The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-19
TNMAN's BID rs LEGAL.

INMAN'S BID is LEGAL.
!. His bid is for a period not longer than
Is years..
2. 1t contains an option to purchase, in
strict accordance with the city's adver-
tisement, namely, at i. s, 10 or Is years. as
do all the others, and gives the terms.
In addition to this, 1t gives on a separate
sheet a further option advantageous to
the city, but which can be treated as
surplusage or be submitted to the people
case the action be legal. The Board
can pass upon the bid. n accept it as
written, without considering this option,
and entirely upon the items contained in
The vice in the bid considered In the
a Reiper case, was not that 1t Of
fered a greater storage capacity, but
that the Board accepted 1t on that
ground.
This extra option is no necessary part
of the bid to supply water, and applies
only to the final option to purchase.
This contract being made, can be sub
mitteu to the people for the purchase at
one, five, ten or fifteen years, and II the
over, there is nothing in the law to pre-
vent the matter being submitted TO the
people at once for their acceptance or
rejection Of any of the options. unless It
should be determined that all the bids ere
bad by reason OF containing more options
than one.
Indeed the only legal method under this
act to get the benefit of the several OPP
TIONS in the various bids, would seem to
be- an immediate submission.
The suggestion made by the Learned
choice of options ending in an offer 20
convey to the city at the end of twenty
five years without any payment at that
time would seem to be answered by this
suggestion.
Every one of the bids presented con-
tains an option on a Sliding seale-decreas-
ing to a minimum at the last,
Every paymen for water hereunder
prior to that limit must therefore con-
tain a payment of a modicum of the firai
purchase price. The criticism upon the
Innran bid mu be one OF amount and
not one of legal principle. They are all
alike in kind and differ only in detail.
under the Statute? Why this, sThe ques-
ton of purchase according to UGH OPP
The ballot must read, PURCHASE OF
NEW WATER SUPPLY ACCEPTED,7,
or PURCHASE OF NEW WATER SUP.
PLY R~EJECTED," Sec. 8, and if a ma
jority Of the ballots contain the wcrd
ing to the terms of the. option in said
contract shall be of effect and binding
What will you do with this language?
i. New water supply.
2. According to the terms of the option.
either all the bids are bad because they
the whole must be at once. after MAX
ing the contract for a supply of water,
submitted.
1 CELL S0t III tScdQG IIOD1 ll1S Oilul
ton, in which case either Inman's bid is
legal, or all are bad.
My own Judgment is that his bid is
legal and that its arrangement of scale
CT option is not a valid objection to it.
His bid is legal in every other respet. :.
]. 1t takes from a water shed held by
no other municipality for a water supply.
2. Nor in which any other corporation
has water rights.
8. It offers the terms most advanta-
geous to the City. for the reasons
a. 1t gives greater purity of water
both present and prospective.
b.. Greater gathering area.
C. Greater average annual catch
d. Greater storage capacity.
e. Greater head.
+. Absolute freedom from the statu-
tory grants to and vested rights Of
the East Jersey Water Company and
The Morris Canal, and the City of
Paterson.
g. Less ultimate cost.
II.
No other bid is legal.
/. All of them except Inman's propose
to take waters which form part of the
| supply Of The Morris Canal and The East
, Jersey Water Company, both of which
have vested rights therein under legisla-
tive grants, and which cannot be taken
by Inflammation.
2. All Of them except Inman's propose
to take water which form part of the
| water supply held by the City of Paterson
for a water supply, which under the
oNt = &Vcs
condemnation.
Every other bid proposes water present.
ly impure, or liable soon to become so, by
| reason of the growing populations along
| their water sheds, whereas Inman's is
| taken from mountain sides, free from
| danger of habitations, and as nearly
chemically pure as can be obtainable any
where.
1t is an ideal water shed in a wilder
ness. and Of -inexhaustible capacity, in
slant.
".
Inman's offer is the cheapest for the
| reasons given to the Board on the fif-
teenth-
Respectfully submitted.
FLAVEL MCGEE.
The water problem will now be consid-
lered by the officials, it is said. All the
| information possible to obtain from the
several bidders is in the hands of the
officials. Mayor Hoos is anxious to have
the problem disposed of as soon as pos
4E.,- L~,- Iae haon ~ ,rfht