The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-10
CONTRACT REJECTED.
Finance Board Refuses to
Concur in the Water
Award to the Jersey
mclty Water Co.
AND MINORITY REPORTS
However, Agree in Ad-
ating Advertisements
for New Proposals.
specifications Broad Enough
u Let in Everybody Who
Has Water to Sell.
AND MINORITY REPORTS

Uote last night non-concurred in the
Yresolution of the Street and Water
Board awarding a water contract to
the Jersey City Water Company.
1t became known yesterday afternoon
that the company's proposition woulo'
to a certainty, be rejected. For week
it has been understood that the award
would be concurred in by Messrs. Slmp-
son. Bailey and Detwiller. Commission
er Detwiller, after careful study OF lhe
situation, announced that he would not
vote to concur. His refusal to coucur
meant the rejection of the proposal Tor
two reasons.
To begin with, he holds the posltlon
of Chairman of the Committee on Con-
current Resolutions. and 1t is not Gus
tonary for any resolution or claim re-
,ferred to that committee. to be passeu
without the approval of the Chairman
Again Mr.. Detwiller's vote decided the
whole situation. President Jones and
Commissioner Hardenbergh have been
antagonistic to the resolution of award
ever since it passed the Street and Wa
ter Board. and when it finally reached
the Finance Board they made most
determined fight against it's passage
Having won Mr. Detwiller's vote, Mr.
Jones and Mr.. Hardenbergh wanted the
proposition removed to place OF safety
speed;ly. On that score. Mr.. Detw1llerl
kent them on the anxious seat and flnal-
" report was prepared by the Com
1nittee of the Whole in which 1t en-
bodied its reasons for non-concurrlng
in the award to the Jersey City COM
pany.
The report was submitted for approval
oy all the members at conference held
previous to last nights open session
AS soon as it was read. President Jones
Hand Commissioner Hardenbergh fatty
refused to sign it. They said that 1t dld
kor meet their views and they would
BIT, under any circumstances, sign 1t
d give the impression that it did. AS
inducement to get the gentlemen to
n it, Messrs. Bailey and Simpson
reed to vote to non-concur.
resident Jones and Commissioner Har-
denbergh refused and announced that
they would submit minority report on
the subject. The private conference last
ed until nine o'clock but when the meet
ing room doors were opened, the STU
alton was unchanged.
THE COMMITTEES REPORT.
When the time arrived for the recep-
ton of reports from the Committee of
sented the subjoined report, bearing the
signatures of Messrs. Detwiller, Bailey
and Simpson A careful reading of the
document will probably result in the
location of the paragraphs that were
Objectionable to Messrs. Jones and Har-
denbergh:-
Here it is:-
Z The Committee of the Whole of this
Board, to whom was referred the, reso-
luton of the Board of Street and Wa
ing, held April 2s, 1896, awarding the
contract to the Jersey City Water Conn
pany for supplying Jersey city w6a
water, respectfully reports
It is generally regretted, that under
ana shs water Board @ there aeh were s but
formal bids received; one from the East
Jersey Water Company for supply by
pumping. and the other, from the Jersey
,ity Water Company for a supply by
ravity- The later consideration OF the
subject. Determined the heal authorities Il that at
kgravity, and that conclusion at once
excluded from consideration the pro
Company the only bidder, offering a
proposition possible of acceptance
agreed to furnish Jersey City with a
supply of water, ranging from mini
n tS of ony aMfp5y gaon9 9nd daily t. as fhe etg
pep pe1n1d lion gaiions to SIS per % million "a
cording to the quantity per day supplied.
The supply was to be entirely by gravity
into the High Service Reservoir, and to
be brought there by single. pipe. The
KCity, free and clear of all cucumber
Aances, at a time agreed upon, for the
sym Of $7ooo.oqo; which ef w was ITO to be paid
to come from the Rockaway Water Shed
and River above Boonton: from an
area ars Of about forty-three square miles,
with main intake reservoir located at
Beach Glen.
OTHER INFORMAL PROPOSALS.
Other proposals of an informal char
acter were made, and the boards hav-
ing this matter in control have listened
to- and to a considerable extent exam
ined into the merits of these various pro-
posals. This board is actuated by no
s pon e to est get fhe best Tats
deem it wise that the largest opportuni-
ties should be given to every responsible
bidder. and to invite the sharpest COM
petition. While we recognize the i'm
water. and the fact that the future Of
this city is largely involved in getting it.
and getting it quickly, we. feel that the
exigency is not SO great that we should
act without that deliberation which se-
In view, therefore, of the situation of
this question we have given it the most
sincere, and thorough examination and
the mass of information we have gath
n cred, covering every aspect of the sub
FL ject we feel that we are as fully capable
Kpf settling the matter now. as we ever
Ian be.
we desire to express our high apprec-
Iation. of the intelligence and energy dis
played by. the Street and Water Board,
Z and for the great labor they have be-
are in hearty accord with them when
they say I'VE are for the best water at
the cheapest price,"
There are many attractive features in
* the proposition of the Jersey City Wa
ter Company to whom the contract has
been awarded by the Street and Water
Board. The freeness from contan1ina-
tion of the area drained, the quality of
the water offered. and the manifest abil-
ity Of those making the offer to carry
it out, have led us to give much atten-
tion to this proposal; but our best con-
sideration has not been able to remove
our doubts as to the capacity Of the wa
ter shed in question, to furnish the re-
qufred quantity of water We there
fore recommend non cong cuTrence in the
4 resolution of the Street and Water Board
awarding this contract
And we further suggest that the Board
= af Street and Water Commissioners be