The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-29

of a good standard of purity-it was to
come from one of the finest rivers in
the State-and in all practical respects
the city was very well s~afeguarded by
the then specifications. While the re-
quirements of the new ones secure little
practical advantage to the city not en-
braced all the old ones, they are so very
di-sadvantageous to the contractor on one
full if any bid will be made upon them
below $50 or perhaps $50 a million gall
Ions.
On this head, we have really nothing
more to say than we said before. We
are merely confirmed in our former opin-
ion that the standard of purity is inn
practicable since it substitutes the theory
of the chemists laboratory for the facts
of nature; that the double pipe line is
an expensive and wholly unnecessary pre-
caution, and thai the demand that the
surplus water of the supply-we buying
only 10000. 900 gallons while the capacity
of the works is 5O,oOO,O 900 gallons-is a
detrimental type. All that we can de-
mand from contractors, without expect
ing to be cheated, is that they give US
the product of the northern watersheds
of the State in it's native state. w can
exact that it shall not deteriorate in
transit and we can insist that it shall
not be polluted before or during its
| storage for our use. But when we say
that it shall not exhibit more than a
| certain percentage of this or that foreign
matter, We undertake to dictate that the
leaves shall not blow into the streams
in the autumn and that the spring fresh
cts shall not wash down earth and sand.
The STANDARD of our water supply should
be the water of the Rockaway or the
Wanaque or the Ramapo or the Pequan-
mock, as the case may be, as found from
day to day in samples taken from its
natural bed, and if there is any dispute
as to whether it is delivered below that
standard, or if pollution of the stream
is suspected, then arbitration should be
resorted to. to settle the issue.
The double pipe idea is supposed to be
or stoppage in one of the pipes. The
other. it is figured, would afford a tol-
erable supply. There is only one reply
to make to this. The precaution is not
worth the expense. A mucht simpler pro-
] ceeding is to establish a connection b2-
tween our system and the Newark one,
and either city can help the other in
case of need.
The third difficulty lies in that pro-
vision which requires tina a watershed
good for 80, 900, 900 gallons a day be set
apart for our use. Storage reservoirs
adequate for a supply of that magni-
tude must be built, and the pipe line
must be capable of carrying that vol
urne of water. But all we desire to buy
at present is 20, 000,0 900 gallons a day. 1t
| VIII oC at Cco lCLi q w CSo
| 0 ,O00, 900 gallons, and half a century per-
haps before we need $4,000. 900. Mean
time, we forbid the sale or use of the
surplus 100000 over and above our
needs. It must spill over our dam and
flow idly down to the sea, while other
| cities, from Paterson TO Elizabeth, may
l. L. e. "a T., 4l;- 49, o
Is it public spirit? Is it economy?
True we should demand the first lien
on the whole $4,000, 900. We should ex.
act that it should be ours, if we demand
it. at some fixed date, say 1925. OF this
there can be no question. But how can
we expect to get any sort of reason
able offer on the terms which we now
present to bidders?
We hope the specifications will be made
attract, not to repel bids. We would not
on any account have them lax. But we
would like to see them feasible before
the call Eor bids is issued. d
GOVERNOR WERTS says the success
sor to Judge Albeit in the Supreme
| Court must be named from South Jer-
sey because the northern section of the
State is already well represented on the
bench. Let us see:-
North Jersey, with 975,oOo inhabitants
bac four IuStioac
South Jersey, with 100000 people, has
four Justices.
Do theIacres count or the souls?
Gilbert Collins should be the successor
to Judge Abbett. If we must have a
Republican, let.aus at least AVE a fine
lawyer. 81 5.isa
% a. H0BoKEN SCHOOL BOARD.
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