The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-05
This paper is Democratic in principles
and is independent IN its uiencs on all local
questions.


The Water Award a BIunder.
we have no doubt as to the good inten-
lions of the Street and Water Commis
siorers in making an award for a perman-
emit water supply to the East jersey Water
Company. There are some strong argu-
ments in favor Of the action that has been
taken. The price is not e~xtravagant. The
water offered is good. TIL plan is in es-
sential particulars the same that the East
Jersey Company fought so bitterly a year
ego. when It was offered to the city by the
Jersey City Company at about the same
price. In other words, it is the best. in a
Eeneral way, that Jersey City can possibly
get. There are some serious objections to
tneA contract in its details. These could
probably be remedied. But it is not worth
while considering them at this time, be-
cause the advantages of the plan on the
one hann, n the objections to the award
just mJde, on the other. are overwheim-
lI2 III k0ItlQdl 4cOA j =
why the contract should not be ratified,
the Internal defects are microscopic be-
side fhe huge. the unanswerable reason
based upon the present status of the dis
pute over the temporary supply.
In this dispute, a very large sum of
money is at stake. The East Jersey Water
claims tina the city already
owes IT a sum not far from s15o,o0o. 1t
also claims to be furnishing to the city
eaooo.0Oo gallons of water per diem, or
over. The contract price. under the tenn
porary arrangement is s4s per million gall
aons. Thus the company is in a position to
claim that the city is rolling up a debt
to it at the rate of $3.50 per day or sSlS,9Go
a year. This is a most unconscionable
price for an uncertain, unreliable. tenn
porary and partial supply, which costs
the company practically nothing, being
only the residue from the Newark plant,
after the needs of that city are supplied.
But even if it were cheap. it is more than
the city can afford to pay. 1t is more
thai the city has any present means of
paying, without piling up a new load of
bonded debt. Furthermore. there is no
prospect of the city being in any better
position to carry the burden than it is
now.
Mayor ffnaf ccit is understood, has
been laboring9 to lave this price Gu
down to a reasonable figure. There has
been talk of cutting it to $40 or s23 per
also, to scale down the alleged accumu-
lated liability. This, it is believed. could
be done if the matter of a permanent con-
tract were left open. But if the perma-
nent contract Is once signed, what possible
Snducement can there be to the East Jer-
sey Company to make any concessions.
The company will then hold the city
bound hand and foot, and it can and will
go ahead and exact the last dollar war
ranted by the terms of the temporary
agreement.
There is this remarkable feature about
the situation, If the permanent supply is
contracted for, that it will be to the in
terest of the company to delay the de-
livery of the supply as long as possible,
The temporary supply is worth SAB a mil
Hon gallons to it: the permanent supply
only ss5. At this rate, the ompany could
come pretty near paying $500 a day forfeit
and still make money by keeping the tenn
porary contract operative, for an indefi-
mite time. 1t is plainly not 70 the inter-
est OF the city, nor In any way reason
able, that the temporary supply should
be paid for at a higher rate than the per-
manent one. And. by the way, it is
smatter of price. that the East Jersey
is to be allowed three years in which tc
carry out It's contract, whereas nobody
before could ever get more than two
years time.
It seems. therefore. for the reasons here
stated. that the present time is a very
fnppportune one for the award made yes
terday. 1t Is to be hoped thai Mayor
Wanser and the Board of Finance will
stop II. just where it is. The Board o.
Finance should positively decline to con,