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

ny are to be in no way abridged py
my considering the resolution awarding
the contract to the East Jersey Water
Company for a temporary supply with
this city and should Harrison make
contract with that company the differ
ence in price paid by Jersey to the
company for its supply and the price
paid to the company by these towns
should be paid to the city; that the
water instead of being delivered into
the Belleville reservoir could be deliv-
cred into one or all of the mains cross
ing the meadows so that the city
or Newark supply--in case the main or
mains could stand the pressure-so that
more water can be carried in the mains
if they Withstand the pressure-and
sufficient water diverted into the High
Service stand pipe to avoid the con-
tinuous use of the pump there, and that
in that event the water could be di-
verted into the Belleville reservoir for
reserve supply. I have doubts as to
whether this result can be reached-if
it cannot be accomplished-it will be an
expensive experiment; but as it is the
only way of obtaining speedy relief at
less than at the prohibitive cost which
would result from the adoption of the
plan originally contemplated by the
award. and as I have overcome some OF
the difficulties stated before. have de-
cided to approve of the resolution with
the conditions made by me. inasmuch
as if the results are not satisfactory II
need not be repeated beyond the year.
1 am unable to understand why the
majority of the Board of Finance who
voted against the advertising for pro-
posals under the present specifications
and who voted against buying water by
the gallon from the Jersey City Water
Company should favor the temporary
supply in view of the difficulties already
stated and in view of the fact that the
Jersey City Company's award will give
water of one kind pure and delivered at
High Service through the new main at
S39. rs per million gallons, doing away with
all pumping. labor. coal. ETC., while the
East jersey Water Company's supply is
at a cost of SAB per million gallons deliv-
cred. as 1 have stated. 1t is matter
worth noticing in passing that through
out all the years of the water agitation
the East Jersey Water Company has been
the particular mark for anyone to attack
and that most of the attacking groups
and individuals are now the advocates Of
it's temporary supply-a fact which proves
to my mind that too emphatic opinions,
while they may be popular, need not be
taken as necessary guides to action
l have thus given my reasons for
signing the resolutions and I can safely
add that 1 believe that the same or
DERBY procedure that has characterized
this whole matter will now go on until
it is finally settled
No contract will be drawn or attempted
until all persons desiring to review
either resolution in the courts have had
full opportunity to do SO. I have been
told that the resolution will be taken to
the courts and I think that everyone
will be glad to see that done-especially
the officia1s-as such an action will es-
tablish the construction of the laws
of last winter. dS95) under which
the contract has been bought
by them and under which the purchase
of works can be voted upon by the peo-
ple While these laws are being con-
strued in the courts, those who find the
Grand Jury tribunal best suited to
| their purposes can ventilate and investi-
gate the matter from end to end. This
should be done at once if it is intended
to ever do it, 1t must be remembered that
the law gives me an absolute discretion
to sign the contract, and I will hold
myself in readiness to take advantage Of
every fact and thing coming to my no.
tice, and if anything should develop that
will justify me in the interests of the
city to withhold my signature from
either contract, 1 will do SO. Some criti-
cism entirely unjustified has been leveled
at two of the members of the Board of
Finance, who were sgners of the infor-
NAL letter signed by four "a members
of that board and sent to the Board of
Street and Water Commissioners in their
Individual capacity, favoring one bid and
requesting the appointment of an ex-
pert; and then at later time in meet
| ing of their board after the Street and
Water Board had acted by voting an
award of contract. The first action was
outside of their proceedings as Commits
sioners, outside of their duty and not
within the limits of their legal powers;
their action at their meeting was within
the province of their official powers and
duty.
| If that informal letter and the unoffi-
cal effort contained therein is fully con-
sidered these two commissioners are en-
| titled to no criticism for occupying their
| places formally in the board and voting as
they should-either to nonconcur or con-
cur in the award before them. If the
| suggestion to act in either manner, but
to act-be interference, I take the re-