The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-24

age facilities" and suggesting that the
state should assume the cost and allow
towns connecting to pay an annual rem
tai. The grievance Is not one which the
commissioners haye power to remedy,
put the case illustrates the necessity of
supervision. The works in question ap-
well designed as to method, but not ade-
quate to the needs, and a bacteriolOgi-
cal examination demonstrated that the
nltering process is now ineffective. I'M
proVements are, the Commissioners un-
derstafld, In contemplation.
1t would be unfortunate to have differ
ences OF opinion arising between neigh
p91fhlng e. eommunties natnua II On such subjects
serious health questions involved The
ordinary methods Of public agitation do
not suffice to obtain relief in such cases,
nor is 1t fair to expect communities to
advertise that they are suffering from
nutsances, for which there Is no certain
remedy.
proposed law, placed the power of in
spection ard regulation of streams in the
same Commission as that to provide for
the construction of an arterial system of
sewerage. This seemed requisite to avoid
creating unnecessary offices, and the ma
ture OF the employment is not so dis
similar as to make the duties incon-
sistent. In this, as in all matters relat-
ing to the works proposed, much Will
depend upon the liable and discreet eiti-
zens' who may be selected to perform
the grave and responsible duties imposed
by the act.
Although the enactment proposed here
with was prepared with special reference
to the problems of Passaic River pollu-
ton, it may be applied to any of the
water sheds of this State, and it would,
in the opinion of the Commissioners, be
found of value to several other sections
of the State in time.
The Commissioners annex a report of
their expenditures under the act. The
principal items are for engineering ex-
penses, and compenSa ton of officers, rent
and for analytical and meteorological in
vestigation. A few expenses remain to be
met after the writing of this report, but
the Commissioners have kept within the
limits of the amount appropriated. 1t IS
but fair to say that the compensation OF
those employed by the Commissioners
was made less than is customary in such
cases, owing to the necessity of economy
CONCLUSIONS.
The Commissioners may summarize
their conclusions as follows
That the lower Passaic River Is SO pol
luted as to constitute a public nuisance,
requiring immediate remedy.
That an act of the Legislature should
be passed authorizing the construction of
a trunk sewer and branches to conduct
the sewage of the cities and towns along
the lower river to a point where danger
from sewage pollution will cease.
That tbs work should be under the con
authority. acting for the counties and
cities and towns interested and affected.
That the cost should be assessed upon
the communities and individuals using
and benefited by such sewerage system
That it should be upon a scale adequate
to meet wants for at least thirty years
after the completion Of such work, the
increase of population being liberally es-
/ timated
That it should be capable of adaptation
to methods of publication which may be
found necessary by future experience
That the upper Passaic and it's tribu-
taries should be placed under the protee-
ton of the same Commission provided
for in the act for the lower river, with
adequate power to prevent pollution.
That the work be entered upon without
delay as the conditions are rapidly grow
ing worse, and the time required for the
construction of sewerage system for
the lower Passaic will be considerable.
Your Commissioners have data and re-
ports of value which they will place ait
the service of Commissioners who may
be selected to carry out the work they
recommend, should legislative action be
taken