The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-07-20
SEEK A REVIEW.
Improvement Associations
Decide to Contest Passaic
Pollution Decision.
FEAR EFFECT ON NEW SUPPLY
Mass Meeting to Be Called
to Raise Funds to Secure
Eminent Counsel.
FEAR EFFECT ON NEW SUPPLY

take to the United States supreme Souie
for review the decision of the Court OF
Last Resort in this State in the Passaic
pollution case eliminated last night IN
the formation of committee to arrange
a mass meeting and collect funds to pay
the lawyers.
The Bergen Association has invited
representatives of other similar organiza-
tions to confer with them and the re-
suit was gathering of ten people in the
Board of Trade rooms last night, and
these were:-Messrs. A. J. Corcoran, John
Casey, of the Second Ward Improvement
Association; Isaac Romaine, Humphrey
W. Carr, John ]. Hopken, Neil Campbell,
Max Salinger, Theodore Frye, of the
Bergen Associations Lebbeus b. Ward,
and Geo. J. McEwan Mr.. Romaine pre-
sided
Mr.. Lebbeus B. Ward being invited to
state the objects of the meeting went over
the history of the fight against the pollu-
tion of the Passaic River commencing
with the Chancery suit instituted in 1898
by the riparian owners in Paterson, who
had suffered damage from the contamin-
alton of the stream, fight, he said in
which Jersey City Joined. Chancellor
rights in the river had been reversed by
the Court of Errors and it should be re-
viewed by the United States Courts.
Geo. ]. McEwan followed with more
extended statement of the status of the
case In reply to question put by Mr..
Ward. he said that the effect of the de-
cision would be to remove the safeguards
OF the purity of water to be supplied by
the Rockaway River. The basic question
was: Are the rivers of New Jersey open
sewers or are they not? The court, he
said, had upheld in the affirmative, and
that in Mr.. McEwan's legal Judgment,
put Jersey City in the position that sup
posing Dover and other towns on the
Rockaway proposed to pollute the stream
the city couldn't enjoin them, but could
only sue for damages.
Mr.. Max Salinger suggested the way to
procure means to carry up the case for re-
view. The people must be aroused, he
said, because it was only their question,
and they ought to shell out to secure their
rights He moved the appointment of
committee to collect funds for the fight
Mr. II. W. Carr moved to amend that by
giving that committee power to confer
with others for mass meeting.
Before Chairman Romaine could get a.
chance to put the motion the members
drifted into calamity howl over the
present water contract. Wouldn't it be
an awful thing if anyone could pollute the
new supply at their own sweet will? Then
the cost of the new supply was discussed
and one member had it So 900, 900 and an
other $4,000, 900, while a third didn't care
what it cost if some one was to be al
lowed to pour slops into the Rockaway
j. j. Hopken, as an ex-member of the
famous committee of 100; leading Re-
publican politician and a member of Ber-
gen Association, said it was a serious
thing, and if other organizations failed to
respond for funds Bergen would supply
the money. (Applause.)
Mr.. George J. McEwan insisted that the
Court of Errors was wrong in its decis-
ion, and such lawyers as Attorney Cen
eral Stockton and James B. Vredenburgn
were of his opinion.
Having settled that mass meeting
should be held Mr. Theo. Frye wanted
mass meetings all over the city at the
same time, say three or four. Mr.. Salin-
ger ridiculed that scheme-only one and a
rousing one would do. Then Brother
Hopken gallantly thought of the ladies,
and shouldn't they be invited.
what, to speak?" cried Mr.. Ward, hor-
rffied.
Mr.. Andrew j. Corcoran in his prac-
tical way brought the wandering talk to
focus by moving that Messrs. VIM.
Brinkerhoff, John M. Jones and j. War
rem Hardenbergh be a committee to
look after the legal end of the movement
that way they were to ascertain what
time there was to begin suit, how it
should be begun and so forth.
''To my mind" said Mr.. Corcoran, s.the
principal thing in this matter is not
whether we can upset this decision of
the Court of Errors and Appeals as to
Jersey City's rights in the stream; not
whether we can sue the cities polluting it
for the loss of our pumping plant at
Belleville: but how far this will affect
Jersey City's rights in the Rockaway
River after she has purchased her new
plant there? That is the question and
the all important one to every taxpayer
Now, to ascertain that we ought to have
the advice of competent people to guide
US in this purely legal question and for
that purpose move the committee be
appointed
The continuous performance mass
meeting was laid on one side and Mr..
Corcoran's motion prevailed with a rider
suggested by Mr.. Ward that the com
mittee be empowered to add to its num-
bers. Mr. Ward and Mr. McEwan and
possibly x-Congressman McEwan will be
added
When Chairman Romaine announced
that he would appoint as a committee to
make arrangements for the solitary mass
meeting Messrs. Salinger, Carr and Casey
straightway each one, like the guests in
the parable began to make excuses, but
they didn't go. Mr.. Frye asked that he
be added to the committee to give them
the benefits of his labors and that was
agreed to- That committee will at once
get their heads together. put out posters
and handbills fora mass meeting to be
held in the City Hall to collect funds,
while the other committee will attend to
the selection of eminent counsel to con-
Duct the fight.
Il MOVE said Mr.. Max Salinger, who
Is an eminent counsel himself, shat Mr..
McEwan be retained.
Mr. McEwan blushed smiled and waved
the honor aside q la Gloster's Duke Of
unhappy memory. The incident close and
So did the conference.