The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-08-02
STILL IN DOUBT.
City Officials at Skies and
SeVenS Over the Water
Contract.
ANOTHER CONFERENCE TODAY
Views of the Commissioners OF
misunderstanding to Be
Done Next Week.
ANOTHER CONFERENCE TODAY

All the members of the Street and
water Board were present. and so were
the Finance Commissioners Mr.. Har-
denbergh having recovered sufnclentiy
TO get out.
The doors were closed at half-past ten
O'clock Commissioner Reuben Simpson
started the ball rolling. He appears to
have become welded to the plan OF the
Rockaway and Hudson Company for the
only reason that it is the cheapest.
Are we not to consider the plant Of
fered or the quality of the water?" he
was asked.
IF the river at Boonton is exposed to
pollution" he is said to have replled,
1--WE can police the river after the plant
has been built"
The fact was cited that policing a river
is easy to talk about and arrange fer, but
to put a stop to people. towns or factor
les draining into a natural waterway
would be something practically useless
to undertake.
In substantiation of this assertion. the
Passaic River. the present source OF
supply, was mentioned. All along the
Passaic River the pollution is apparent.
Property owners and cities. it was ar
gued. had spent thousands of dollars
e~ndeavoring to check the pollution, but
to no avail.
Finance Commissioner Bailey. who is
a warm advocate of pure water, had
something to say at this point. 1t was
to the effect that if the city c~ontempiates
acquiring new water it should so beyond
all river streams.
COMMISSIONERS BAILEY'S VIEWS.
Rivers large or SMALL he said, will
become polluted and no power can pre-
vent it. The R~ockaway may be quite
free from pollution. at present, but that
section of the country is bound to grow.
If we buy water. let US see to it that 1t
is gathered in lakes where contamina-
ton is impossible by natural causes.
There is no use in making a Big outlay
and then waking up TO the fact that our
situation has not been improved. Now
is the time to guard against all possible
contamination in the future. If the
prosperity of our city depends upon pure
water, the cost of acquiring such a sup
ply should be a secondary considera-
ton"
Mr.. Bailey's stand provoked a lively
discussion. Commissioners Detwilier
and Simpson argued loud and long for
the R~ockaway plan. They claimed that
the fact that it is cheaper by at least a
million and a half dollars than the
Others. makes it one for careful consid-
Grafton.
The Street and Water Commissioners
had very little to say. They were pres
ent more for the purpose of ascertain
sng where the Finance Commissioners
stand.
A DIVIDED BOARD.
AS It looks at present any award Will
have a hard time securing the concur
renee of the Board of NANCE. 1t IS
believed that Commissioners Detwiller
= and Simpson will hold out for the ROCK
away and Hudson C~ompany's propo-
sition. On the other hand COMMISSIONS
Bailey will never give in to a contract
where the water to be furnished is SUD-
lected to pollution either now or in the
future.
President Jones of the Board OF FL
nance seems to favor the EAST Jersey
Water Company's most recent propo-
sition, which is to include Lake Hopat-
cong as a reservoir and distributing
denot Mr.. Jones will not be inter
viewed on the question. His stand, how
ever. presents another question which
is annoving the Street and Water Com
missioners.
The East Jersey Water Company in
its formal proposition, or in any OF It's
five supplemental offers, failed to say a
word about Lake Hopatcong. Since Conn
missioners Detwiller and Simpso maze
such an earnest inquiry about Hopat-
cong's water, the company appears on
the scene with a plan, embracing Lake
Hopatcong. Street and Water commas
sioner Hooker rather favors the East
Jerseys Hopatcong proposition; put ne
fails to see how it can be le2aLy dc-
cepted, it having been presented since
the formal bids were opened. The com
LIT. n datoruninp6 fight tQ-
the contract, and has we'll known
gentlemen at work in its interests,
INITIATING BRER RABBIT.
The Jersey City Water Company is lay
ing back and allowing the merits OF It's
plan to do the talking. The fact that
the company does not gather a gallon
of river water makes it particularly de-
sirable and gives the proposition a lead
ing position over the others. The only
draw back to the plan appears to pc
the price and Several of the officials VINO
have to pass upon a contract declare
that the question of price should enter
the problem secondarily only.
The company's extensive water shed'
which is absolutely free from contamina-
tion. is another feature that recommends
itself strongly. This point was discussed
at length this morning and admitted to
be a worthy feature.
Again there is the practically inexhaus-
tible supply the plan provides. The COM
pany's plant is guaranteed to deliver
80 1000, 900 gallons daily. 1t watershed IS
capable of furnishing at least S~7,OOO.0OO
gallons daily. even in the driest season.
This fact is undisputed, and when 1T is
remembered that the water is pure
lake water it is doubly commendable. 1t
is said by some of the officials that the
company's general plan is better than
the others.
1t provides more reservoirs and conse-
quently can store more water than its
competitors. The company can store a
supply sufficient for 265 days at the rate
of $4,000. 600 gallons daily consumption. .
The officials expressed their views this
morning quite fully and they know now
where each man stands.
MAYOR WANSERsS VIEWS: :,
Mayor Wanser will be at his office all
next week and a consultation will be
held with him. The Mayor wants abso-
lutely pure water and a bountiful supply
of it. n
1t is probable that an award will be
made by the Street and Water Board one
week from next Tuesday. This comnlis-
sioners propose sending a resolution OF
award through with a unanimous vote.
The struggle. will not really begin, un.
til the award reaches the Board or
Finance.