The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-22
BIDS THROWN OUT
Street and Water Board Sees
No Hope in Any Water
Proposal.
WILL BRAYELY TRY AGAIN.
Heintze, Boltwood and Simp-
son Much Scandalized
at the Fiasco-
WANT ROcKAWAY AND HUDSON.
others Think a New Call May
Bring Better Plans and
Lower Prices.

The Street and Water Commissioners
at their meeting this afternoon will reject
all the proposals for a new supply OF
water now before their Board. This ar
rangement will be carried out by the
votes of President Hauck and commas
sioners Nolan and Smith.
Commissioners Heintze and HOLLYWOOD
will not act a lamb-like part. If they
carry out the programme which they con
templated this morning, the members of
the majority will be asked pertinent ques-
tions. There Is a strong likelihood, too,
of personalities being INDUCED in Com
missioners Heintze and Boltwood are
loaded for bear.
Through the courtesy of Engineer Fer
ris, who has been their mainstay all along,
they are bubbling over with figures, II
not facts. all of which will be fired with
more than Spanish precision at the heads
of Messrs. Hauck, Nolan and Smith.
Mr.. Nolan will doubtless be spokesman
for the other side and as he occasionally
suffers from an attack of ~eloquence, with
some sarcasm thrown in, he may send
back some red-hot shots.
Asked this morning on what ground he
and his colleagues would reject the bids,
president Hauck said:-"We have studied
this situation carefully and nave been adj
vised all the time by Engineer Vermeule,
who is an authority no one can consist
emily dispute.
1--WE have concluded that by readver-
Using for proposals we will get cheaper
bids. The men who wish to ngage in the
water business know now pretty nearly
what we want and know, too. what OBJ
~iections they must overcome. That being
the case. the next proposals will possess
many salient features which are lacking
in those we have had under consideration
Another thing must be taken into consid-
Grafton. A reimbursement will doubtless
draw into the competition the East Jersey
Water Company.
eve have consulted prominent lawyers,
ard we are thoroughly convinced that an
award to either Flynn or the Roekaway
and Hudson Company would not be up
held by the Courts. That being the case.
what can we possibly expect to gain by
making an award? The question is such
an. important one that it must be studied
from every point of view. If we make
an award to a concern not capable of do
ing as 1t promises. we simply tie the
citv's hands and make progress, out of the
question. We can readvertise under spec
ihcations approved by everyone. and L
predict that within six months the city
will have acquired a new supply OF wa
ter.
zone thing must be accomplished at the
outset. We must start out by under
standing each other. Because we mis-
understood each other is the reason We
disagree at this time. We received bids
under specifications which were dfsap-
proved by Mayor Hoos in many particu-
lars. That being the case. the Mayor was
placed in the very delicate position OF
having to approve a contract made under
specifications which he did not approve.
For these reasons, and many others, we
believe the proper thing to do is to read
yertise."
1T is an outrage to reject the pending
propositions" said Commissioner Bolt
wood. eve have no right to presume
that a bidder cannot fulfill his agreement.
The bidders have all complied with the
specifications. What more can be ex-
peeted?
1--WE have had 1t clearly proven to US
by Engineer Ferris. that a supply Of 3d.
000.000 gallons a day is sufficient. That
being the case, what is the sense of try
ing to bulldoze anyone into purchasing 4
plant of 100000 gallons capacity? 1t is
NV belief that the city will be a big loser
If we fail to accept the plant of the
Rockaway and Hudson Company which IS
offered us for Sc. 900 900. / will oppose the
rejection of the bids to the best of my
ability. We have an opportunity to show
that we are working for the city's inter-
ests and we should not let 1t escape u.s.
IT will oppose the rejection of. the
49, 80 TIotN41a. fst.l1f
what good will it do? There are three
members of the Board ready to vote to
reject. A majority rules the roost, so
that settles it. At the present rate of
progression. Jersey City will never get q
supply of water. Valuable time and OPP
portunities are being wasted. It is a
very great pity. We have a supply of
s0.000.0Oo gallons offered us at a reason
able price and we should acquire it with
out delay. There is no use giving in and
saying the East Jersey Company owns
the earth. If we do that, that concern
will shortly be demanding of us n price
it may see fit.
This morning Corporation COUNSEL Nc
Dermott sent the following letter to
Mayor Hoos:-
In your favor of even date you ask
my opinion, whether in the event of
the city purchasing any of the water
works, and sewage disposal works be-
ing required, the city would become
the owner of such sewage disposal
works and would it be up
on the city to maintain the same?"
The pertinent paragraph in the spec
ifcations under which bids for a wa
ter supply lave been received is as
follows
The water to be furnished must be
pure and wholesome for drinking and
domestic purposes.
IF the villages, boroughs. or cities
of Port Dram, Dover,
Boonton, Butler, B1oomingdale. or
Pompton in New Jersey, or Suffern,
HilFburn or Tuxedo Park, in New
York, or any citizen thereof, or any
manufacturing establishment therein,
or onzthe streams below said villages,
boroughs or cities, shall, in the judg-
ment of the Hudson County Board Of
Health seriously pollute the water
supply at any time prior to q purchase
of the works by the city, the contract-
or, upon notice by the city or exist
ence Of such pollution. shall forthwith
prevent such pollution by a proper
exercise OF the powers therein placed
at his disposal by the city, and II he
shall fail to do way with such pollu-
ton within thirty days after recelY-