The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-19
PuREST OF WATER.
Certiorari Developments
Completely Vindicate
the Jersey City
Contract.
REUBEN SIMPSONS CLEAR STORY
The Best Interests Of the City
Alone Considered-Mr.
Jones Experts.
ROCKAWAY'S BAD BLACK EYE
TOday's Testimony Shows That 1t
effered Water Fouled by
the Morris Canal.

The testimony taken before Supreme
Court Commissioner John A. Nugent
yesterd in the matter of the certiorari
of the award to the Jersey City Water
Company of the contract for a perman-
ent supply of water to this city turned
out to be peculiarly favorable to the
city officials and per contra unfavorable
to the prosecution in the suit
The Mayors testimony revealed one
thing and that was his knowledge of the
complicated water question was wide and
mis- course clear. 1t also showed that
all the city officials connected with the
signing of the resolution making and
approving of the award had been
guided by care, prudence and discretion.
The testimony yesterday of Messrs
Simpson, Harding and Patterson showed
that the deal, as alleged. was a clean
one, and there was nothing to be afraid of
in the way of disclosures and that they
had acted for the best interests of the
city in granting the contract to the Jer-
sey City Water Company.
All the morning the Mayor was sub
jected to a severe examination, or rather
cross-examination, at the experienced
hands of Messrs. Allan L. McDermott
and Frederick A. Stevens. After recess
Ex-senator VIM. D. Edwards began the
cross examination on the part of the
Jersey City Water Company. Since the
counsel opposite had treated their
own witness as one hostile, Mr.. Edwards
carefully Strengthened out the seeming
Irregularities in the testimony.
ALL FAIR AND OPEN.
stIow many bids were received for the
water contract?" asked Mr.. Edwards.
"Three."
How many hearings did you have on
the NATTER
"on, many" returned the Mayor.
"You had illustrated maps and draw
ings and figures about the several water
sheds l suppose?"
YES"
"And you listened to the views of
all parties on the matter?'
"Of course
"were these hearings public?"
'"They were
..And there were engineers present
who presented the advantages OF their
own particular plans and pointed out the
disadvantages of the other plans?' ask
ed Mr.. Edwards.
"Yes.''
"All objections heard here today were
urged at these hearings.
"Why was the note added at the bottom
of the specifications relative to the recep-
ton of supplemental bidsF asked MI
- because I wished to get all the bids
possible and give Jersey City the 4i,,s wloSse te
latitude of information respecting une
water supply" said the Mayor.
va A NEATLY PREPARED BOLT.
Mr.. Edwards then sent neatly pre-, Pre-,
I.o1+ i,,tn ha IN
S4Who made objection to the sewage OF
DoTsr and Booptpn 9 %as tRe reply
ais that the same Board of Trade now
connected with this certiorari proceed
ing?a
"pid fMs you. you.ei Mr.. Mayor, take into consid-
Grafton in the Rockaway yoSdtd ana audiGn II, iba
plant?"
Il did," ,a+ox,ors
Ba.yonn.e!. avon ne. Kearny ana Haffisons
The Mayor explained that Bayonne
and and Beais, 5aIS Kearny army had made a deal with
the East Jersey and Harrison was also
dickering to be supplied from similar
4 Strong point was scored when in re-
spo Sc to question BY. Mr.. Edwards as
to the result Of the Mayors Of he Mer
ris Canal to the Hudson ana RochaWay
bid. came, the prompt reply; I;,,4oir,,
81 found their water would 1ntern1lngle
with the water of the canal. Jersey City
would be taking water from Lake Ho-
patcong and large g PC 4orfhon no OF ne sup
hWlhere was their intake located" pllr-
sued Mr.. Edwards. .u,a, ;,
II believe.'' continued Mr. Edwards,
'that near Boonton the water Offered to
us by the Rockaway people commlngleS
Savera1 tfrues with the canal. >,
Tss saYsrasI sIsgEx f|ggss aEs fad Is aHPf oFPER
"You dropped the offer for water from
any y money aloppsto 10 back back their % Offer W
ton NJ framed and sent to the Finance
greatest creates number Of possible bidders for
a gravity supply"
II may say that the changes made in
the gss result Of # criticisms made by citizens
At this point Mr.. Frederick Stevens IN
terrupted by asking Mr.. Edwards if he
Represented pres l,a / the ae,,Ptg eitg +n. nant,a, !,
represent the Jersey City Water Com
pany. You made us party to the suit
and Yo ays naYe bee IN fh e wpon sp IS
amining instead of examining your wit
INF: Mr.. Stevens didn't expect such a
broadsfde and he promptly sat down,
and everybody in Il the Court room tit
He afterwards tried to weaken the
strong case brought out in Mr.. Edwards
cross-examipation by asking the Mayor
if he had consulted State expert reports
or made experiments or investigations rel
ative to the rainfall of the several water
sheds. with the view. of showing that
the Mayor knew nothing about water
but again he met his match.
Counsellor Charles D. Thompson, asso-
ciate counsel for the prosecutors, put a
| few questions relating to Culver's Lake
| in Sussex, and this ended the Mayors
ordeal from which he emerged with
| eclat.
AN ADMIRABLE WITNESS.
| Alderman at-Large Reuben Simpson, by
virtue of his office member of the