The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-03-26
TUESDAY, MARcH 2s, 1895.
This paper is Democratic IN principles
end is Independent IN ats rie1s on az local
questions.
The water Bids.

Will llG StISGl aitG notci oooiN StN
day present an exquisite tangle of figures
and conditions, calculated to make the
plain. ordinary citizens head dizzy.
There are so many variations of what
the companies are willing to sell, and
there is so much diversity of price to
correspond with these variations that
trying to pick out the cheapest and best,
off hand, is Ike trying to pick out the
best prize in a grab bag by unaided in
stinct. 1t viii take some expert figuring
to get at the cheapest offer. and a good
deal of painstaking consideration of
plans and specifications to find out which
is the best offer for the city.
But, however complex the problem
which the Street and Water Commission
ers must solve before making an award,
several facts stand out prominently
enough to be appreciated by anybody
and everybody. FIRST. we have real COM
petition for the first time in the history
of the water agitation in this city. Then
we have feasible plans presented, and
we have ample capital behind the bid
ders. There is an air of good faith.e a
suggestion of reality about the offers
made eyfiet. IS new 70 the city, and which
augurs well for the possibility OF at
least getting the SO much needed relief
from the horrors of the Bellevtlie fluid.
Prima fae.e. the proposal that seems
most desirable IS thai which offers a
silrpiy delivered By gravity at High Ser
vice. The annual avn upon labor,
coal. running expenses of machinery.
and interest on the cost d plenE = soIne-
thing enormous. Besides. fhs reduction
in the city's force of employees womb
be a long step towards sthe publication
of our politics. In the coming election
the real aim OF The political leaders on
both sides is not so much the puohc
good as the control of the huge patron
age of the Street and Water Beard. One
of the largest elements in this is the
force on the big pumps at the two water
stations and if the water can be brought
TO HiEl OSEfsEG 1T d hdAhi al hCdN -
fe,ent for its distribution by gravity to
the highest points in the city, it will be
an economy, not only of money. but of
morals ito pay a few dollars a million
gallons more for it than If it were only
delivered at Belleville and had to be
pumped into the pipes for distribution.
1t is a regrettable circumstance that
several concerns filed, instead of bids.
demands for extension of time. 1t Is
hard to understand why such extension
was needed. If the parties have the
water and have the money, it IS not
Easy to see why they could not have
heir plans ready. The specifications
lave In their general features been
snown TO the public for months. The
minutes details of them have been public
property for over three weeks. But even
+ the time was too short, it is odd that
.hese parties should have waited for the
ast moment to demand extension. IT
hey had made the request a week ago.
hey might well nave been granted it;
,nt it would hardly have been fair to
bidders who had lived up to the law
mi whose money was on deposit IN the
,ank to make a postponenlent at the last
moment to suit those who had been
agging in the procession.
On account of it's informality and for
ther reasons, it is hard to see how the
proposal of Hugh Reilly, either, can be
.sven serious consideration. He violates
very advertised stipulation of the COM
,etftion. His bid does not comply in
my way with the specifications, and he
makes no deposit as a guarantee of good
aith. Anyway, his idea seems to be a
Wild sort of thing. The price he sets on
lis plan, $500, 900, is as high as n OF
he formal offers-higher than some, and
ne cooljy asks the city to furnish two
birds of the capital. A scheme of this
ort cant hardly be seriously entertained.
Il Wa are to raise 100000 worth of
bonds. why should not the city go
Ihead and build a plant for itself?
II Is S1lctISly = AopSo tHce "
Yesterdays offers some tangible result
nay be- gained. At the same time. moth
ng should be done hastily Til Street
md Water Commissioners should exam
ne the offers-all the offers rigidly.
they should nave the plans passed on
" experts. They Should have the water
ssted by scientific methods. They should
,e~rsonally inspect the territory in which
he water is to. be collected and stored,
nd they should nave ar expert exami-
lation made OF it. The members of the
finance Board and the Mayor should
e associated in the deliberations. and
fabnc opinion should be sought through
he Board of Trade.
There should be no haste about this
natter and no recklessness. 1t may be
he determining event in the whole fu'
are of the city, and while enterprise
nd progress should not be checked, tbs
most caution should be exercised =