The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-16

present state Of the Passaie River IS
offensive TO sight and smell. and is q
cause OF ANNOYANCE 70 those living " rs
that there has been any serious impair
ment Ut health occasfoned thereby;
Statistics furnished us by the State Board
Board of Health covering a period or ten
years past, showing the death rate IN all
communities within the Passaic River
drainage area from mal8r'al diseases ana
diarrhoeal diseases of children, Indicate
no material Increase during the period,
while in some communities there Is an
actual decrease in the number OF such
deaths. We therefore feel that While
furthe. delay may be detrimeirral in GER
tain instances, it would not result in such
serious injury as to Justify the adoption
of any plan which is not fully considered
and matured.
.Fifth-A commission larger in NUM-
bers than the Sewerage Commission ap-
pointed in 1896 should be appointed for
the purpose of giving a fuller representa-
ton to the communities interested, in or
der not only that the interests OF their
respective municipalities may be con-
sidered. but that such representative
may awaken a favorable public sentime z
in such communities and be III a pQsltiot.
to advocate and urge the passage OF sufh
remedial legislation as they may decade
to be necessary.
sSixth-It is not probable that the
Legislature would be willing to grant any
pecuniary assistance from the
State in investigating this subject, nor
w ~ e = III JthhN ~ JN'etS -
Supon for further appropriation. IN
order. therefore. TO provide for such
further investigation. we recommend that
an enlarged Board Of commissioners De
appointed blythe Governor, who shall
have power to. expend such sums or
money as nay be necessary FOR the pur,-
pose of further investigation, with such
expert and engineering assistance as may
be required to develop and perfect a plan
to settle this serious problem. The money
needed therefor should be paid by the
upon them in proportion TO their taxable
value. The amount chargeable 70 eacn
community will not be great, and 1t Will
enable this work 10 he placed upon a
basis from which satisfactory and pfac-
teal results may be expected. :.
Seventh-We submit herewith a draft
of an act embodying our views. Under
this act the Governor can appoint as
many commissioners as he may deem
necessary to give a fair representation
to the communities interested. 1t pro-
vides that the commissioners shal pre-
pare and perfect a plan for the prevention
of the pollution of the river and report
their conclusions and present their plan
to the Legislature, together with a bill
providing therefor and for the expenses
thereof. The advantages of such a Conn
mission will tbe that there will be an or
ganized body charged with the duty of de-
vising a plan for solving this problem and
of procuring the appropriate legislation
therefor.
1t is idle to expect any Legislature to
perfect a scheme OF this magnitude with
out the aid and co-opera ton OF the COM
munities interested or some representative
body thereof, whose duty 1t shall be to
initiate and procure the legislation de-
sired.
1t is hoped that IN, enlarged commits
sion, appointed under the proposed act,
representing directly the communities af-
feeted, Woul be able to devise some
satisfactory method for the publication
of the. Passaic River.
The bill prepared by the committee pro-
vides for the appointment by the Cover
nor of three or more commissioners, at
a salary not exceeding 81. 900 each. The
commissioners shall nave power to en-
ploy assistants and fla their compensa-
ton. The commissioners are authorized
to expend a sum not exceeding $25, 600,
which shall be levied and collected from
the municipalities affected In proportion
to the population. Authority is given to
the commissioners to anticipate the col
lection of such taxes by issuing certif-
Gates of Indebtedness.