The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-11

ways:-For example, the consumption Of
water from March to September. 1897, was
about twenty-six million gallons per day;
but in January and February, when the
weather was cold and when much less
water would legitimately be used, the con-
sumption was frequently thfrty1fve mill
ion gallons daily, the difference sdoubtless
being due to greater wasting of water
to prevent the freezing of exposed pipes.
Tit average amount of water used Tor
the entire year 1897 was twenfy-seyen
millions of gallons per day, or, at least,
one hundred and thirty-five gallons per
day per inhabitant. This, according to
the experience of other places, is very
wasteful. Newark uses one hundred gal
Ions per day per ~inhabitant, and is taxi
ing measures to diminish this amount.
We think a re-assessmen in many cases
would show that many takers of water
are receiving more than they pay for and
that their taps are a source OF loss rather
than of revenue to the city. We beNeve
FOUR Honorable Board has this matter
under examination at the present time.
The waste can be reduced by the in
PRODUCTION Of meters. but 1T would re-
quire two years of persistent work on the
part OF your Board, and the ~xpend1ture
of many thousands OF dollars to intro
duce them and to make a beginning in
the reduction of waste by this means; but
after all necessary meters were finally
installed the reduction would be very
great.
Third-We rave one other suggestion to
make. Our present contracts Which re-
AAA 40 ~ RlONt1S otid - AAAf =
supply of water for about two hundred
thousand people, are terminable by three
months notice by the city. The risks OF
that contract, therefore. to us, are very
great, and the heavy expenditures we
have made and are now making, may
never be returned to us. In view OF these
risks the prices which we are paid for
the water are very low. If, however, the
city could see its way clear to give our
company a contract for a definite period
of years-long enough to ensure the COM
DaIV against l0SS-We would be able to
offer a reduction in the present prices
charged for water. The location of the
Falls is so near to the point Of delivery
at Belleville (being a distance of less than
nine niles) that we are in a position to
furnish water to the city at a lower price
than can be afforded from any other
source. We ave the further advantage of
a right of way already obtained on which
a pipe line can be laid.
If the city desires to take the matter
up with d view to making a more impor-
tant contract with this company, a sub
stantial saving can be made by conees-
sions which the COMPANY can in the light
of a lower contract afford to make. 1t
has been said that such a contract would
at its termination, leave the city in a
more unfavorable position to get water
for the future; to this we answer that the
city may, if it desires, insert a clause for
the renewal of any such contract, for
such period of years allowed by law, as
may be agreed on, with like privileges OF
further renewals. We have no hesita-
ton in saying that in this manner the
city can obtain a permanent supply of
pure water at the lowest possible cost,
and in such abundance that the question
can be set at rest for generations to
come.
AS to the quality of this water, a long
series of tests made by u company, as
well as others, shows that it is everything
that can be desired. The very volume of
it is an element of safety.
Whenever the city takes its supply the
question of guarding the streams above
and preventing their pollution will re-
main, and the avs will have to be en-
forced by the exercise of police power. In
the supply at Little Falls the cities of
Paterson, Passaic, Bayonne, Montclair
and others will be equally interested with
Jersey City in maintaining he present
purity of this water, and their joint action
will undoubtedly command any legisla-
ton that may be necessary and be suf6-
GENTLY powerful to enforce it.
This method of obtaining a water sup
ply will make 1t unnecessary to add
seven to twelve million dollars to the
bonded Indebtedness of Jersey City,
which any plan involving the construction
and purchase of works will involve. If
the above suggestions do not meet your
approval and no others offer themselves
which will relieve the situation, we will
cooperate with the city in any way we
can in working out propositions which
may tend to greater economy in the dis
trfbutirg and use of water, or in any
other direction; but we must ask that
some steps be promptly taken to provide
for the payment of our bills as they be-
come due.
EDMUND LeB. GARDINER,
roller