New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-11
THE SEWAGE PROBLEM.
ACTION BY THE NEXT LEGISLATURE
PROBABLE.
THE COMMISSION LIKELY TO DE INVESTED WITH
SUFFICIENT POWERS TO DEAL WITH


There is every to believe that the New-Jers
sey Legislature will at the next session pass law
to invest the Sewage Commission with sufficient
power deal finally with river pollution and sewer
age
The demand for the creation OF such Commits
sion In the fall OF 1885, when the pollution In
the Passac River. aggravated by a prolonged
drouth, caused great nuisance. The Legislature
OF 1896 provided for a Commission which during
that year made Investigations. employed engineers
and adopted plans for trunk sewer In the Passaic
Valley from Paterson TO the Bay. The report by
pigeonhoed and n second Commission with limited
powers was appointed by the Governor. The report
then fourth commission provided for by the
sioners general powers. which were thought to be
tailed The Commission appointed had no au-
thority as TO established sewerage plants. but u
was empowered TO supervise the erection OF all
new ones. TO deal with all new questions Of sewer
age and 10 make investigation with special refer
With these restricted powers the Commissioners
had legislative appropriation either for salaries
PAID by the Governor out Of the Emergency Fund.
The Commission visited points In New England to
examine sewerage systems and made trips else
where for necessary Information; Including points
other data. with the conclusions and recommen1a-
tions by the Commission viii be embodied In re-
port to the Legislature next winter
WORK OF THE COMMISSION.
william i. Hunt, OF Newark. president or inc
Commission. was asked by a Tribune correspondent
yesterday what work the Commission had accom-
plished and what recommendations would be made
in the Commissions forthcoming report TO the
Legislature. Mr.. Hunt gave a general idea OF the
results OF the Commissions labors. and said that.
regarding recommendations, these had not yet
been formulated and he could not therefore speak
for the Commission. He could express MS individ.
ual ideas and perhaps forecast some Of the subject
matter OF the Commissions report.
In reference 20 the acts OF the Commission Mr.:
Hunt spoke Of special cases where it had exercised
One case was that OF Rdgehed. Bergen County.
which was about to establish new N sewersse sys
instead sIi do Of a co" combined system m. ~ 'N'
The State Reformatory at Railway was another
sewage into the RAILWAY River. Protest made
and the Commission interfered The sewage VIII
TO drain into the stream. There were also several
cases in South Jersey to receive the COMMISSIONS
The most important case has been that OF the
be communitIes Interested being originally the an.
nexed part OF Newark. lrvington. South Orange.
Mllburn and now Elizabeth. Summit also wants to
OF its pollution There was strong objection to this
sewer by oyster interests and Inhabitants OF the
. upper shore up 10 two years ago The Commission
has patiently examined into the matter. and next
affected and render decision a week later; THIS
sen is large enterprise and Carried tesous
The Commission has attended TO other details
tens The latter city has water supply system.
The Commission decided that disposal plants must
ne put IN
REPORTS FROM MUNICIPALITIES
The first thing TO be done after the commission
organized" said Mr. Hunt. was to get reports
from municipalities These reports show large
number OF municipalities with water supplies and
no sewerage systems In some places there are
and other points on the seacoast. There had been
considerable complaint on this score Some locali-
OF the Commisson's report will be OF value as well
of interest and II will present facts and figures
England gland at Reading, penn, and elsewhere, the
Commission has had communications from other
States showing the laws and methods OF sewerage
and public relations to the same. But the Com
missioners have recognized right along that their
primary work has reference TO the Passaic Valley.
the Commission for the purpose OF general view
ed by common evil.'
THE POLLUTION OF THE PAssAIC.
Mr. Hunt said there were certain salient facts
10 be dealt with. The first the fact that
Newark discharged into the Passaic enormous
daily volume Of sewage which e extended well up
at Midland Bridge added largely 10 the nuisance
East br amS bs a
and Newark sewers. Further up the river Belle
vile. Rutherford and Passaic emptied sewage into
son discharged all its sewage into the Passaic At
Paterson the sewage outlet Is almost entirely below
the city. and therefore the question OF pollution
has not been extensively presented TO the Pater
son people as to communities below In the river
valley They could not, therefore. be reconcied to
great municipal expense probably exceeding
bonded debt and high tax rate.
ITO attempt to do anything in the Passaic Val:
be OF no Practical Utility But Paterson has Seen
against her Changes the situation That decson
places New-Jersey well In advance OF other States.
must be. done. and is evidently willing to accept
ticaly confined the expense
THE EAST JERSEY WATER COMPANY.
Another potent fact is the agency OF the East
Jersey Water Company In reducing the flow OF the
stream by diversion OF the water and thus ncreas-
Ing. the nuisance, The company withdraws sixty
million gallons daily at the Pequannock and large
increased The normal flow OF the Passac has not
been materially affected but the serious feature IL
came down and secured the river OF it's Impurities
1t is not strictly duty OF the Commission to
explained. but there question OF RESPONSE
bility involved in the existing conditions whether
tolerance Of great evil should not otI give Their help
n the Srk . Of T g, the Rq 'b6 rnk
service the best practical plan but that Is my In
dividual view What is OF first Importance is for
the problem in the Passac Valley decide upon the
gineers and pursue further necessary investigation"
TWO DISTRICTS PROPOSED.
The Commission has considered the plan OF Great
ing two sewerage districts OF which one shall be
Newark the Oranges. Bloomfield. Belleville and
Montcair with river tunnel connection with Har-
rison 20 take the sewage from that side OF the
river The other district would be Paterson Passaic
and Rutherford. BY the use OF intercepting sewers
the district sewage can be carried TO some place
for partial treatment TO remove the offensive mat
ter The Newark district could use the meadows,
and In fact the distinct systems could unite
to make the meadows a place OF general disposal.
Nr Hunt said that the Commission had not gone
into this part OF the subject. and did not express
On The general question o. disposal works. Mr..
Hunt added the Commission had definite Views.
'It Is a fact" said Mr.. Hunt that European
communities are further advanced than We are.
They have special systems for special cases, and
they have been more willing TO spend money than
we have been The Commission will ask the I.egis-
lature take action 10 into effect the Cham
Gerry Court decisions and explain what may be done
II will be recommended that some authority be
created with powers similar 10 those OF the FIRST
Commission with means TO employ engineers and
70 conduct investigations and power TO adopt meth