of a private
corporation, but that you will haid in
trust for the people Of this State. the
GoviERNoR GREEN'S ACTION.
In 1888. Governor Green treated the
subject in this broad way, and gave nc.
tice that the water monopoly had been
formed and that they claim to have Ger
session. ess s'oIs He urged urged the Legislature to
take steps toward holding these great
public rights for. the public use. In his
annual message he said
.9duch attention has been given by the
State Board of Health during the past
year to the. water supply. of the. State.
1t Is time that some efficient legislation
was had to secure to OUT citizens the
benefits Of mountain streams and lakes,
an tss t9 provide e,j pure nt,V water bf for our
ter is now being brought more promi
neptly into public notice from the agi-
some water for the cities of Newark and
Jersey City. and my attention has. been
officially called to the avowed inten-
ton and effort of parties to control,
so far as it may be possible by purchase
of water rights, the water shed which
may in the future become necessary not
fr- 4Ia Fowl fx414 fOx @taA 1ka1 y
State. s''e
water rights by purchase. to which the
interests of. the State are subservient.
and which render the use, by our rapidly
supply of pure water, which a benef-
cent Providence has given to one sec
purchase from them. If this claim be
well founded, it is high time that the
people took steps to secure whatever in
terest they may now need and whatever
GOV .ABBETTeS FIRM STAND.
In 1891, Governor Albeit treated the
s1aa sThe Question i on S5f the conservation and
ortrol of the potable waters of the State
to cities and towns is of far-reaching
interest and Importance to. every center
tfn s limits and bas su attrae{ed the
attention of the Legislature from time to
time, as is attested by the water legisla-
tfon for the past fifteen years. 1t is the
duty of the State to act in this depart
rnent az the guardian of the interests
of all it's citizens. The waters Of the
State are a portion of the public domain.
held by it as a trustee for the use of
She public and legislation regarding them
has been based upon this theory.
The doctrine of the common law, which
denies to riparian proprietors any actual
property, or any ownership whatever
in the water of streams, has been az
firmed by repeated decisions. Claims
have. however, been recently made, and
sought to be upheld by legislation and the
acquisition of alleged vested rights in the
waters of certain of the non-tidal waters
of the State. to a distinct property right
in running water. treating it as a chattel
which may be conveyed from place to
place within or beyond the boundaries
OF the State and sold or disposed of as a
commodity.
ssThe physical geography and confgura-
tion of the State are such that abundant
sources of the purest water are found
among the hills and mountains of the
northern counties, at an elevation suf-
ficient1y great to enable it to be econon-
ically distributed bv gravitation alone to
almost all if not all. the cities and towns
of the State. by the adoption of a COM
prehensive system of State water supply.
Such a system would effect a great saving
In cost and an equal gain in efficiency of
service and purity of quality over. the
method of separate supplies from local
sources.
ssSteps should be taken by the Jegisla-