The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-01-16
NOW FOR
THE VOTE.
Water Conference Termin-
ates in Unanimous Decis-
ion to Buy 50,0oo,0OO
Gallons.
MAYOR TO CALL SPECIAL ELECTION.
Street and wate Commits
sioners Unconvinced But
Anxious for Harmony.
MAYOR TO CALL SPECIAL ELECTION.

The threatened deadlock over the ques-
tion of the water supply was amlcapiy
avoided this morning at a conference pc
tween the members of the Street and
Water Board, Commissioners of Finance
and Mayor Hoos 1t was decided by the
Street and Water Board to introduce a
resolution providing for the 50 millionsgal-
ions daily supply at price of s75so,Ooo
.It must be UNDERSTOOD" said Colonel
r. c. Smith. president of the Street and
Water Board, after the conference was
over. that our position has not changed
in this matter 1t has been clearly defined.
We believed that the purchase of the 70
million gallons supply was to the best
Interests of the city, but the gentlemen
of The Board of Finance think differently.
We found that it was impossible to con-
vert them to our views. They simply did
mot view the question IN the same light
as we do. and in order that this urgent
matter of a new water supply should not
be obstructed by amy dog-in-the-manger
policy. we have decided to pass on the
smaller quantity
Mayor Hoos, without " bose consent, ac-
cording to law, this pu phase cannot be
made. has been all alorlg opposed to the
larger quantity. His Honor thinks it un-
necessary and he had this to say after
the conference closed:-
1--WE discussed the question fully and
I raised the same objections to the larger
supply which have done before. I think
now as 1 did then that a 50 million gal
lon daily supply will be ample for the
city for many years to come. The Board
of Street and Water Commissioners hav-
ing found that the Board of Finance
shared my views, acted in the best in
terests of the city by deciding to change
the supply from the 70 to the so million
gallon. There was no friction and now
there is nothing in the way towards OBJ
tanning new supply"
The Mayor said that he had not yet
made up his mind when he would issue
the proclamation for the special election.
He will probably determine the date to-
morrow So that everybody in the city
shall have full opport unity to understand
the question before voting on it; His
Honor Will allow sufficient interval be-
tween the time of the issue of the proc
lamation and the election. The date will
be before February rs when the year is
up, so far as the contract is concerned.
Commissioners Lembecx, Ringle, Null
Inns and Carnes wer reticent about the
conference Commissioner Midlige briefly
said that the discussion was perfectly har-
monious everyone anxious to arrive at the
best solution to the problem. The Street
and Water Commissioners simply said
that they had done their duty as they
saw it and they had nothing to regret.
1t was no use holding out because the
public would suffer. They had passed
ipcr he CO 0f the
70 million gallons supply, the Board of
Finace refused to concur in it and the
Mayor had signed the noncurrence resolu-
ton What else was there for, them to
do? No purchase could be made for a sup
ply without the consent of the Board of
Finance and the Mayor and finding that,
there was only to act for the interests of
the city by taking the smaller supply.
Mr. Robert Davis, who has been in favor
of buying the seventy million supply, said
this morning, when he learned what the
conference had resulted in, that he regret
ted that only the fifty million plant could
be secured
81 think" he said, 'the Board of Fin
ance has been i'll advised when it re-
fused to concur in the resolution to buy
the larger quantity and am sure that in
a few years to come not only it but
the people will find thatsit was mistake
to buy the smaller quantity This fifty
million plant means loss and detriment
ultimately to Jersey City. That confer
ence the other day was, in my judgment
badly managed. It was highly improper
in a talk among the city officials on the
question of buying the water plant to per
nit to- take part in that conference the
representatives of the contractor and al
low them to run it as it were. still think
that when the people understand this
matter fully they viii see that the Street
and Water Board was right in advocating
the pursase of the fifty million plant.