The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-15

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VIZ. Corbin's Reply 40 mr.. vermeule
The organ of THE East Jersey Water
Company printed yesterday a carefully
prepared statement by the company's
counsel, Mr.. W. H. Corbin, in reply to
Mr.. c. c. yerTneule's report to the East
Jersey Water Company on the capacity
Of the present Pequannock works. Mr..
Cerbin is one Of the ablest lawyers in the
ktsse, and it is not strange that he should
be able TO oppose an ingenious argument
to Mr.. vermeule's deductions. But a
careful study will show tina where Mr..
Corb;n advances facts. they are of Sec
ondary Importance. Where he deals with
the vital questions. he furnishes mainly
generalities and promises.
When he quotes figures for the flow of
the Pequannock from 1877 to 1893, he sim
ply proves a fact which Mr.. yermeule
comedies, the fact that there is ample
waseF in the Pequannock water shed.
But nc goes on to say that Beginning
with the East Jersey Water Company's
reservoirs full. containing 100 days sup
ply at $4,000, 600 gallons per day, danger
Of any deficiency during the temporary
contract would seem to be very remote
This is SIMPLY begging the whole ques-
ten. which is one of storage capacity.
Whether the reservoirs started full or
not, it has been shown THAT they have
been practically emptied more than once
by. Newark's demands. The computa-
tons by w4deh Mr.. vermeu.e finds that
they would frequently be exhausted by
a draft of 80 million gallons a day are no,
affected even In the most remote way by
Mr.. Corbin's figures.
Mr.. Corbin opens by calling it an "un-
founded assumption" thai the East Jer-
ssy Water Company shas admitted its
inability to fulfill its contract" OH
This is %unfounded, Is it? Then what
does Mr.. ccrbin mean by the following
sentences with which he concludes MS
reply
Wat the East Jersey Water Company
From z, Eew TN lyme y to supply
Of P~xquann0ck water.
= From June Is TO November / to sup
Ply From 5000, 900 to 1000, 900 gallons per
8 After November 1 to supply all that
Jersey City may desire.
Has Mr.. Corbin forgotten the terms Of
the East Jersey contract with Jersey
CITY, or rather of the proposals on which
It was awarded. and which, it is admit
ted, form part Of it in the eye of the law?
Grratar New York Water supply.
The Engineering News" bearing date
of Thursday last, has a highly interest
ing discussion of the water supply prob
lem of the Greater New York. New York
Is nov using about 1870, 900, 900 gallons of
water per diem. or about 100 gallons for
each. inhabitant. The writer of the ar
ticse estimates that the Greater New
York and its New Jersey neighbor will
have 100000 Of population by 1920. and,
at the same rate of consumption viii
require eco, o0o,oO gallons of water per
dag.
The main city has considerable leeway
in the so-ca..ed croton supply. The case
of Brooklyn is of immediate urgency.
Newark and Jersey City, it is estimated,
VIII be reaching out beyond 5000, 600 gal
Ions apiece in 1920. The use of I, the
Ranapo or Housaton.c for Brooklyn's
supply is exhaustively discussed. and 1t
is pointed out that there are grave legal
and moral difficulties in the way of inn
pounding the waters Of either D IL
view of the fact that other States. into
which they dow. New Jersey and Con-
necticut, have legal and moral rights in
their waters, and urgent need for the
same to. supply their growing cities.
h News. after showing how much
and how little there is in all the maxi
shift schemes, reaches out for. a broad
and efficient solution Of the problem. Ii
& the upper Delaware and the
head waters of the Hudson as the ulti-
mate sources Of the Greater New York's
supply, and it points out that in either
case, many smaller cities would co.
operate in the great work of constructing
an ~aQueduct, in order to share its bene-
fits. From either source, more particu-
1arIy from the Delware. a supply Of
1000, 100000 a day might be derived. The
writer does not venture to figure out
TIL cost.
IN the course Of the article. the sig
niacant remark is made that $50 per
million gallons is not an excessive price
for water. This statement is commended
TO the attention Of the gentlemen. who
have been criticising the Jersey City
Company's late bid. The maximum price
asked BY that mpa was sss.75 per
million gallons, and it tapered down to
$as.
THE establishment Of gag law has not
progressed quite as far at Trenton as at
Albany under the rule of the Party of
Moral Ideas. But with the present way
of running things IN both Senate and As
sernbly. there are good prospects Of get
ting here
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