The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-23
RECLAMATION
or MEADOWS.
Newark's Board Of Trade
Asks the Cooperation Of
Our Board to Pass the
Ketcham Bill.
Mr.. SALOMON'S ADDRESS
Dangers That Lurk in Four
Thousand Acres of Marsh
Mr.. G. g. vermeule's
Speech.
Mr.. SALoMON's ADDRESS

Elizabeth was the specific subject dis
cussed at Tuesday nights meeting OF the
Board of Trade. The citizens OF Newark
in general and the Board of Trade of that
city being Interested in the passage OF
what is known as the Ketcham bill, which
has special reference to the reclamation
of the meadows. a small delegation from
Newark were present to urge cooperation
by Jersey City with Newark's place.
President Myron j. Furst introduced as
the first speaker Mr.. r. G. Solomon.
Chairman of the Committee of the New
ark Board of Trade on Reclamation Of
the Meadows, and he unfolded his ideas IN
the following speech
1.-THE matter regarding which l am 70
speak to you this evening is one OF VITA
Importance to you and every person rs.
siding and doing business IN your CITY, ~
your county and in the entire vicinity. Il
is the reclamation of the Newark mea-
dows and also the meadows OF ElZanesn
is not of as vital Importance TO any city
as it is to the city of Newark, ITS m = eo
dows embracing a space OF apou .rh; f.'y "
a great pest breeding filth centre, ana l
doubt whether Sodom and Gemorran
could have committed 4 greater wrong
vicinity in allowing this Gambler Of Hor3
| rors to exist. thereby creating maiarlai
| miasma and the breeding OF mosquitoes:
This I1sssn spot sfa bla' An8tbing t Done f By New
| ark must be a benefit to Jersey CITY. Inc
westerly winds carry all the nulsancesI
| malaria and mosquitoes-of the Newark
marshes to your doors. Likewise any
thing which you DO Will pc OF oehell 70
1.-THE cost of changing this pest-hole sec
ton and a * g a g g aoa acr ei 7 tbe ~ same me
being a part of our city lands, would
not cost more than one million dpllars,
and the yearly cost for the maintenance
of the same would be about $40 per acre,
for the pumping, repairing, dyklng, slalc-
ing, etc. This expense should be borne
by us, not by the State, but we must use
all our combined influence to bring about
the passage of the necessary, legislative
power, giving to our municipality. and 70
the others the right to do this work, With
the so-called s'Ketcham. Bill" Nc. GO,
which is now before our Legislature. we
must use our combined influence TO see
that the same becomes. a laws 50 as not
alone to enable Newark to take up the
work of reclamation, but SO that Jersey
City, Elizabeth, Paterson, etcp can nave
the same right.
1--WE must put the meadows. into a good
sanitary condition. We should energeti-
| cally act in concert with each other, 50
| as to do away with this abOminable IN
iuence, so that no prejudice can further
exist, and that our vicinity will be made
1 III u
courage manufacturing, etc. AS already
stated, the meadows must be put IN a
| sanitary condition., for health IS wealth..
The increase in the value of the meadow
| land and the surrounding property will,
on account of the increased taxable VAL
ues, be a source of profit to our cities.
| In Newark we are suffering. on account
| of improper drainage and sewerage, anu
if the meadows are opened and properly
provided with pumping stations, etc, we
will easily overcome this great hindrance,
both as regards sewerage AND storm wa.
ter. This will also be beneficial to the
other localities lying back or NeWark.
The intercepting sewer which the city OF
Newark built at a tremendous outlay mas
proven to be a farce. 1t is useless, a
complete ruin, and all the filth is spread
out on the meadows. The polluted Fas-
sale River carries the sewage down TO
the meadows, and the same is deposited
there. We must avoid the spread OF con-.
tagious diseases, and we cannot do so I'M
less this filth reservation is put in a SAN
itary condition. So far Providence mas
protected US against the breaklng out OF
any scourge or pestilence; but God forbid
that in our present condition, we should
be inflicted with such a calamity. We
would suffer by far more than did Ham
burg during the cholera scourge. we are
now deeply interested. In, putting Havana
in a sanitary condition, and in doing TINS
we have lost one of the noblest of our
men, Colonel Waring. Should we not see
that we perform the. duty nearest us first,
that Is, sweeping before our own doors
before sweeping elsewhere, as whatever
may occur, the responsibility will rest
with us citizens, and particularly the cit
liens of Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth,
etc.
"Year by year we record the constant
Increase of our population and of our in
d%ustries, and as the population increases
meadows is allowed to increase day by
day, and their emissaries, the mosquitoes,
aid in spreading contagion. The gases
emanating from these sections increase
the malarial miasma and consequent sick
nesses. and this is going on day by day.
Newark and Elizabeth are now fully
awake to the necessity of retaining the
this question. and the most intense public
interest is centered in the matter. This
is the greatest opportunity for our various
Boards of Trade to move energetically
and exert due influence on the city, county
and State boards, SO that the lurking
danger is overcome. The Boards of Trade
of our cities are the best and only mouth
pieces that are ~non-poittieai, in which
our work can be best joined, and every
good citizen should join our Board, SO as
to assist in the solution Of this now SO
great public question. Not alone has
Newark insufficient sewerage accomme-
dations, but one part of our city is al
most entirely without even the most
necessary.
s'We must act In conjunction with our
several Boards Of Health and the State
Board of Health, as well as the medical
fraternities, in this matter. We should
stand shoulder to shoulder, in which case
we will make a success of 1t. All petty
prejudices between the various commune
ties hould cease.
Il would like to see your Board of Trade
appoint a most active chairman for the
same, to cooperate with like committees
representing the other committees in
terested. Let US work Systematically.
We can make the meadow lands, which
are now in such an unhealthful condition,
a most beautiful and healthful garden
section, until they are open for manu-
featuring purposes, residential sites, etc.
Our meadows are right in the heart of q
are used for the raising of vegetables and
flowers, for which purpose they are used
in Holland, we have the markets right
at our doors, while Holland has to ship
its truck and floral products to distant
cities in England, Belgium, France, etc.
II assure you that il you will fall in
line with our Newark Board of Trade in
helping us to solve this problem, we will
appreciate it and gladly serve you when
opportunity offers
Mr.. James McMaster, of the Elizabeth
Board of Trade, was the next speaker. He
said that committees from Newark, Pas
eating the dredging of Staten Island
Sound for the purpose of securing a chan
mel al feet deep and 500 feet In width,
which would. when finished be an enor-
nous benefit, not solely to Elizabeth and
Bayonne, but to Newark n Jersey city.
up In that question, ne continued,
was that OF draining the meadows sur
rounding almost Elizabeth. The Boards
OF Trade, he said, In all the cities lying
4 ro1fsntxr,,r ~ H. r1nodnurc chn111d 14nfro