The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-11
WEDNESDAY. MAY H. 1888
This paper as Democratic IN p'anc'p'ss
and is Independent in its uiems on d1 '0eo
questions.
water Deficiency Remedies.

r-hfob +ba CRYING abuses of the Water
na,artmsnt administration are laid bare
and remedies for the fast approaehiis
state of bankruptcy are averteo. -
co,,rse the purpose of the East jersey
lattar ia to have the interests of hat con-
Germ safeguarded-a perfectly proper pui
pose. The Mayor has in view ehtlreis
the interests of the city. For the present
the insidious attempt of the great water
octopus to utilize the situation Tor the
promotion Of a new contract, may pc
ignored. The concern of the hour is the
RAPIDLY growing deficit in the water ac-
count.
The remedies selected in both
are oddly alike, so much alike as TO sus-
gest some concert between the writers.
And yet, perhaps, this coincidence may De
explained by the reflection that the RENE
dies are such as naturally occur to COM
mon sense, and nothing but s~elhshness
and perversity could fail to see them ana
take instant advantage of them.
As summarized by the Mayor. they are
fo,,r in number. Two of them could be
put in force almost Immediately. The
other two could be begun at once, ana
within the year one of them might be
made bear fruit.
The most obvious of all is the direct
connection of the high service series OF
pipes with the East Jersey supply mains.
This would enable the city to make an
economy of $4,000 at one stroke, ana
$40. 600 is about 10 per cent. of the annual
deficiency. The East Jersey water is FUR
nished at such head as to aHoro the
highest point in the city a fun now I'M
der good pressure, a supply reaching 10
the highest floors of fats and tenement
houses. The pumping station is simply
a wilful waste of money. The problem
of connecting the pipes is of the cheapest
and most ordinary character, and if this
obvious reform is not undertaken inside
a week and completed in a month. the
taxpayers will have a right to be indig-
nant.
The second remedy in point of facility
Of application is that which calls for the
transfer of the collection machinery to
the Office of the City Collector of Taxes
That this obvious reform has not been
carried out years ago, is one of the amaz-
ing abuses of our city government. or
course, there will be a certain opposition
to this on account of the number of poll
ticians of all grades which it will turn
out of the city's employment, temporarily.
But no consideration of this sort should
stand in the way of a reform SO obvious
so necessary, SO easy to make and so salu-
tary on every business ground.
Next in importance is the check in con-
sumption ny<fhe introduction Of meters.
This ~snld necessarily be a work of time;
but If 1t were vigorously begun, the effects
would be clearly discernible in next Win
ter's consumption of water. The practice
of running water day and night to pre-
vent freezing is simply an outrage on the
city. Proper plumbing will make freezing
Impossible in any house. There are thou
sands of houses in which the water never
freezes. and there is no reason why it
should ever freeze. If owners do not
care to pay for the proper leading and
protection of their pipes. they should be
~roaa ~ 4ba ,,Sa of yaetcrc nav for the
extra expense to which they put the city
by their wasteful abuse of the supply.
The fourth remedy, that of abolishing
the expense Of the Belleville corps of
idlers, we have left to the last, because
1t Mayor Hoos' idea of postponing the
act until we construct more reservoirs is
realized, at least a year must elapse be-
fore any saving can be made. 1t would
take that time at the owest to build any
reservoir large enough to- safeguard the
city in the event of an accident to the
East Jersey aqueduct.
For our own part, however, we hold
that the city might with safety turn out
the whole kit and crew at Belleville to-
morrow or ~today-the sooner the better.
One honest and Industrious machinist,
acting as caretaker, could keep the plant
In FAR better order than the present gang
OF sfnecurists actually do keep it. We all
know that when there was need for it,
last Christmas. the engines and pumps
were in such bad condition that it took
a whole day to start them, and common
sense viii tell anyone accustomed to the
use OF machinery that one man can keep
a whole engine room in good enough state
to be started up almost as fast as steam
can be made in the boilers. It only needs
daily application, with honesty, system
and an oil rag. If the entire force were
laid of, this city will at moments nos
tice supply all the engineers and coal
passers that are necessary to run the
plant, and the caretaker could act as
foreman. supplying the exact knowledge
necessary for safe operation.
The situation is a serious one. In com
mon ~parlance. It is up to the Street and
Water Commissioners. They nus find d
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