The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-31
HOB0KBN AND WATER
Senator Daily Argues for
an Independent Supply
for the City.
HAcKEEsAcK cOMPANY's OFFER
Citizens Petition the Board to
Advertise for More Bids
Nothing Accomplished.

last night for the purpose of hearing what
Senator DAILY and others had to say com
corning a new water supply for the city.
The present contract with the Hacken-.
sack Water Company expires within a
years time, and the company has offered
to make another contract for a term of
twenty-five years with the same terms as
the unexpired contract and with a reduc-
ton of $4,000 per year. The proposition
has been before the Water Board for a
month, and although the Board is by no
means satisfied with the offer it has not
as yet advertised for other bids.
Some time ego a petition was circulated
through Hoboken and it received the sig
natures OF several hundred property own
ers and citizens. This petition advocated
an Independent water supply for Hoboken.
Captain August Bewig was one of the
chief workers in this movement. The PEE
tition was presented to the Board and no
acfion was taken on 1t. Since the time
the proposition of the Hackensack Water
Company has been received and the COM
PAM has had several hearings before the
Board. At one of these meetings Mr.. Be
wig appeared and advised that the Board.
advertise for other bids. Mr.. Bewig was
present again last night and said that he
was not in favor of any particular COM
pany getting the contract, nor was he
personally against the Hackensack Water
Company. AT the same time, however,
he said that there were people who would
do better for the city tina the Hacken-
sack Water Company had offered. He said
he believed every effort should be made
10 get the best water at the cheapest rates.
Mr.. Daily addressed the Board, and
during his remarks said.-"Hoboken is
classified as a city of the second-cIass.
but in all respects she is a city of the
frst-cIass. except in the method of a
water supply. The most humiliatfng
fact to the discredit of the city is that
it is still the nursing of a private cor
poration in one of the most important
of its daily necessities: its water sup
ply
w have now reached a parting of
the ways when it must be determined
whether we shall become permanently
Independent of all water m~onopolies. or
whether we shall for all future time be-
come the slave of private corporations. |
The city is now a collecting agent for
a foreign corporation, and is charged
= LlC QQLJ VI gathering lHID the
treasury of that corporation the chief
sources of its profit. 1t is a foreign
corporation because its largest stock
holders are non-residents, and have such
political influence as to menace our fu-
ture welfare.
Careful deliberation and wise action
are now demanded of our Water Com
missioners. They ave been petitioned
by representative taxpayers from every
ward in our city to lake steps in the
direction of obtaining an independent
water supply.
They have gained a small concession
by getting an offer of a larger commits
sion as it's collecting agent, but have
not taken a step towards securing an
independent system of water supply. The
company proposes to give us a portion
OF its water as one of it's more han
twenty customers, on the following plan:
Al the termination of its present con-
tract two years hence. the city will be
receiving 5000, 900 gallons daily. The cost
10 the consumers will not be reduced
and will be about Sl60, 900 per annum.
me city will receive a commission of
1870 and viii start into the new arrange
ment with a net payment to the water
company of S136. 600 per annum, or about
~ per million gallons.
|ONAO0 AhPt-O III WatGI. dttOiAttE
70 cur past experience, will increase
loogo in twelve years. or we may say in
fifteen years. when it win have reached
its maximum of 10000. eco gallons per
day. and the present city limits will be |
practically filed with inhabitants. The
average consumption of the city during |
5000 000 gallons pereday, which at ST. per |
million will be $6l6 per day or $224. 740
per annum- This is the equivalent of AZ |
on a bonded debt of $500, 600, or nearly |
as much as Newark is paying for So |
Geo. 900 gallons per day. Long before the
Termination of the contract we shall be
gallons per day the sun of $3.50. 600 per
annum or 40 on a bonded debt of $1,000 |
o00. | say bonded debt for the water
company will lave bound the city to
amount equal to the interest on more |
than 5000. 600. and what difference does
capitalists who hold our bonds or to-
throat2,
Mr.. DAILY went on to say that the rapid
absorption of all available water sheds
will before the termination of the twenty |
hye-year contract have deprived the city
of any chance of securing an independent
supply of its own.
"1n view Of this future outlook, said
Mr.: Dolly, how can the city continue to
daily for weeks with a single applicant
for its patronage. when many are in the
field ready TO enter into a competition to-
furnish the city with its water supply?
The Hackensack Water Company need |
not be deprived of your tender considera- |
ton, for that company certainly has the
most favored position Yet the company |
enjoys in common with others the same |
chance for giving to the city what our |
present and future welfare imperatively |
demands-an Independent system of water |
supply. These deals and chickering's with
one party only on such a momentous
question invite and will receive from our
citizens severe criticism
After Mr.. DAILY had finished his remarks
Commissions Dynan asked him If the
people he represented had given hdm any
figures for which they would furnish wa |
ter to the city Mr.. DAILY that
ne could not make any offer. He believed
that an independent supply could be es-
t~ablished, to cost about S2,O00,0 900.
Commissioner Onerman declared that !
the duty of the Board was to inquire into |