The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-21

HIGHEST IN PRICE,
The next affidavit read by Mr.. Thomp-
son was made by himself. He deposed
that he examined the minutes of the
Street and Water Board in reference to
the water question. He found that the
lowest offers of each to be Jersey City
Water Company for works and plant.
with area Of sixty-five square miles.
S7.9D,00o payable ninety per cent. in
cash and ten per cent. in bonds. The
East Jersey Water Company offered to
sell water rights. reservoirs anu rlsat
OF way with a drainage area of about
one hundred and twenty square miles,
full in four per cent, bonds. The Rock
away and Hudson Company offered 10
sell works with the entire drainase OF
Seven square miles of the sixty-iive
claimed by the Jersey City Company,
area m OF Of Spit Rock Pond The title Of
the lands under water of this pond is
owned by the Montelair Water Company,
and the town Of Montclair has so notf-
fed the Street and Water Board of Jer-
:.JoGaNAL's, EXPERT BLUNDEREp.
Mr.. Thompson said that he had careful
ly examined the report of the expert
Kent and discovered that Mr.. Kent had
made curious blunders in regard to the
Jersey City Companys figures.
Justice Lippincott at this point inter
rupted Mr.. Thompson TO say that before
going any further he would IKE 10 ul-
derstand definitely what lawyers were in
the case, and whom they represented. lie
did not think that he ought issue any
more rules. as he desired to avoid
repetition of argument as each appiiea-
ton would go over the same ground.
Mr.. Thompson said he represented J ohm
appeared for Horace ". Farrier; Allan
L. McDermott stood sponsor for Garret
D. Van Reipen; John ]. Voorhees,.
senting the Board of Trade. Charles
Black answered for the Rockaway and
Hudson; John Griffin and William A.
Lewis. Henry Condiet and ex-Judge Ste
vens of Newark were announced as rep
resenting several citizens; James B. Vre-
peared for the Jersey City Water Com
Mr.. Thompson, in arguing in favor
completed tabulated statement of the
cost per year, but the figures showed
plainly that the bid of the Rockaway
and that of the 4ersey City Company
tThe accepted bid will cost the city
over $500 600 more than the lowest bid
received, and s250,0 more than the bid
.of the East Jersey Company.
'eWhen you come to the average cost
5e Jersey ge city eSaa1 Company S4ss East Jer-
sey Company, 1919 SIS, and Rockaway
and Hudson Company. $816 1877, a differ
ence Of over $4,000 between the ac-
cepted bid and the lowest one.
.'G'here are two. reasons why the writ
should issue. First, because the con,
was tSa oTaf tad tG the Righest seond d b
cause the drainage area of the success
full bidder win not furnish sufficient
supply, as shown by the statement Of
BOARD or TRADES VIEWS.
Allan Z. McDermott, next spoke for
The Court Trace in aRng ahd Computations
from the figures presented will of course
take the time from which the water IS
about twenty-five million gallons is not
a proper basis for calculation. The con-
tract was awarded by the Street and
1888. and Section 159 of the Charter. IT
provides for the purchase of a supply of
the city This leaves a broad field OF
impression as to what is the most ad-
YRntageous.
1.-TWO members of the Board of FL
nance in a communication ratifying the
action of the Street and Water Com
missioners. said that in their belief this
the terms most adYanta geous to the city.
That being so. l think that the Court
viii decide that we. as citizens. are, en-
titled to have some say as to which is
the most advantageous. If these men
did not think so. If that was not their
mental -idea they should not have voted
simply because the city needs a new
water supply, or of influence of citizens,
or perhaps because of their being led by
CONSTITUTIONALITY QUESTIONED.
Mr.. McDerrnott next attacked the con-
stitutionality of the act. 1.-The law pro-
vides that municipal officers may con-
tract for water supply. There is no
limitation. No provision that they
must invite competition, or no question
in private or public. 1t only says that
it shall be lawful to make and unite into
contract for obtaining and furnishing
a water supply for a period not longer
than tWeQtV-t1Ye wears -
Another section of the act provides
that the contract must be approved by
where finance board exists. In cities
or municipalities where there is no fiscal
board the authorities having charge of
the water supply make contract them
selves. This is clearly unconstitutional,
and We assail it because that section
invalidates the entire act.
HORACE FARRIER WANTS A WRIT.
Ex-Judge R. B. Seymour, who APP
peared for Horace Farrier argued that
the price to be paid was SO great that it
would be impossible to furnish the bonds
and the city would be bankrupt. If
eight million of dollars of bonds are to
be issued, the market would be glutted,
ty-five years of the contract the city
would expend about $1,000, 900, and at
the end would have nothing to show for
-Four members OF the Board of Fl
posed to the awarding OF the contract.
II luey cildLSeu lfSF minus because
they believed that it was advantageous
to the city it is all right, but when CO.
creed to, vote fol, contract like that
the whole proceedings would seem TO
be tinctured with fraud. If two of these
men did not dare to do their duty and
were not honest with the people, it GER
tainIy is the duty of the Court to review
the case. It is important for every
body, the people, the municipal author
tiles, the taxpayers and the water COM
pany themselves that the Court should
pass upon the validity of the contract"
c. c. Black, counsel for the Rockaway
and Hudson Company, argued that the
contract was awarded to the Jersey City
Company because they agreed to furnish
a storage capacity for $50 days supply.
The Rockaway and Hudson Company
would have done SO also had the speci-
fications called for it, but the ADVERTISE
ment and specifications only called for
that the bid Of the Jersey City Com
pany does rot provide for the. stapdard
of purity called for That of the Kocka-
way Company did, and besides their bid
was lower.
posed the granting. of the writ. THE
affidavits and what has been said by the
lawyers contain some TRUTH he said,
''but [ do not think that It would be
q. very difficult matter to convince your
Honor that there has not been enough
We have Ions wanted a new supply of
water in this city, Two or three sue
cessive water boards have attempted to
get new supply. 1t has been a source
of constant complaint from the people.
Jersey City has at last reached a point
nicipal authorities feel that they have
done what is right They have the mower