The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-15
OFFICIALS STILL AT SEA.
No Settlement Yet Of the
Vexed Water Supply
Problem.
ENGINEER VERMEULE's OPINION.
He Says That in 1912 the City
Will Require More Than
100000 Gallons
Daily.

Daily.
1t is just possible that there will be a
lively set-to at the meeting of the Street
and Water Board this afternoon. Last
night the officials who have to act on
the water question conferred in the FL
nance Boards room. Nothing definite
was done and Commissioner Boltwood,
who is tired of the delay, served notice
on his colleagues of the Street and
Water Board that unless they acted to-.
day he would put them on record. To do
that Mr.. Boltwood arranged to offer a
resolution awarding the contract to the
Rockaway & Hudson Company to fur.
nish a 50,c00000 gallon plant for $6,OoO0O0.
Commissioner Boltwood WAS very much
in earnest when he made the threat last
night, and he was determined today to put.
mis- colleagues on the rack.
Just before the Board met he had the
necessary resolution in his inside pocket.
Commissioner Heintze was aware of What
Mr. Boltwood proposed doing and had
signified his willingness to support the res s
olution. Commissioners Hauck, Nolan
and Smith did not know at meeting time
that Mr.. Boltwood had decided to fire a
bombshe1l. They imagined he was jok-
ing last night They will, of course, ops;
pose the resolution, and red hot debate|
is anticipated.
The present hitch in the proceedings Is
due TO the fact that Mayor Hoos will not
commit himself His Honor's refusal to
approve the $S000,0 900 or SO, 900, 900 contracts
placed the officials in an embarrassing
hafo 1,a Nax q
famous declaration they had agreed that
it was their duty to procure plant of at
least 10000, 900 gallons daily capacity. The
Mayor declined to pay much more than
Sc, coo for a plant, and for that price
it is out of the question to get a 7O,o00,0oo
gallon plant The officials began at once
to cast about for smaller plant and
finally hit upon a proposition of P. II.
Flynn, to give 35,O00,0e0 gallon plant for
S. Ais, ,OO0 Conferences We're held and it
was decided to award to Flynn.
Just at this time Messrs. Heintze and
Boltwood began to boom the proposition
of the Rockaway and Hudson Company.
Their main argument was that that con-
| cern offered a supply Of 50000.000 gallons
day for $6O00,000 or s415,0Oo less than
| it was proposed to pay P. Fl. Flynn for
a plant of 100000 gallons less capacity
Mayor Hoos was consulted and he show
| ed very plainly that he had a soft spot
In his heart for the RockaMay praposi-
| ton He declined to say what he would
| do in the event of an award being made
to Flynn His attitude convinced the
| officials, however, that he would veto the
| Flynn plan The members of the FL
nance and Street and Water Boards who
favor Flynns plan werer unwilling to
give the Mayor an opportunity to dis
| approve their actions.
| A conference was called for last night
and it was thought possible that some
agreement could be reached. Messrs.
! Heintze, Boltwood, Ringle and Simpson
/ held out for the Rockaway and Hudson
! while the other Commissioners remained
| loyal to Flynn. AS a consequence the con-
/ ference was productive of no good The
! Street and Water Commissioners had ask
| ed Engineer Vermeule for an opinion and
| it was thought what he would have to say
at this time would have great weight with
the Mayor.
Mr.. Vermeule handed his latest opinioK
! to Clerk Bouton this afternoon. 1t is a
! typewriter document covering twelve
pages.
| He has made cdreIul researches anu
| finds, he writes, that the city in 1912 at
| the latest. willb e consuming more than
/! 80, 900 900 gallons a day. SO that in his opin-
ion it would be very y ~ unMse ,Nn to acqullrIe II
! a plant of less than 70,000,090 gallons daiiy
! capacity.
! The average consumption at the pres
/ ent time is 26,960,000 gallons day and
| a low estimate of the consumption in
1923 is given as S0,000,000 gallons, and IN
July and August at least 600 gal-
| Ions. The storage reservoirs of the city
tt71f ant of
| 2Goo.ocO gallons a day for GO days, so that
| he estimates should less supply than
70,Gc0J00 gallons day be acquired it
would be necessary Tor the city. in 1910,
| to build more reservoirs and lay addi-
tional pipes across the Hackensack mead
| ows. The engineer cites the fact that
/ be completed even should an award be
made now. On this fact Mr.. Vermeule
| bases the assertion that to acquire a
| plant OF less than 700O0,o00 gallons would
merely be getting a plant which would
/ be adequate for no longer period than
| ten years. That would be folly, he as
serts.
He calls attention to the fact that Bes1
| ton paid $25, 900, 900 for water plant. II
! plant of 50,000000 gallons capacity Is acz
quired Mr.. yermeule reminds the Board
| more water than the specified quantity.
! Attention is called to the extensive
works Of the East & Jersey G93mpasny PM "a II, nt
| onne. Paterson Passaic Montclair and
| all the towns in that part of the State.
| The towns now supplied BY the East
! Jersey Company consume so, ,0000@ gallons
| a day. The normal flow at Little Falls
is estimated at 100, 100000 gallons day.
Newark ii is shown, has taken the Pc
4 quannock source and should Jersey CITY
| scoop the Rockaway. Mr.. Vermeule holds
! that the supply at Little Falls will be
reduced to 70. 100000 gallons a day. Mr.
Vermeule insists tina if something definite
Is not done shortly Jersey City viii be in
| the position of having to pay the East
1 Jersey Company whatever amount It i
! case he argues. where the best will be
| the cheapest and where the penny wise
and pound foolish policy will lead to dis
| aster
the demand for the acquisition Of 10
mn na0 Gallon nlaut no matter what Il