The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-23
EAST JERSEY VILLAINY
The Fight to Prevent Any
Remedy in the PASSAGES
Fearful Condition.
TON M'EWAN FOR THE PEOPLE
But the Monopoly's Led Statesmen
of Both Parties Argue for the
New Commission Bill.
rsnecial q .erhe Jersey city newell

the Governor to appoint three persons TO
consider the subject of the pollution OF
any stream or river, whose duty, after an
investigation, shall be to prepare and per-
feet u plan for dts prevention, and to re-
port their conclusions to the Legislature.
The commissioners are to be paid not ex-
ceeding $1,000 each, and may employ
clerical help. They are authorized to
spend $25, 900, which shall be apportioned
among the taxing districts to be relieved,
and raised by them like other taxes.
Samuel Phillips, of Dundee Lake. presi-
dent of the Passaic Valley Protective As
ISOLATION, bitterly opposed the measure.
He told the oft-told tale of the terrible
condition in which the Passaic valley
had become owing to the emptying OF
sewage into the river. He said that 10000
people were affected by the pollution.
He urged the Legislature not to adjourn
without doing something toward protect-
ing the health of the thousand inhaDl-
tants of the Passaic Valley.
Frank w. Hardenbrook, representing
Congressman Thomas McEWan, spoke
against the bill. He said in part
with reference to Senate bill No. 254,
now pending before the Judiciary Com
mittee n relating to the publication of
the Passaic River. l beg to suggest the
following to the committee for it's con-
sideration:
with the history of the matter to the
present time the most of The m
are doubtless familiar, and | will there
fore at. once proceed to state my reasons
for opposing the measure.
THE condition of the Passaic River, as
shown by the report of the Sewerage
Commission filed February, 1897, and by
the message, of the late Governor Griggs
to the Legislature, as well as by sworn
afiidavits of the residents presented to
the Court of Chancery, is such as to
show that any delay in arriving at a
conclusion with reference to a plan for
the disposal of the sewage is scarcely less
than criminal
THE bill proposes the appointment OF
a new commission, whose life shall have
no definite limit, and whose labors snail
cover the same ground as. that of the
first commission. There is no reason for
a new commission, as the plan of the
former commission is complete and ex-
haustive and has the authority of the
IIiOSE elliIlti1I Ape L . oPOI tAS
1.-THE bill moreover provides that the ex-
pense of the commission. not excevIif.s
twenty-five thousand t$25,O o3) dollars per
year, shall be paid by tax upon the MN;
CAPABILITIES affected by the pollution. This
makes the residents of he Passaic Val
ley, who have appealed to the Legislature
for relief, as well as to the courts, pay for
the expenses of devising a plan to remove
the injury to them, which arises by no
act of their own. and is in effect a pun
ishment upon them for having protested
against the continued pollution OF the
river. They are taxed according to the
provisions of the bill for the suggestion
of a remedy to remove an injury done
them by the wrongdoers who put the sew
age in the river. These provisions of the
bill are lie and unjust in the extreme.
Therefore, for the reasons that q COM
plete and adequate remedy has already
been devised and submitted to the Leg
islature that the injury to public health
is such as to render immediate action nee
essary and delay without excuse, and that
the proposition to tax the persons injured
is preposterous, 1 respectfully insist that
the committee should report the bill adj
versely.'
H. P. Simmons of Acquackanock Town
ship also opposed the measure. He want
ed some action taken at this session. BY
adopting the bill now under consideration
the publication of the Passaic would be
delayed at least another year.
The measure found an advocate in
Mayor Hinchliffe of Paterson. He said
that TIE matter was one of the utmost
Importance, requiring the closest atten-
ton. AS there were many millions of dol
lars involved it was best to go slow in
the matter. The plan of carrying the sew
age of Paterson into the Newark Bay
near Bayonne, as marked out by the com
mission Of 1896. would, if it nau Deen
adopted, bankrupt the city of Paterson, as
well as manay of the smaller places af-
fiicted.
Colonel Charles w. Fuller of Bayonne
also urged the passage of the bill. He
thought there was some way out OF the
difficulty, and he thought the Governor
could be trusted to appoint honest, -lir
and capable men on the proposed COM
mission. When the commission reported
next year immediate action could be
taken, and the matter pushed so that a
solution of the question would not be
delayed.
The bill was placed on final passage in
the afternoon and was passed without OPP
position.
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