The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-03
WATER RUNORS.
Street and Water Board All
at Sea Over the Mayors
Price Limit.
IS IT A SHEEHAN DODGE?
Queer Story That the Flynn
Bid Was Taken Up Only
to Be Dropped.
MAY BE NEW CALL FOR PROPOSALS?
How the Commissioners Stand
u. the Various Schemes
Rockaway's Advocates.

1u6 water pIObiSAl SCStAS AO
luton than it was five or even ten days
ago.. Mayor Hoos' declaration that ne
will not approve a contract involving 80
coo. 900 opr even IS. 000,O 900. has caused SER
ious complications. Many Of the officials
concerned in the making of a contract de-
clare thai it will be practically impossible
to procure a supply sufficient for the fu-
ture use of the city for the price Mayor
Hoos wishes to pay.
Street and Water Commissioners
Hauok, Nolan and Smith were not at their
office this morning. 1t is believed these
gentlemen will refrain from making any
definite move for at least two weeks.
Robert Davis, the party leader, left the
city yesterday for two weeks vacation.
Hauck. Nolan and Smith will DE guids1
to some extent by Mr.. Davis advice. Con-
sequentH nothing definite is expected I'M
til he returns.
There were many rumors afioat this
morning in City Hall. One was that Pres
ident sHauck of the Street and Water
Board is now in favor of awarding t. II.
Flynn a contract to furnish 100000 gal
Ions of water a day. Flynn offers such
a plant for SC. 415.0oo President Hauek
himself will neither deny nor affirm that
he will vote to accept a IS, 900 gallon
plant. Commissioners Hauck, Nolan,
Smith, Midiige, H-eppenheimer and Bailey
are in somewhat of an embarrassing po-
sition about the size and capacity of the
plant that should be acquired Four days
ago. ait a conference In the Finance
Boards office, all six gentlemen agreed
that it would be folly to procure a plant
of less capacity than 70,00Q,0M gallons.
Messrs. Heintze and Boitwood voted for
a 50,000, 600 gallon plant, while Messrs.
Ringle and Simpson remained silent.
The six Commissioners voted for a TO-
600, 900 gallon plant upon figures presented
to them by Engineer Vermeule- That
gentleman, on a basis of 4 per cent. in
creased consumption since 1880, figured it
out that in 1923 the city will be using
about 100000 gallons. Ever since the
water subject has been agitated it has
been contended that provision should be
made for at least twenty-five years Con-
sequently, when it was shown. that in
twenty-five years hence the cify's con-
sumption will reach 74,00O,0O0 gallons the
officials concluded that a 10000 ,000-gallon
plant was the only proper one to acquire
On top of Engineer vermeule's report of
estimated consumption came one from
Engineer Ferris. His figures are very
MUCH al VARIANCE Will FcIuicuAc D. ~
shows that in 1923 the consumption will
not be 50, 900, 600 gallons a day.
Engineer Ferris bases his estimate on
the growth of the city, taken from Off
cial statistics. From 1880 to 1895 the popu-
lation increased at the rate of five per
cent. per annum. From 1890 to 1895 the
percentage of increase dropped to 4 and
from 1895 to the present time the percent
- IL q o 49,, 11-t nr fhsc
howin it is claimed, the consumption
of water will not increase as it has in the
past. vermeule made an allowance of
4 per cent. annual increase. Ferris says
the increase will not be half that.
When it was announced today that
President Hauck lac gone over to a
IS, 600, og0 gallon plant it was thought he
had accepted Ferris figures as being COR
rect. To the acquisition of a 3~5,0o0,09o
gallon plant there would be opposition,
first from Messrs. Heintze and Boltwood,
then from Messrs. Simpson and Ring,e,
and finally from Mayor Hoos.
"a 35,0co,0o0 gallon plant is too small,
just as a 100000 gallon plant is too
large" said Commissioner Heintze to-
day. There is no use monkeying with
this proposition. To buy a $4,000 0 gall
lon plant simply means that the city
must go ahead at once to enlarge its wa
tershed and provide for an increase Of
its supply. To acquire a 100000 gallon
plant is the only proper thing. We have
such a plant offered us for S6,0 700, 600. Why
not accept it without further delay?
1--WE have been told by Engineers Fer
rs and vermeule that the Rockaway
Company unquestionably offers us purer
water than any other concern. That be-
ing the case we should buy it. The
Rockaway Company is composed Of bust
ness men and / hardly think they would
nut UP 100000 as a guarantee of beng
able to do q thing without knowing that
they could accomplish all they say.
s.The Rockaway bid is the one to accept.
The Mayor will approve 1t. Our Cor
poration sCounsel has told US he can get
any award we make approved by the
courts. Tina is good enough for me and
/ am ready to vote for the Rockaway bid.
Mayor Hoos will approve such an award.
It is the only proper one to accept.
Messrs. Hauck, Nolan and Smith will
not vote for the Rockaway and Hudson
Company. They say 1t is impossible for
any company to gather enough water
above Boonton to supply the city. They
hold a plant established above Boonton
would interfere too much with the rights
of the East Jersey and Morris Canal
Companies to hold water.
There was an amusing story goingNthe
rounds this morning. 1t was to the effect
that the throwing down of the Flynn bid
was p-rearranged, and was merely to
make clear sailing for the OsBrien.
sheelaan. Mclean & Rogers syndicate. II
Is a well known fact that when the sew
era] bids were first considered in con-