The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-28

to SECURE an expression Of opinion from
| You on the points as stated below and also
any further information which you may
De inclined to favor me with: Trusting
| you VIII pardon the liberty / take and
thanking you in advance for your trouble,
MyRoM j. FURsT.
lst Do you think that the bid of the
East Jersey Company conforms to the spe-
| cificationS?
| I'd. If the contract should be awarded
TO the East Jersey Company and the Rock
| away and Hudson or anyone else should
apply for a certiorari, would decision be
/ next?
Sd. In the event of a certiorari being
granted, could not the East Jersey Conn
| pany delay action on appeal for three
| years, thus leaving Jersey City without
| power to DO anything whatever pending
| the appeal?
4th. Do you believe that a certiorari
would be granted on the around that the
East Jersey Company's bid does not con-
form to the specifications?
| 9th. General? S
Then Mr.; Furst read this reply from Mr..
My only knowledge of the compliance
or the proposal of the East Jersey Water
Company with the advertised Specifica-
tions IS from hear say. I am informed
through more than one pipe, and that
| the accepted proposal is for supply
through a single pipe, also, that all
competitive proposals were for supply
| specifications are not susceptible OF a
construction which justifies the accept
ance of a proposal to supply with one
pipe, am Informed by a capable gentle
man who has studied those proposals as
an expert in such matters If his con-
clusion is correct, the Courts would un-
doubtediy set aside any contract made
under the adopted resolutions.
IL the SuDrem0 Court sffOIl16 spt tho
award aside, the water company could,
Wltnn three years after the entry of
judgment sue out a writ of error to re-
view that decision, and if the company
should declare its intention of having the
case reviewed, that attitude would, of
course, make others hesitate to submit
proposals. 1t seems, therefore, clear that,
before any contract is made, all steps
taken and to be taken should be sub
mitted, for opinion on their legality, to
The great trouble in this matter is that
our city is hedged by legislation intended
TO prevent 1t from doing what is to the
best interest of the town. If we had
the power to construct our own water
works, the bare existence of that power
Wouid enaDle US to save very large
amount, and this is probably the only
State in the Union in which a Legisla-
ture would dare refuse the granting of
that power. There is, with those who
nave studied the question, a belief that
liio i y d,eI " the HasSalc River can be
clarified and purified by filtration, if the
river Is protected by legislation; but I
nave almost lost hope that such legisla-
ton is obtainable. We have probably to
city government should be advised by
those learned in such matters, in order
that we may, if a contract is made. se-
cure a permanent supply of pure water,
from source not subject to pollution
Every question involved, sanitary, finan-
clai and legal; should be submitted to
unbiased experts. The members of the
Board OF Street and Water Commission
ers and of the Board of Finance and the
Mayor are wholly or nearly wholly in
capable OF passing on this question in
the light Of their individual knowledge
They have but a smattering of infor-
nation, and have neither the experience
or knoWledge necessary to independent
5uagnent: The testimony taken in the
Court showed that the city officials who
awarded tehad no knowledge that would
De considered even an, excuse for form
lng an oplnlo1 n a matter involving an
expenditure OF $1,000 600. I do not saw
this disparagingly of their capacity to
manage ordinary municipal affairs: but
lhelr yocations are not such as lead
rnein naela 20 =. aequlre the technical knowledge
necessary to proper action In the matter
OF obtaining a permanent water supnlv
Ihis knowledge can be EFFECTIVELY bro1Igif
70 pear only by obtaining the views Of
those who are disinteresteds experts, NOT
intent on having a contract made. ana
any contract made should be entered into
under the guidance of such men.
Is 81 Mr.. McDermott sincere in what he
says SyS suspicIously asked Mr.. Dear
On, that's like YOU, Brother Dearn said
MT. Cole. You don't like your sincerity
questioned, but you question Mr.. AIcDar.
motifs. Cloud laughter =
sona MT r!. Fursf closed, saving that the rea-
sonS gwen IN the letter were sufficient for
hlm, and he was not going to hug the Elast
Jersey Water Company simply becaI1se
Messrs. Dear and Condict were enga.ged in
that occupation. -
third member Of the sstrilogy." began IL
cfiticIze Mr. Harrisons criticism. DuIver-
lze Mr.. Rafter and laud and magnify the
f,ss 5ast Jersey Water Company. His first
duty was not successful and his second
douDtrui,' but he was admirable in the last
task Mr.. Cone is very competent en-
g.neer himself. and by no means a sIouch
In water matters. But he had a hier tasL
in front of him to complete what he i'm
dertook in the ten minutes allotted each
speaker. He defended the specifications
oI 81 the city and ridieuled the assertion that
they Were vague. The charges in the ma
Jority report, he said, were broad and
sweeping deductions. 1t was not custom-
ary, ne said, to put in "details until lust
prior to the signing of the contract.
Mr.. Cone reviewed the history of the
water question, and went into the cues
ton of specifications, .conduits, pipes. etc.
ETC., 50 that ones head swan with the
octiiiicdiitteS. 16 read from this opinion
and that !; that report and this; then com
pared them, analyzed them and finally re-
duced them to a heap of figures, and made
strong appeal to vote for pure water.
which meant growth to the city and in
creased prosperity to it's inhabitants. AS
Tor the report adverse to the scheme. Mr.
Rafters figures, in Mr.. Cones opinion
We're absolutely low. He thought 1t would
De a mistake to hand over the building Of
works of the magnitude suggested to city
ofaclals, for political heelers would suck
its v1tals. Jersey City must buy water
supply, and it was dangerous to throw
away such an excellent opportunity as the
present bid presented to acquire what
every citizen needs, a pure and whole
some supply.
Mr. Louis ". Booraem said that every
day Jersey City stayed out of the Pequar-
mock watershed she was losing an oppor-
tunity to secure good water. Jersey City
couldn't build her own works. 1t would
take ten years and cost too much He was
opposed to the amendment Of Mr. Cole,
which substituted the majority for the
minority report.
During this speech DIR. Gordon on the
one side and Mr.. Condict on the other had
been doing q little lobbying and counting
noses. Mr.. William E. Pearson, who had
been won over to the East Jerseys side
was about to leave the meeting when Mr.
Condfct in alarm at losing a vote be
thought himself of brilliant strategic
move in flank, only 1t didn't work
The Board of Trade always does things
regular, he began in a plirring way "afld
I don't like 1t to do anything ollt Of the
way--but-aS-sMr. Pearson here wants to
80 away 4 Thought that perhaps with