The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-15
DAMNED By HOOS
The Mayor Vetoes the Speci-
fications for a New
Supply of Water.
BOMBSHELL FOR THE BOARDS
Communication Read at This
Afternoons Meeting Of the
Street and Water Com
missioners.
GROUNDS OF BIS OBJECTIONS
The. Thirty-Fiye Million Gallon
Plan Pronounced absolutely
Worthless" = Plan G
Pumped Dry.
PLAN A ALONE APPROVED
Criticisms of the option TO Pur-
chase and of the city's Power
PLAN A ALONE APPROVED
Criticisms of the option TO Pur-
chase and of the Cfty's Power
10 Cornplete-Many Pin
Hole Flaws Besides.

Mayor Edward Hoos, this afternoon,
vetoed the water specifications on the
general ground that the city was not
properly protected. He complains that
one Of the propositions in the specifica-
| tions, that pertaining to Plan B, which
provides for a daily supply of 35,00o,o 600
gallons, delivered by gravity at Belleville,
is absolutely worthless. His Honor also
criticizes that part of the specifications
which says that the city shall complete
the work in the event of the contractors
points in the specifications are gone
through and many smaller matters are
objected to. The veto was read at this
afternoons meeting of the Board. In
full, it is as follows
Herewith I return without my approval,
your resolution adopting specifications for
a new water supply for Jersey City, hav-
ing reached the conclusion that they
should be amended in several particulars.
There are three separate schemes upon
which proposals are asked for as fol-
lows
1. The supply of fifty million gallons per
day at an elevation of two hundred and
ten feet.
II. The supply of thirty-five million gall
Ions per day at the same elevation.
III The supply of seventy million gal
Ions per day at an elevation of one hun
dred and twenty-seven feet
Tbaco cobarnaS arc resnaptivp1v called
Plans "A,'' sB,'' and &C. 1 think the
city should advertise for what it wants.
Plan "4A' does this, and recommend that
the other plans be stricken from the speci-
fications.
Plan .'B' seems absolutely worthless. It
is proposed to construct a plant to de-
liver thirty-five million gallons per day, at
maximum capacity, and give the city the
right to order additions to the plant to
increase its capacity to seventy millions.
The city will not need seventy million
gallons per diem during the term for
which the contract is to be made, but it
is fairly certain that it will need more
than thirty-five million gallons per day in
about ten years. Under plans "A' and
"B," whenever the need of the city ex-
ceeds thirty-five million gallons per day,
enty million capacity The right to pur-
chase the plant from which water is ac-
cepted can be exercised by vote of the
people, and / think we may assume in this
undertaking that if the water is satisfac-
tory and the plant proper one, the peo-
pie will, within a few years, desire to
purchase the plant. Jersey City should
own it's water works, but it will not be de-
aittxr. .f.-f,
gallon plant or one having capacity of
seventy million gallons. I could not ap-
prove of contract providing that the
city should have, at the completion of the
first conduit supply of only thirty-five
million gallons. Plan tC'' provides for
the delivery of water at an elevation that
would require the maintenance Of
pumping station, and this should under.
every circumstances, be avoided. Under
Plan SAP the city will be wholly supplied
with water without the expense of pump
ing, and therefore recommend that bids
be received for only this plan.
The paragraph reading: Bidders under
Plan IA must also state price for
which the city can buy and own the water
works, water supply, water rights, lands,
right of way and all appurtenances and
easements necessary to fulnll the require
ments OF this specification to the extent
of fifty million gallons of water daily; said
purchase to take effect on completion and
acceptance of the works if the city shall
give notice of dts intention to purchase
within one year after date OF contract"
should be stricken from the specifications.
1t should not be within the pow
er of the city to give no.
tice of an intention to purchase
works that have not been tested. The
city, under this paragraph, is to give mo-
tice of intention to purchase within
year after the date of the contract, that
is, when the works are about half con-
structed, and eighteen months before the
first gallon of water is to be delivered 1t
is said that the city would never give this
notice We have only an additional reason
for striking out the provision Where
the exercise Of a power cannot work bene-
I ut to the public. the power should be
withheld.
Under the heading Time to Complete
it is provided that the contractor shall