The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-30
TUESDAY. APRIL 80, 1895.
This paper IS Democratic IN principles
and is Independent in ats uie0s D" ." 'oeas
questions



Notwithstanding the qualifications sur
rounding it, the action of the Street ana
water Board upon the water bids is a
fist;nct. fory ard step. We have got fur
Their than ever towards the solution o.
the problem of a supply. We nave
brushed away a mass of distractions.
we stand on precise and definite ground
and we have shown that we are unmis-
takably ia earnest in our dealings with
projectors OF water enterprises. We lave
good hopes that the Board of Finance
viii approve the award made oy tne
Street and Water Board; but even II II
saoes not. we consider that the latter
body has done its duty, and has done the
public a high service in advancing tne
matter towards a conclusion.
The Board Of Finance will certainly moi
act hastily upon the award. 1t is not In
the temper of4tkat body to behave pre-
c~lpitasely. and at any rate the appeal
OF the Street and water Commissioners
for further Investigation would make 1t
impossible for the concurrent body 10 act
without compliance. TIL Financlers
SHOULD and no doubt will act carefully
and deliberately If there is found any
overwhelming reason against the award.
presumably they will not ratify it; but
II ii Is shown that 1t offers the city a suf-
flcient supply Of pure water at any sort
Of a fair price. they should unhesitating-
~ oeaflxm the contract and urge the ex-
ecutiou of the work as rapidly as pos
sibie.
And just here IL should be remembered
that the Jersey City Company has been
generally understood TO offer certain sup
Elementary advantages to the city over
and above the terms of It's formal BID.
The Street and water Board has not seea
It's way to making these conditions Of
the award We believe the Finance Board
can insist upon them being included IN
..rch .....-syxn sfnany araftea, either
81 b6auses % the city or by some other
legal device. The city houid not let any
thing get away which the contractors are
wiling to econcede, and the formal bid il.
accordance with the specifications being
fairly satisfactory. there car be no law
to prevent the contractors from giving or
the city from accepting additional beue-
ifts. nor to hinder the parties from agree
ing to include these additional benefits
fn the terms of the contract as finally
signed, sealed and delivered.
- -------4-~------
WHILE proceeding with proper delib-
GRAFTON. it is to be hoped the Finance
Board will indulge in no unnecessary
aefay. Already the water has shown signs
OF returning to IT'S last summer condition.
Last week. 1t was full of the old brown
mud, the old disgusting shreds of decay
ing crgxnic matter. The old characters
ne smell noated over it. too; it never lost
the siekening taste ven in the depth
Of winter. though, of course, It was not
as pronounced in the icy water of Janu-
airy as In the tepid fluid of July.
It Is true, the Jersey City Water Conn
PAM may not be able to afford us any
relief this summer: but it will be some
consolation to know that relief IS near
At hand. even when the water is at its
worst.
The action of the people in the last
election may fairly be taken as an en-
dorsement of the current efforts to pro-
cure q water supply Indeed, it can have
no other meaning, considering the prom.-
hence that was given to the water ques-
ton as an issue. If the present oppor-
tunities are wasted and a return of last
summers drought should come upon US,
the psopIe would rise up in their might
against the city officials, and somebody
would be very badly hurt.
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