The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-15
PASSAIC POLLUTION
New Commission to Consid-
er the Question to
Meet This Week.
THE ACT THAT GOVERNS THEM
A General Law With Special
Reference to the
Passaic.
THE ACT THAT GOVERNS THEM
Especial to The Jersey city News."l

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey city News-sl
NEWARK, Aug. Is. 1S9S.-The new com
mission to consider the pollution of the
Passaic River will meet this week for con-
ference. The Commissioners received
official notification of their appointment
last Wednesday from the Secretary Of
State. and arrangements We're made then
for a meeting, to begin the consideration
of the problem before them. The COM
m~issioners are DIR. E. J. Marsh, DR.. H. G.
H. Herold and William T. Hunt, who
served on the former commission, and
Mayor Hinchcliffe. of Paterson; ex-Assena-
| blyman Harrington, of Bergen county; Dr.
j. a. Exton, Of Arlington; Hon. Charles
w. Fuller, of Bayonne, and william kent,
G. E.. Of Passaic, who were selected by
several sections interested, and as having
special capacity for the work.
The act under which the commission
| was appointed is a general law and reads
as follows
An act authorizing the appointment of
T. commissioners to consider the subject
of the pollution Of the rivers and streams
within this State to provide for a plan
for the prevention thereof, and for the
relief of the persons and property aft
fected thereby, and to provide for the
expenses necessary for that purpose.
Be it enacted by the Senate and Cen
4 Il dl <1SSSAfDiy VI liz btRtO
The Governor of this State shall have
power and authority to appoint and COM
mission not less than three suitable per-
| sons, commissioners, TO consider the SUBJ
ject of the pollution of any stream or
| river within this State, whose duty Il
shall be. after having duly investigated
I the cause, character and extent OF SUCH
| pollution, If they shall deem it necessary
and expedient, to prepare and perfect 4
plan for the prevention thereof, and for
the relief of the persons and property
| affected thereby, and to report their con-
| illusions and present their plan TO the
| Legislature of this State. together with a
| bill providing therefor and for the ex-
| Denses thereof.
2. Such commissioners, when SO APP
pointed, shall organize by the selection OF
one of their number as chairman. and one
to act as treasurer. and they are author
lied to select clerk. and to employ Such
other agents and assistants as may be
necessary; the salary and compensation
| of such commissioners SHAH be hxed py
the Governor, and shall not exceed one
have the power and authority to Tx the
compensation of their agents as
| ~sistants.
8. Such commissioners are authorized to
| raise and expend for the purposes OF this
| act a sum not exceeding Twenty-Five
| thousand dollars, which sum, or such
| part thereof as may be required ana pc
necessary, they are hereby authorized TO
| apportion among the several local mun1-
cipalities which the said commissioners
shall deem to be affected by sueh poliuee
ton, in proportion to the popuiation OF
such municipalities, as shown by the last
| State or National census; and the sum or
| sums so apportioned shall be certified by
| the said commissioners under their hands
to the assessors or other taxing officers
| of the said several municipalities and II
| shall be the duty of the proper taxing
| officer or officers in each of the said
municipalities to whom such apportion-
! ment is made, to proceed 70 AYE the
same levied and assessed and collected
in the same manner and at the same
| time as other taxes are levied and coli
/ lected therein; and it shall be the duly
of the collector or other equivalent OIL
Ger of each of the said munlclpahtles 10
pay over the said several sums OF money
when so levied, assessed and collected, 70
the said commissioners, or to such per-
son or persons as they may appoint 70
receive the same; and the said commits
| sioners are authorized to use and dls-
| burse the same for the purposes OF TINS
| act.
4. The commissioners appointed under
| the authority of this act shall have the
| power and authority to anticipate the col
| lection and receipt of the sum OF money
/ hereby authorized to be raised by taxa
| tion, and may issue from time to time
| certificates of Indebtedness, or other oDI-
| cations. TO be paid from the funds to be
raised by taxation in the manner herefn
provided; and they are authorized to use
! the funds received from the sale or ne
gotiation of such certificates or obllga-
lions authorized to be issued by TINS act.
S. Said commissioners are hereby re-
| uuired, at any time, on the order or the
Governor. to render to him a report and
statement of their receipts and expendl-
lures under the authority of this act
! 6. Vacancies caused by the death or
/ resignation of any commissioner appoint
ed under the authority of this act, or from
| other cause, shall be filled by the Cow,
ernor; and the Governor may remove any
| of the persons so appointed and appoint
another commissioner in his place.
| 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Approved April 2, 1893.
The commission, after organizing by the
/ election of officers, will soon have to take
measures for providing funds for its work,
AS appears above. the cost is to be di-
vided among the localities interested, ac-
cordlng to population, and the commits
sioners are authorized to anticipate the
tax levy, by borrowing the necessary
money. 1t is probable that after some
general discussion of the subject the COM
mission will adjourn to meet again ABOUT
September 1, sundry details to receive at
tention meanwhile from individual mem
The commission will have difficulty in
| formulating a report before the next Leg
| i~slature, as the time is short for the study
of engineering questions which are es-
sential for any decision. While the Tor.
! mer commission had nearly nine months
time. his was insufficient to make the
surveys and examinations OF currents,
tides, etc, which would be required Pc
fore beginning actual work, that being
left for the commission which, was pro-
posed under an act drafted by the invests
| gators. but not passed by the Legislature.
| 1t is presumed that the present commis-
| to making these Investigations in detail
! previous to a report, It being understood
that more exact information regarding
cost, methods of disposal, division OIL ex-
| pense, etc. were desired before any act
authorizing actual work was passed. The
subject will be thoroughly considered
| again in any case. How long It viii take
none of the commissioners will venture a
] guess. until there has been a complete
examinations of the task before them, ana
q determination as to just how far de-
| tailed investigation shall be carried.