The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-25

treating the question bv those who
have been so much in evidence in this
matter. Their plan has been to threaten
the Board Of Street and Water Commits
sioners in order to force them to award
the contract to the RockaWay and Hud-
son Water Company. and to forestall
the action of the Board of Finance by
obtaining an unofficial approval Of that
company's plan before decisive action On
the part of the Board of Street and Wa
ter Commissioners. And when the
award was made to the Jersey City
concurred in by the Board of Finance,
and was presented to me, the slight ar
gument that seemed visible through the
few who appeared before me at the
public hearing held on September IL.
1895, was not whether the water and
Company's proposals. were advantageous
to the city. but that / should defer ac-
ton; and again was used the statement
that I should not sign the resolution be-
fore me because It would, put a debt on
the city Of 81, $780, 90. which was the
price Of the option on the plant, etc,
81, COG. 10000 higher than the price. of the
option of the water works in the pro-
posal of the Rockaway, and Hudson
signed the resolution, I would do so
with the knowledge that a rejected pro-
posal was some 50, 900, 10000 cheaper than
the one which the resolution before me
accepted as the basis of an award or
contract. The first argument was un-
supported by any facts; and When When !
that day / obtained an immediate ,ac,
quiescence to my statement that mac
nothing to do with the purchase OF the
chase of the water by the gallon; The
statement was then made that II -
signed the resolution to PURCHASE the
for the people to vote at. some future
time to purchase the plant, works, etc.
That is true. and am content 70 lsaue
= 10 {hnr, ord ~ fhn nI1nctiOn h9d DRen
debated upon hat line during the past
six weeks by those who appeared pefore
me. no exception could be taken 70
such discussion, but to have to force
them to this position was no pleasure TO
me, as it has seemed. to me a pltlaple
sight to see people who knew or conld
statements. which were as short hved as
the time it takes to present the fa Ths
with which to controvert tnem;f the I
bonds to purchase the water works nrst
becomes a debatable question, when they
atgitate to buy ~ them asa,r n % oTder TO STOP
The statement concerning the dlfter-
ence in the price of the option IN a re-
iected proposal and the acce yppbicb one say y
ing misused the facts within the law,
has also, incorrectly used the specllnff Ca
proposals in which there were certain
prescribed requisites, such as, that
the water should. be as good as
be delivered by gravity at High Service;
that it should be delivered at a certain
head of PRESSURE; that Iod there sh e4nra a pe
etc; the specifications being so planned
that any bidder desiring to offer a pro,
posal GOULD do $50 SO. re dhree a1f 81 Of d the
Specifications, in which alone appears a
necessary similarity in order to be formal
and different as the bidders were with
in the knowledge of the officials. Yet
it is attempted to discuss as ntber eh e5d c o1ns
sequently that the prices lof the opt1on)
in each were the only matters in which
the proposals dlffer. oaa
ance of the bid of the Jersey City Water
Company is directed to ascertain my
Of ofeT the a. Ro eo and Hudson Water
Company. Upon that | can readily m
form them by saying that no proposltion
to furnish water from any source equally
liable to sewer pollution and offered WITH
a sewer as an integral part OF the prl-
mary plan. as is the case of the Rock,
receive my approval, while any possible
source of supply remained available free
from that danger and objection. l be,
lieve that such a source, is available and
is offered in the proposal now before me,
ans the confusion which has been at
tempted in the present discussion Is
cleared to that extent.
/ am perfectly convinced tina the pee
pie of This city want a ~, new y water : ter sup %
Of the water by the gallon will make
the water rents or taxes higher than
desire and absolute need of a new water
supply, I lave been a part OF the re-
cent efforts to settle the matter. Not
w~ithstanding the not uncertain expression
only as lately as the last spring election
of the public desire for new water, 1t
may seem surprising to some that 50
little positive assistance has been offered
to settle the matter by the general pub.
lie. To me there is nothing strange about
guments and claims have been made
by parties as their various interests
prompted them to state their views IN.
til it seems to those who have not kept
up or had to keep up a continuous stuay
Of the BE sdd a{e 4 to M yGrm a I m reeeive cd my my
first lesson by signing the first set of
specifications in the early part, OF my
ed by the bidders at that time; and if
the $4,000 people comprising the popula-
ton OF the city had visited the various
am confident hat this matter would be
solved if in their hands as it VIII be
settled by me at this time. 1t IS because
and examined the plans that l have de-
cided to file this memoranda giving my
reasons Tor my actlo Ien on t tnH inspecfed
the water sheds of New Jersey. with
THEE 50 differently constituted Boards
Of Street and Water Commissioners and
two () different Boards of Finance. AS
| viewed these Sheds, it became more and
more evident that the so-called xiv.
ers'' in each shed were mere BROOKS OF
no Importance in their running condition
as the methods used for storing the
water from them and their tributaries
for available use were complete ana
comprehensive, and that the. water
when so stored was more desirable Wnen
gathered free from sewer pollution
have made this known at all times ana
in all places since my first visit to the
first water shed offered since l entered
Office, and I reassert it as a fxed pfln-
ciple that has guided me IN my acelon
must be absolutely free from pollution;
| have kept constantly before me the
determination first to obtain the proper
kind of water, and secondly to deter
mine whether the price was fair, rathel
thar to obtain unsatisfactory water at
offered by the Jersey. City Water Com,
pany is SO gathered in it's present shed
above the sources or even Danger OF
pollution, both present and future, ana
of a quality above the standard required
by the specifications, and that the price
per gallon is a very reasonable one, |
readily conclude hat it is to the advan-
tage of the city for me to approve the
resolution awarding that company the
contract.
l might say in passing that do not
on this matter which directs. attention TO
questions of price Of purchase options
and nothing more. None of the bidders
plans are Identical, the statutes. are abb
solutely silent as to he manner in which
would indeed be unfortunate # the
discretion based on the best 81
fort to decide correctly was de-
MED to officials empowered to