The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-02
mittea to the Mayor provided three plans

gallons (50000,000) daily capacity. luz
High Service, 210 feet above tide water
Plan provided for plant from which
the city would have the right TO draw
seventy oS million gallons nfsef pf we're wa't to
have thirty-fve (35) million gallons ca
pacity, with a single pipe line; the water water
to be delivered at the High service nutllpt
above tide water. When the city ap-
preached the limit of supply provided at
the outset, a second pipe was to pc lala
and the capacity OF the works increased
to seventy (7O) million gallons daily, one
half of which, the last thirty-hve mlllloh
gallons, would then be delivered at the
127 feet.
Inasmuch as the. city is required, to to
pump only four "a or FIVE 90 million
gallons at High ssFy9e Ser mo1 aaly gaons ana as
this plan would be delivered at head
sufficient to do away with pumping vlz.
ond thirty-five million gallons would be
delivered at a head sufficient to serve
all other parts Of the city without pump
ing wiz: l27 feet above tide). it will be
readily seen that this plan is as bene-
fetal to the city in the matter OF do,
ing away with pumping as Plan A, ana
in addition guards the city against the
possible necessity. of again going to the
water syndicates for additional water and
water rights in the near future.
In addition, this plan, guaranteed
gallons daily instead of fifty (5O millions
as Plan A provided, but in such way that
the city would enjoy the benefits OF
supply of thirty-five million gallons daily,
and when its needs increase and finan-
cial condition warrants, it would be IN a
position to command a supply and plant
of a capacity of seventy million gallons
daily.
Plan C provided for plant from which
the city would have the right to draw
seventy million gallons daily; the works
Ia brttl frcf xryirh h ono nj
five (35) million gallons daily capacity, to
be increased whenever required by the
city, by building second pipe OF an ad-
ditional thirty-tive million. gallons daily
capacity; all the water to be delivered TO
the High Service Reservoirs, but not at
an elevation sufficient to do away with
pumping. The intention being to con-
tinue pumping the small quantity used IN
that district as at present.
His Honor's objections to these plans
seem to be aimed first, at any plan which
does not deliver the whole supply, with
out pumping, at High Service, notwith-
standing that the city does not use more
than one-ffth of its supply at that ele-
vation; secondly, at any plan which per-
mits of the exercise of great economy by
building works at first just sufficient Tor
the citys needs, such works to be after
wards increased when the city shall be in
a better financial condition. That IS, ne
condemns Plan B, which gives all the
advantage of High Service delivery and
the economy of gradual construction OF
the works as absolutely worthless"
PRESENT CONDITIONS = EVIL OF
LIMITING BIDDING TO PLAN (A).
Let US look a moment at the conditions
which now prevail as to source of sup
ply. 1t is well known that under de-
cision of the Supreme Court the city has
no power to condemn or take any waters
which are tributary to the Morris Canal.
The East Jersey Water Company which
controls the Morris, therefore has an abb
solute monopoly of the Rockaway River
above Boonton, the only source which lies
entirely within the State of New Jersey,
and which is high enough to be economic
ally delivered to the city at High Service.
ply just below Boonton, but the disposal
of the sewerage of that city and the
towns above it would be serious prob
lem for the contractors, and ultimately
for the city. If his Honor's recommends
ton to confne the bidding entirely to
Plan A IS adopted the result will LBS, be to to
this water company. Plan Il which he
condemns, gives some opportunity to de-
velop the other sources Of supply, and
plan c, which delivers all at Low Ser
vice, gives still greater latitude, and
allows other sources to come into COM
petition in the bidding, The fact that
Plan was included in the specifications,
which plan is extremely favorable to the
East Jersey Water Company, seems to in
dicate that it was intended to give the
city the advantage of bids from that COM
pany, and give the company an oportunity
to make its best offer, but the two other
plans prevented any monopoly of the bid
ding.
To justify his position in attempting to
limit the bidding to Plan A, His Honor
makes great bug-bear of High Ser
vice pumping. The cost of pumping water
to High Service, with good modern ma
chinery and careful administration, need
not exceed S12 600 yearly for many years
to come and this represents the interest
at go on only 1000; whereas, the open
ing of competition to bidders less favored
than our leading water company might
save the city ten times that amount
Tat lJc seq
what Mr.. Croes testified to under oath. in
1896, when he was a witness on the same
side as the East Jersey Water Company,
in the certiorari proceedings. We find his
testimony on page Gil of the printed case:
%. What would you say with regard
to the requirement that all the water
feet above mean high tide? A. I should
consider it inexpedient. @. Why? A. For
the reason that the delivery of water at
2l0 feet above tide in Jersey City by
gravity would exclude from consideration
and from the possibility of furnishing a
supply, several sources of supply, which
might be offered; and moreover, that it
involved very great and apparently un-
necessary expenditure in the construction
of the works, etc, etc. 1t would largely
His Honor also claims that a supply
of thirty-five (35) million gallons daily for
the city is entirely inadequate. Last year
we used twenty-six million gallons daily.
Since then we have lost Bayonne, using
two million gallons daily, which should
reduce the consumption to "a million gall
Ions daily.
1t has many times been urged that the
city should reduce consumption by the
use of meters, and the prevention of
waste and thereby effect the great econ
omy in expenditures so necessary to the
city, in order that the water department
may be made Self-Sustaining This step
has been urged by practically everyone
who has studied the question. Mr.. Rafter
III his criticisms of the specificatio last
year claimed that the consumption could
one-half the proposed supply Mr.. Croes
testified under oath in the certiorari pro-
ceedings, page 621, that to call for fifty
millions daily was to increase the price
to be offered by any bidder, because it
would Involve the immediate expendi-
city would not derive any benefit from
for a number of years"
His Honor is continually urging econ
omy in all branches of the city govern
ment, yet, as already stated, he condemns
Plan 3, which gives the opportunity for
exercising enormous economies, as abso-
OPTION TO BUY PLANT.
He further objects to giving the CITY the
option to buy the works as soon as they
are completed, urging they should first be
tested. 1t is clear that the inspection
clause Of the specifications provides fully
for inspection of the orks and their test
Honor himself quotes the opinion of Mr..
Croes that the specifications are all that
can be desired in their provisions for the
character of material and work
manship and other engineering fea-
lures. The most ordinary informa-
sufficient to satisfy one that the express
c;o1 Of infnution f0 Dl1rrha SO 1aac- ,, ~