The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-19

engineer for the city it will be well, not
only for the officials who employ him,
but also for the public to know just who
and what he is. and where his Affiliations
lie. Fortunately we a a large volume
OF information regarding him out of his
own mouth. He put himself on record
during the hearings in the matter of the
Jersey City Water Company certiorari. He
figured as a witness for the East Jersey
crank Continuation, and he testified to
having been employed some years ago by
the Lehigh Valley Railroad to get NJ the
plans and estimates under which East Jer-
sey has recently been dickering with jar
sey City.
When he was called for direct examin-
ation. he was described as a witness for
Mr.. van Reipen. one of the prosecutors
of the writ associated with Frank O..
Cole and the so-called Citizens move
ment. Under cross examination by Mr..
vredenburgh. Mr.. Croes gave this ac-
count of his engagement, which we quote
verbatim from the printed book of the
tsstipony:-
o.jWho was the Individual, Mr.. Croes
ws.o employed you to come here as a VII
4. Mr.. Ward.
Q From your intercourse with Mr.
ware hep vour nardon: that is to
say the verbal communications were made
by Mr.. Ward but the engagement was
by a letter from the Citizens Committee
n Board of Trade.
At another point in his examination Mr.
Cfoes testified that all the consideration
which Ne had given to the Jersey City
Company's plans and bids. IN which he
gave dosmatically hostile testimony had
consumed only half an hour. Here is the
&sstimeny-
BY Nj. yredenburgh:-
a. Mr.. Croes, where did you first see
the pla tbs e las dhe BID der fhs a el.s D Maf BID? com
A. The day / was examined. :
@. How long before you were examined
we're they brought to you?
A.. I think 1t was a very short time.
c. Half an hour?
A. Possibly.
@. You had never seen them before. had
you?
& fave a9 you ever seen them since until
'o (. sNo.
Inc~onnection with this choice bit of ex-
pert testimony the following, which came
hot foot upon it will be of INTEREST,"
BY Mr.. v-redenburgh:-
q You said you were employed from
1857 to 1888. as I understand you. by the
Lehish Valley?
G. And It was to supply Newark and
Jersey City with water by the Morris
conal. am I correct in that?
a. 1t was to supply Newark and jersey
City with water which the Lehigh Valley
did not necessarily involve the supplying
Of water by the Norris Canal;
&. Did It involve the abandonment OF
the canal as a canal for the navigation o.
yessels2
a. Oh. a number of different PROPOSE
tions were considered.
q. Was that one of them?
a. Among them, so far as I recollect
the abandonment of the Morris Canal was
considered.
Jersey citizens will not need to be told
that Lehigh Valley and East Jersey wer'
Synonymous in 1883, and that Morris
Canal water is the water which East Jer
sey has recently been offering and is a
present likely to offer. if afforded an op
portunity, to Jersey City.
We understand that the kind of a birt
the city ofiicials went to New York IL
search of was a real nice impartial. dis
interested water expert. We wonder i
they really think they have foundh him ii
the person of Mr.. ]. James R. Croes, Sc
1ected oracle of Lebbe B. Ward and Co
and e~x-enploye of the Lehigh Vale
Railroad. -