The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-09-14
FAVOR THE CONTRACTS
Henry Lembeek, A. ]. Post and
Other Property Owners
Ask the Mayor to
Sign.

Mayor Wanser was at his Office bright
and early this morning prepared to hear
property owners and others give express
sion to their views ON the water ques-
ton. The first gentleman to arrive was
Morris Washburn. of Greenville. He has
all along been opposed to permanent
supply. as well as a temporary supply.
Just why heels opposed is a little mys-
terry of his own that he don't want any
assistance in unraveling. Mr.. Washburn
is large property owner in Greenville.
and what is troubling him now is that
his houses are. with a few exceptions.
unoecupied. He and the other Grenville
property owners differ as to why ITO
Let" signs adorn so many houses.
Mr.. Washburn seated himself in the
Mayors private office and waited. Mr..
Henry Lembeck was the next arrival.
He was followed by Principal Drake of
brakes Business College. John Kenny,
property owner from north of the
Erie Railroad tracks, City Attorney
Weart, Fire Commissioner Cone and Will
liam C. Hotchkiss of Greenville.
Mr.. Lembeck opened the discussion
.I wish 1 would have been here yes
terday," he began. "As it is, have
come from Pike county, Penn, to have
something to say on this subject. |
wish to say that I think our city is be-
coming depopulated by reason of the
filthy water we are compelled to use"
MR.. WAsHBURN RECOMMENDS
WELLS
'sWhy don't you dig or drive wells as
I do?. interrupted Morris Washburn.
'sOh, damn wells retorted Mr.. Lem
beck. .sYou have wells, of course, and
another thing you have is closets not
twenty feet from them. If you think
that is healthy, all right. I will adj
nit that the water even under such
circumstances is purer than Passaie.
81 met Mr.. A. J. Post. a property owner
of this city. in Pike county. and he in
forms me that an engineer named White
told him that the Jersey City Water Com
pany will give us a new Bipe line across
the Hackensack Meadows. That is an
offer Jersey City cannot overlook. 1t
would be foolhardy to do it. If we can
get a temporary supply in six months.
let US have it"
Mr.. Lembeck at this point stopped and
asked Mr.. Kenny to express his views.
1--WE should have clean. pure water. no
matter what it costs.'' Mr.. Kenny began
| .sWhy do cranks and people who are in
you and ask you to countenance a plan.
that merely removes our mistake from
one cesspool to another. 1t is the poor
people who have to suffer. We cannot.
like the cranks who were here yester-
day. go to Saratoga and other places and
buy pure water We have to stay here
and drink the filthy Passaic. We don't
want water from any river or stream that
is subject to pollution. Why, even our
poor people are being driven out OF the
city. If water is going to cost us lit
tie more each year let us pay it, but
have the water at any cost. am oD-
posed to having the city buy sewer water.
From what I have read I believe the Jer-
sey City Water Company's bid is an ex-
cellent one. and 1 want to see you. Mr..
Mayor, sign the contract awarded them
at once"
/ GOOD enough" interrupted Mr.. Lem
beck.
SHOULD HAVE WATER AT ONCE.
81 came here from the mountains
continued Mr.. Lembeck, because. I learn
ed that our perpetual cranks are at work
trying to stop us from getting pure
water again. What interest can those
men have in the city? l am one of the
largest taxpayers in this city. have
studied this question carefully and
want water, and / believe the contract
of the Jersey City Water Company
should be taken before the moneyed
men behind it change their minds.
1--WE have for fifteen years been try
ing to get water. When the agitation
began the city was not in condition
to buy water. 1t is now and we should
act Mr.. Mayor, you should sign both
these awards. Delay is dangerous. Our
property is growing less in value and is
wasting away. Our city is losing $1,000
600 every year in improvements by not
procuring new water. I have stopped
building altogether, and 1 will until we
have new water
"I have built forty-two houses in the
past three years. but am through now.
People come to me and say they would
build in our city They seem to like the.
location. but the first question they ask
is, What water have your When l
say Passaic, all ideas of investing here
are Immediately abandoned Why don't
our cranlss take such things as this into
consideration? I have friends in New
York who would like to come here and
build. but so long as Passaic is dished
up they will remain away. have in
spected the lakes and streams from
which the Jersey City Company pre-
poses taking its water, and no plrer can
be found. 1t is fine mountainous wa
tershed.
DELAY INJURING PROPERTY.
ssDeferring action is injuring our city
more than people imagine. Large prop-1
erty owners can see and feel the dam
age. Such water as we are compelled
to use is injurious to health. What as