The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-29
THE WATER TRUST
Testimony on the Contract
Certiorari Reveals a Nice
Grabbing Scheme.
PRESIDENT SHOWS ADMISSIONS
East Jersey Water Company
Owns No Water Rights in
the Roekaway Shed.
MI. Corbin Admits That the City
Would Get No Advantage Out
Of the $4,000 Unless They
Bought the Plant.
MI. Corbin Admits That the City

pren1e Court commissioner JOnn "A. NJ
gent in the matter of the certiorari OF
the award to the Jersey Guy Water Com
ANY of a permanent water supply TO tnls
city was nil as against the Mayor and
Aldermen and peculiarly damaging to the
prosecutors. One of them, the Montclalr
Water Company, put forward its Presl-
dent to say what he could against the
award, but that individual was compelled
to admit that Incorporation was a part
of a gigantic syndicate expressly formed
for the purpose of grabbing all the water
sheds of Northern New Jersey and thus
being able to distribute water to the
cities and corporations at any price they
the syndicate wished to make. Probed
by ex-senator w. d. Edwards, President
Snow of the Montclair Water Company
let out that the New Jersey General Sc
curity Company was the i%nstigator of the
great water combine and the East Jersey
Water Company, another of the prosecu-
tors, was controlled by it, and, what was
still more damaging, the East Jersey
Water Company owned no rights in the
Rockaway watershed,
Mr.. Snow, President of the Montclair
Water Company, was still giving testi-
mony when the case was dropped by the
Jersey City News" yesterday afternoon.
Before the adjournment at noon Mr.. Ed
wards put a few questions to him:
A WATER OCTOPUS.
ssWhere do you take our water from
the Newark pipe?' asked Mr.. Edwards.
..About two miles from Montclair at
~Brookdale."t
'In 1900 will Newark use the whole 3d.
900, 600 gallons of water from the East Jer-
sey Company"
81 don't know,
s'What does it use now?"
saTwenty-seven millions and a half"
sTWho compose the New Jersey Cen
trail Security Company?' asked Mr.. Ed
wards. but the witness did not answer
by advice of Mr.. Corbin.
rs not the object and purpose of that
company to have command and control
of those companies which control all the
water sheds of Northern New Jersey?"
ut is"
what companies does it control"
asked Mr.. Edwards.
Witness enumerated the East Jersey
Water Company, Montclair Water Com
pany, West Milford Water Company, Ice
vile Railroad Company and Dundee Wa
ter Company.
DO they have any assignment of rights
in the Morris. Canal Company" asked
Mr.. Edwards"
You needn't answer that, quickly IN
terposed Mr.. Corbin.
"Name the officers of the Security Com
pany? ?" asked Mr.. Edwards.
President 6, F. Baker, Secretary A. 3;
Fisher and Treasurer, myself" replied
Mr.. Snow.
Who are the directors?"
Mr.. Corbin again said, you needn't an
Swer that"
Then Nj. Edwards deity got out a pc
culiarly damaging statement for the pro-
secutors.
ave wish to state he said, 'that we
ask these questions to show that there
i an effort on the part OF this CORPORA,
Northern part of the State and prevent
cities or companies outside Of themselves
from pr%oe cur ~, any S water ;s ,m through their heir
should be known"
Mr.. Corbin tried to soften Shows adj
mission that the Security Company was
endeavoring to monopolize all the water
companies by asking If that was only
partly its object. Witness said 1t was only
partly.
not in the combine?' asked Mr.. Edwards,
and Mr.. nov named six corporations he
said had nothing to do with the combine.
and most OF these are controlled by
the East Jersey Company" PERSISTED Mr..
Edwards. Witness was not quite sure.
He didn't know.
Wf. EQWaTQS lIl6 OIL Qu6StIOuS dldTIll6u
Mr.. Stevens, who began to mention little
companies in the south of the State,
which had no connection with the Secur-
ity Syndicate.
That's all right said Mr.. Edwards,
these companies do not take water from
the Passaic, and / ask the witness if
supply from the Passaic watershed which
are not controlled by the snydicate?" Mr..
Snow didn't believe; couldn't a
:, Mr.. Shows testimony lasted until one
0'cJnak when a short adjournment was
aiken. At two O'Clock Mr.. William H.
Corbin, counsel for the East Jersey Com
Charles L.. Corbin, examined him.
Mr.. Corbin told of the trip in July last
with Messrs. Herschen. Gardiner and him
self Of the East Jersey Water e Company
Board and finance Board to Lake Ho-
patcong, which they circumnavigated in
a steam launch.
us If they could not take water from
there, and if we could give them figures.
I told them We would furnish them with
consider their question. We met in the
Mayors office, on July "a to explain be-
fore the members Of the city board our
Mr.. Corbin explained the proceedings on
hat occasion and produced a typewriter
copy of the company's figures submitted
"Objected to as immaterial," aid Mr..
Edwards, "and because it is ar attempt
to alter the terms OF q city bid"
Mr.. Corbin continuing said that the East
Jersey Company was prepared to supply
estimates for Lake Hopatcong if the city
had given them an opportunity to furnish
them.
Cross examined by Mr.. Edwards Mr..
Corbin said that he saw the city officials
and the Mayor four times in relation to
the East Jersey Company's bids.
Didn't your engineers at these meet
ings c~riticise the schemes Of the others %
81 believe So"
IVA Mr.. Drinker, Vice President of
the East Jersey Company, at the hearing
before the Mayor"
rs he not connected with the Morris
Canal Company
Are you, MI; corbin, a director of the
wards with a. smile.
IT am, smile returned.
"Did any of your supplemental bids
contain any standard of purity!?'
The bids were gone through and Mr..
Corbin was about to read tha standard
when Nj. Corbin objected.
WAS there an understanding between
the Morris al Company and the East
Jersey Water Company before the bid
was presented to Jersey Cfty?" asked Mr..
Edwards.
Il don't know" replied Mr.. Corbin.-
In promising, in the East Jersey bid, to
secure all the water rights for 80, AGE. 00c
Mr.. Corbin said the company meant suffi-
cient land to ACQUIRE right of way and
water at 50.000.09 gallons per day and
also lands for reservoir
OWNED NO RIGHTS.
but you did not own these rights. You