The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-15
POLLUTION TALK.
Senate Committee on judi
ciary Hears Arguments
on the PASSAGES
Condition.
plrzRsou's CITIZENS PROTEST
Say the Proposed Measure Is
Injurious to the Growth
of Their City.
Especial to "The Jersey city News."ls

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey CITY News. ]
TRENTON, March Is, 1Sss.-For over
two hours yesterday afternoon the senate
Committee on Judiciary heard arguments
for and against the Passaic Pollution
Commissioners bill to prevent the further
pollution of the river.
Former Governor George 7. Werts, VINO
drew the bill for the Commission, ex-
planned it and the conditions when ne
cessitated the investigation of the sources
of contamination of the Passalc n the
need of legislation prohibiting 1urtner
polluting of the stream
Mayor Hinchliffe, of Paterson, asked II
the bill required the city of Paterson 70
become a part of the proposed sewerage
district. Ex-Governor Werts replied that
there is such a clause in the bill, ana
Mayor Hinchliffe then said:-"Thls is dls-
advantageous to us, as it places Paterson
in the grasp of the municipalities Whlch
pay less for the work than we would nave
to pay. Another question to be consld-
cred is that we are now taxed up TO Sixty
one per cent. of our valuations ana TINS
immense project would be likely TO put
more of a burden upon us than we can
bear. The Legislature should go Slowly
in this matter and not put a burden upon
us that would raise our tax rate beyond
the limit of the law. 1t would be I'M
nossible to restore the Passaic River to
it's pristine loneliness, to make 1T the clear.
| limpid. sparkling stream that it was IN
| DAYS of wore. The wash from the stress
would so pollute it that it would not be
| acceptable TO Newark by the time 1t
reaches there. The act treats of the
| emptying of coloring matter into the river
| Why, if you make us stop that you drive
away the industries of our city and our
manufacturers will ave to seek other
| locations. We claim that this coloring
| matter is not injurious to public health.
Again, we do not do his thing malicious
ly. 1t is a condition that follows the de-
| velopment of a city, that must exist. II
! the Legislature will take away the Dun
| dee dam then we will be blessed and not
| damned. The dan is worse than the
pollution. There is an Instance in which
| we could be benefited by legislation. Take
away the dam and all this matter will be
| carried to tide-water by the natural flow
of the river"
Franklin Van Wrinkle, an engineer of
/ Paterson, said he was surprised that the
| committee of the Legislature should give
| attention to a proposition from a commits
sion that had no authority to make such
a proposition. The plan of the commis-
sion is unjust to the city of Paterson,
Mr.. Van Wrinkle said, and as an engineer
he did not approve of it.
Senator johnson inquired what the Pat
erson people would suggest.
Mayor Hinchliffe replied:-"The prepar-
| alton of a bill appropriating $4,000 for
expert practical investigation by prac-
| ticaI men, who shall report to the Legis-
lature."
Assemblyman Wood Mckee, of Passaic
| County, followed in the line of Mr.. Van
| Wrinkle. 1.-THE law under which this com
| mission was appointed" said Mr.. Mckee,
"provides that they shall report their con-
illusions and present a plan to be en-
| bodied in a bill to the Legislature. This
bill in no possible way sets forth any plan
by which any municipality is restrained
from emptying sewage into any part of
the river. This bill creates a commission
to devise a plan to do the very work for
which it was appointed. 1t does not re-
port any plan; nor does it say what the
plan must be under which the new COM
mission is to operate. With all due re-
spect to the commission that might be APP
pointed under this bill, that commission
might decree that the city of Paterson