The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-02-23
Board of Finance Makes
Changes in the Water
Specifications.
50 THAT THE CITY CAN BUY
Proposals Will Be Advertised for
4 the Amendments Are Ac-
cepted by the Street and
Water Board.


is under control Both gentlemen were
prepared to dispose OF any resolutions
looking toward the speedy disposition
of the water question. AT half-past eight
O'Clock the Commissioners went into
executive session. The resolution of the
Street and Water Board authorizing the
public advertisement of the amended
specifications for q period of five days
was taken up in secret session., It met
with a determined opposition from Presi-
dent Jones and Commissioner Harden
bergh for a long time. They declared
that the specifications in one or two
instances do not meet with their ap-
proval, and they would not vote to ad-
vertise them until changes which they
deemed necessary for the proper protec-
ton of the city were made. Corporation
Counsel Blair, and City Attorney Weart
were present. After considerable discus
sion as to the valuable time being wasted
in teehnicalities truce was patched up.
The public meeting was opened at ten
O'Clock. It was soon disclosed that the
Commissioners had been discussing some
thing else, not exactly in harmony with
the Street and Water Board resolution.
1t was the following Interesting COM
munication:-
STATE BOARD RECOMMENDED.
Feb. q, 1896
To the Honorable Board Of Finance
Gentlemen,-Having learned from the
printed report of its proceedings that
the Board of Street and Water Com,
raissioners, on the 18th inst. adopted
amended specifications for new water
supply, and in case the specifications
re5eiFe the approval of His Honor the
ve1tiSed for at once, the undersigned re-
spectfully, present for your consideration
certain reasons which, in their opinion,
make it advisable that all proce edings
relative 70 said specifications should re
main in allegiance at least until the ad-
iournment CT the present session OF the
Legislature. or. until it acts upon the
State Water bill.
Without attempting any. analysis of
the specifications themselves. we re-
mark that il is a departure from safe
precedents to give out specifications for
a -,ublic work of this Importance which
lack the endorsement of any engineer
ing expert of high repute. So far as the
public IS informed the statement is made
BY the most influential engineering jour
nahin this country, that the specifications
~ Ts-ztSa-- haze been preparsd. WAlhout
proper engineering advice, and that they
free and open competition in accordance
with the fact We submit that every
safeeuard should be thrown around the
initial steps of this most important un-
dertaking, and that no eoncealment
should be practiced in regard to the au-
tfaorship of the specifications as a whole
limitations. We submit also that ex-
pert criticism from disinterested parties
cannot be obtained under general in
vitatien given by advertisement In de,
ternnining what action your board VIII
take touching the aboye-mentls NED reso-
lution. Of the Street and Water Board.
we ask that the following ons-derations
should nave due weight
The proposition for placing the water
sheds of the State under IN = organi.zed ga .5es
ing the municipalities of the State q
joint water supply at cost price is one
which meets with gene raj favor in this
city bill to carry this plan into effect
has been introduced at the present ses-
sion of the Lsgislature, and is now pend
ing In both Houses. The pr@ogrelss @ l OF tn the
the authorities OF Jersey City, by their
official action, seem to indicate their
preference for taking Independent action
with a separate corporation. No profess
sicrs TO the contrary will b. believed
while the city is engaged in the discus
It Is our conviction that if the city gov
ernment will drop the present. proceed
ing looking to a contract for q long term
oficial advocates of the State Water
Board, that measure will receive favor
able consideration from the present
au@urat.on of the State supply, means
can be formed and legislative sanction
had for obtaining satisfactory pro
next five years on equitable terms, OF
the surplus flow of the Newark aque-
auct.
JOHN NJ VOORHEES,.
CORNELIUS ZhBRISKIE,
HENRY V. 4gONDICT,
JOSEPH A. DEAR.
WILLIAM A. LEWIS,
r. c. WASHBURN,
E. w KINGSLAND,
LEONARD ]. GORDON.
SPECIFICATIONS MODIFIED.
The communication was not discussed
in open meeting. nor would any of the
members of the board express an opin-
ION upon it. President Jones and Com
missioner Hardenfbergh seemed particu-
arlv Interested in its contents. Corpor-