The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-04
AW ARD
The East Jersey Company
Gets the Contract for
Supplying This City
With Water.
BY A PARTY VOTE OF 3 TO 2
Democratic Members Of the
Street and Water Board
Make Bitter Pro-
tests.
REPUBLICANS DEFEND THEIR ACTION
City Has the Option to Purchase
the Plant for s6,90O,O0O-
Rates Per Million.
REPUBLICANS DEFEND THEIR ACTION

The Street and Water Commissioners
met this morning and awarded a contract
10 the East Jersey Water Company for
the furnishing of permanent supply of
water.
The bid, which was accepted this morn
ing, is the bid which is known as Port
Dram and Beach Glen bid, Plan B.
It provides for a delivery of fifty mil
lions of gallons of water brought into Jer-
sey City at head equal to 21O feet above
tide.
The water is to be supplied by gravity
with intakes above Port Oram and at
Beach Glen.
The waters are of the Upper Rockaway
River and of Green Pond Brook. includ-
ing waters of Green Pond.
The water is to be brought by one large
steel main running from Beach Glen to
Jersey City.
The works are to have a capacity of
fifty million gallons per day from the out
set, and are to be completed within three
years from the date of the contract.
There are to be two large reservoirs.
one at Long Wood and another at Beach
Glen, together having a storage capacity
of 10SO0' million gallons.
The conitract runs for twenty-five years
from its date, ana the city agrees to take
at least twenty million gallons per day
from the outset.
: The prices for the water are as follows:
i For each million gallons up to twenty
millions, s35.
For the excess from twenty to thirty
Bs5.
Eor the excess from thirty TO forty. s35.
For the excess from forty to fifty, s34.
This makes an average price of about
SS5 dollars per million gallons, which is
payable by the city quarterly.
The city has the option at the expira-
tion of five, ten or fifteen years from the
date Of the contract to buy the water sup
ply, water rights land, right Of way. ease
ments. plant storage reservoirs. con-
du.ts and all works necessary for .hc
delivery of fifty million gallons of water
daily forever for the price of $e990,oO0
upon giving to the company one years
notice of their intention to purchase.
The contract now awarded is in many
respects similar to that awarded last
year to the Jersey City Water Company.
The price for the water. however, is
about four dollars per million less and the
price for the plant is about one million
dollars less the award of last year hav-
ing been ss5e,Ooo.
The award was made by a vote of 8 to
q Messrs. Brown, Harding and Kaiser
voting for, and Messrs Hesntze and Bolt
= wood against it.
1t was about eleven O'Clock when the
Ammissioners emerged from their COM
ttee room, where they had been closeted
nearly two hours endeavoring to arrive
Ft an agreement on the water subject
commissioners Heintze and Boltwood held
pat for a postponement of action, insist
hg that 1t would be more advisable to
act after the Passa5c. Pollution Commits
son appointed by Governor Griggs had re-
ported
The Republican members declared that
they wanted to get the water problem out
Of the way at once, and intended making
an award with or without opposition from
the Democratic members.
go ahead" answered Commissioner
Heintze, I'VE are against you and it is
foolish to waste any more time trying to
WIN US over
Commissioner Kaiser, red in the face and
somewhat excited led the procession up
stairs. President Brown was behind him.
and Commissioner Harding, sandwiched
between Messrs. Heintze and Boltwood.
came after.
As soon as the meeting had been called
to order Clerk Bouton read the following
report from the Committee of the Whole:
Your Committee of the Whole to whom
was referred in August, 1896, the several
propositions for a supply of water and the
communications received that day on the
same subject, respectfully report that
they have carefully and deliberately ex-
amined and compared and considered the
same and they find that the proposals
were made after due and lawful adver-
tisement in the Official newspapers of the
city, and that the East Jersey Water
Company is responsible bidder. and
that the proposition of said company en-
titled Port Dram and Beach Glen bid on
Plan b. with one fifty million gallon
pipe, is in due form and contains the
Terms most advantageous to the city OF
Ill the propositions offered, and they are
Of the opinion that said proposition ought
to be accepted and the contract awarded
to said bidder. and therefore submit the
following preamble and resolution for
adoption
Whereas, This Board did duly adyer-
tise in the official newspapers of the city
for bids to be received on August a. on
which day propositions were accordingly
publicly presented received and opened
according to law. and the East Jersey
Water Company. Responsible bidder,
offered in due form the terms most advan-
taeeous to fhe city