The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-10
WANT MORE WATER.
The Supply Is Inadequate
In the Hudson City
Section.
MAYOR HOOS GETS LETTERS
Mr.. soltau Doesn't Believe
In Paying for Poster
ity's Comfort.

May HooS, today, received two letters
on the subject of a water suoply- The
first was from Andrew Spring. He is rms
agent for the apartment houses at Nos
4S9 and 49, Central venue Mr.. SPRING.
chief complaint was that more tnan hall
the time it was impossible for tenants
above the first floor to procure water. BY
reason of the lack of supply, he say Ii
is difficult and almost impracticable te
keep houses tenanted.
He is the agent for houses in Summit
avenue, and he asserts that conditions are
worse there han in Central avenue, be-
cause the houses are at a greater eieya-
ton. In Summit avenue people frequently
fiLd it necessary, he declares, to collect
water in tubs over night SO that they may
have a supply for he succeeding day
After reviewing the inconvenience of an
inadequate supply, Mr.. Spring writes shat
it apparently makes no difference TO Jer-
sey City whether a few million dollar be
added to the debt or not. He insists
that the water rents are exorbiiar.t. Mr..
Spring does not complain about the pro-
posed award to Mr. Flynn. He says he
want water and plenty of it, so that his
tenants can get a supply of the water ne
is paying so dearly FOR.
There has always been more or less
trouble about giving Hudson Cityites a
bountiful supply. The difficulty has been
that the water mains supplying the sec
ton from High Service are too small The
Street and Water Commissioners are en-
deavoring to remedy the difficulty by lay
ing pipes of greater carrying capacity
Mr.. Chris. Saltau is the author of the
second letter. He is a resident of the
Hudson City section and supposed to be
a McEwan sympathizer. He declares that
because people have not written to the
Mayor about the proposed award to Flynn
it is not an evidence of Indifference. Their
silence, he maintains, is due to the fact
that property owners a not had time
to study the problem or give it the
thought such an important matter de-
serves. He also intimates that it would
be useless for the public to interfere after
the city officials have agreed to perform
an act. To acquire a supply for future
generations may be technically right, but
it is practically wrong, he observes. Prop
erty owners, he writes, are already over
burdened with taxes and property is
worthless. He also insists that property
owners of this city are slaves of the com
munity.
Our lives are spent" he writes, Gin an
endeavor to find prosperity, and there IS
no prospect of accomplishing that result.
| doubt if it is right to burden this gener-
alton for the the benefit of futurity. 1t
is asking too much for us to pay for a
supply for those who are to follow us.
II that course is pursued there will be
a great many invisibles, a great many
incapables and few survivors. We have
a good temporary supply, and / am in
formed that, at a small cost, the Pas
sale could be remedied and made a good
supply. So fas as I can see, I fail to
understand how the proposed new supply
is to be kept free from contamination.
Our present supply would be cheapest if
laws on the statute books were enforced
as they should be.
IF this supply is acquired, we will be
slaves for fifty years at least. / have
been a slave for thirty years. and can see
no escape so long as the proposition to
buy new water remains before US. Hun
dreds of our property owners have al
ready been drowned trying to keep their
heads above water"
Mayor Hoos filed the letters away.
Corporation Counsel McDermott had a
long talk with Mayor Hoos this morning
The water question is what engaged the
attention of the officials. Mr.. McDernott
contract about which the Mayor enter
tainS some doubt. 1t is eXnected that the
contract will be signed by the Mayor after
he has heard Mr.. Mcl1wan and his