The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-24
This paper is Democratic IN p'1nctptss
end is Independent il its vieWs Q" ~" tocd5
questions.
Population and water supply

Population and water supply
TIL census returns of this city are
still very deficient. but enough Of them
are In to reveal a most dire condition
OF affairs in respect to our population.
The wards and precincts so far COM
pleted create a practical certainty that
no increase whatever has taken place In
the city's population, while there Is
actually reason to fear that the number
of our Inhabitants may prove to be less
than when the Federal census was taken
In 1891
On the other hand. Newark. whose
hgures are practically all in, shows
total of over 2l5.00 persons
an Increase of about $4,000, ana
almost every other section of the State
that has been heard from shows growth
in greater or less degree. Even the
!. other sections of this county lave been
Increasing steadily. There is no reason
TO doubt that Hoboken. Bayonne and
all the northern towns will give larger
returns this year than ever before.
The slump in Jersey City has been
foreshadowed by "The Jersey City
News" 1t is only a few weeks since we
gave the figures of the real estate agents
respecting unoccupied dwellings, and
through our own reporters collected sig
niicant statistics of their number and
distribution. The fact is people nave
moved out by thousands since last sum
mer. Families with children have been
particularly prominent in the exodus.
They have simply 1ocked away to other
cities. thousands of them never to come
back.
There has been no influx of residents
to co-unterbalance this drain. The same
causes which rave driven people away
have prevented others from coming to
take their PLACES. The facts have been ex-
tensively published abroad and at home,
and the city is Stunned as an abiding
place by all whose circumstances enable
them to make a choice. What is worse,
too, the exodus has not stopped. And
II is not likely to stop 50 long as the
caus is operative
And what is the cause?
In our belief it is the abominable water
supply, backed up by the insane deter
mination of some of our citizens to
prevent the adoption of a better one.
We do not think the situation leaves
room for the smallest doubt. Where
all the rest of the State is advancing,
we must look for a cause operative here
alone to account for bur retrograding.
But in all respects save one, the condi-
lions here are more favorable than they
ever were before. We have true rapid
transit. We have many new improve
ments. Rents are low and property is
cheap. We look around in vain for any
element but the one calculated to dis
courage settlement.
But that one is simply deadly. Those
who saw. smell and tasted the hideous
sewage, which was furnished us under
the name of water for three months
last summer, need no other reason for
the facts that are now arrayed in Off
cial figures. 1t is true the water has
not been uncommonly bad this summe,
as yet. But the summer is young yet.
and the spring has been very rainy,
True, 1t may not reach the degree of
horror of last year, but the season will
diRer from all Of the last five If the
water does not become more or less vile
by the end Of July. Anyway, some
thousands Of our people have not wait
ed to see how 1t would turn out. They
experienced it last summer. and that
was enough for them.