The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-03
WHOSE WORK is TH|S2
Suit Begun Against the City
of Paterson in the
Name of Jersey
City
TO STOP PASSAlC POLLUTION
The Attorney-General Made a
Party to the Prosecution
of the Case.
TO STOP PAssAlC POLLUTION
Private Citizens in It Too-Sur-
prise Sprung. on the
Entire State.

Especial to line Jersey lily NEWS.
TRENTON, Feb 5, 1Sss.-A suit in the
nature of an information was filed in the
Court of Chancery today in the name OF
the Attorney General and the Mayor and
Board of Aldermen of Jersey City and
certain private citizens for an injunction
to restrain the authorities of Paterson
from further continuing the practice OF
sewering into the Passaic River.
The bill claims that the complainants
are entitled to have the water of the
river kept free from sewage. 1t is stated
that for forty years the water supply
of Jersey City was taken from this river,
but that on account of the action of the
Paterson authorities in extending the
sewers into the river Jersey City had 10
abandon taking water from the river and
negotiate for water supply at great ex-
pense.
The private citizens who are complain
ants are residents along the river, and
they claim that their property has been
deprecated by reason of the pollution or
the water which flows by their land 1t
is asserted that the commissioners ap-
pointed by the Governor two years ago
recommended a plan for tunnel TO the
sea- (which would keep the water OF the
Passaic River pure, nd that Paterson
has neglected to adopt this suggested
plan
The information is filed by McEwan &
McEwan as solicitors, and is signed by
Attorney General Grey, ex-ofhcio, and
James B. vreedenburgh and John T.
Stockton. as counsel 1t sets out the
Claims upon which, each ciaimant ASKS
for relief A number of afidavits sus-
tanning these claims are made part OF
the bill.
In the case of the municipality of Jer-
sey City it is asserted first that the city
in 1852. under authority of the Legislature
and at great cost, established works TOT
supplying the inhabitants of that and
other cities with pure drinking water tax
en- from the Passaic; that besides furnish
ing water to it's own inhabitants the city
of Jersey City at good revenue, sup
piled water to other municipaan.lfesi; N, Up a. fssi
pollution of the water OF the river
by sewage from Paterson, this water
supply had to be abandoned,- and a wa
ter supply obtained from private corpor-
alton at an enormous expense. besides
the cutting off of the revenue received
from supplying water to other municipal
tiles.
The bill goes on to say that previous
to 1885 for forty years the city of Jersey
City took water from the Passaic River
at Belleville and supplied its inhabitants
with water for drinking and other pur-
poses from which a revenue of over u,
900 a day was derived; but since 1895, by
reason of the pollution. the water which
the city was entitled to take had, by rea-
son of the action of the Paterson au-
thorities, become foul, noxious, impure,
filthy and wholly unfit for drinking pur-
poses
The bill charged that the city Of Pater-
son is without authority to sewer into
the Passaic River and that means OF
preventing the further pollution of the
Passaic was suggested by. the Passalc
Pollution Commission, which reported to
the Governor last year, but that no ef-
fort has ever been made by the Pater-
son authorities to carry the proposed plan
into effect.
The information prays for an injunction
to stop Paterson continuing to pollute the
Passaic River.
The proceeding is by information on the
part of Attorney General in the relation
CT the riparian proprietors on the Passaic
River, and the Mayor and Aldermen OF
Jersey City.
Vice Chancellor Stevens has made an
order that on fling the information and
bill the defendants should show cause
before the court at the Chancery Cham
bers, Jersey City, February IA, why an in
junction should not be issued as prayed
for in the information and bill.