The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-02-08
VOTERS TAUGHT
Finance Board Defines the
Issues Of the Coming
Water Election.
SHALL WE BUY The PLANT !?
Purchase. While Advanta-
geous. in No Way Involves
Supply Contract


when President Henry Lembeek said that
the Board ought to call the attention OF
the public, through the local press TO tne
Importance of the election on Tuesday
next, on the question of purchasing or
non-purchasing the 5o0O0,0oO gallons water
plant from the Jersey City Water Conn
pany.
1T seems to me- said President Lem
Deck before we adjourn that We ought
to give public expression to the import
ance of the vote to be taken next Tues
day. This proposition to buy a plant OF
fifty million gallons of water for Jersey
City, for which we are to pay $7,5s0, 900, IS
indeed a very serious one for the tax
payers on whom the burden must fal.
Some expression of our action in this mat
ter ought to he made, and I will ask Mr..
Hfidlige, who has given the subject great
attention to say something
Commissioner William F. Midlige briefly
sketched the proposition to be voted upon
next Tuesday He said the Finance Board
had discussed the water question at con-
siderable length. A difference, he con-
tinued, existed in the minds of many tax
payers as to what the election was called
for and what the citizens had TO vote
upon Ballots had been prepared for
Tuesdays election which the citizen must
cast for or against the purchase of the
plant BY the contract made with Mr..
Flynn, he pointed out, no purchase of the
works was valid unless sanctioned by the
people. The Boards of Street and Water
Commissioners, Finance and lastly the
Mayor had decided on contract with
Mr. Flynn to buy the 50,O00,000 plant and
it only remained for the people to say
whether .hey would sanction the purchase
or not.
.aThe question therefore argued Mr..
Midlige resolves itself into this: Shall
this Board be authorized to bond the city
of Jersey City for the cost of the fifty
million gallons plant, costing 1855. 900?
Now we made that contract with our eyes
opened, and can say this, that we don't
propose to be in the hands of any syndi-
cate. That contract stands to give US
water at so much for every million gall
ions of water supplied. This election is
to authorize us to purchase the plant and
we have no voice, no authority, excepting
the voice of the people. which will author
ize us to bond the city for the cost of the
plant We made up our minds to pur-
chase this plant and we went into figures
and patiently and thoroughly discussed
the cost, daily consumption, increased
consumption caused by the growth of the
city's population and every other con-
tingent data We resolved after all this
that if we purchased the plant at bonds
at 4 per cent, in addition to the cost of
maintenance, we could at least save Jer-
sey City sl50,000 a year, and in twenty-five
years could wipe out the entire indebted
ness for the cost of the plant.
IA number of people, continued Mr..
Aidlige, has shown disposition 10 in
ject politics into the coming election.
Politics have nothing to do with our buy
ing this plant. Both the Finance and
Street and Water Boards voted on the
contract and the purchase of the fifty
million plant on completion of the works.
So those who talk of politics make q
grand mistake in turning the peoples at
tention from the real issue. The question
of Jersey City,s future prosperity is at
stake Without a water plant the city
cannot flourish; with one we will be bet
ter off selling than buying water
Commissioner John Mullins pointed cut
fhat II the city did not purchase the plant
by the terms of the contract the city
would be at the mercy of Mr.. p. H. Flynn
for at least three years, who could make
the taxpayers pay for a 50,900, 900 gallons
daily supply, even if they didn't use one
quarter of that amount. 1t certainly, Mr.
Mullins said, would be the wiser thing for
the taxpayers to buy the fifty million gal
Ions plant because they would unques-
tionably save money. Mr.. Flynn he
charged, injected the clause which in the
absence of purchase by the city, COM
PEELED the latter to take water by the fifty
million gallons daily.
1T were BETTER, concluded Mr.. Mullins
than that suggested of seventy millions.
Any business man studying the situation,
even from money point of view, would
at once say that what is proposed is the
best plan. A nice thing it would be for
the Board of Finance to place Jersey City
at the mercy of Mr.. Flynn for three years
and make us pay him for a fifty million
daily supply whether the works were COM
pleted or not. have no hesitation in say
ing that it is for the best interests of the
taxpayers of Jersey CITY that we ouy this
the ways and means of paying for 1t,
these will be found, and in the end Jersey
City will be the gamer"
Commissioner Jacob Ring1e said he
considered it astonishing when he found
people were advising others to vote
against the 80 million purchase
Il thought they were in the employ OF
Mr.. Flynn he said, because Mr. Flynn
will get far more money out of US by sell
ing us the water than selling US the plant.
# we purchase the. 70 millions plant at
p3lvvSsov1 fos.-A< 80 tre.5 70
1920, 600. I can't understand those who
have the interest of he people and city at
heart to vote against this purchase of the
plant. Those who oppose it are in the in
ferests of tthe Flynn syndicate We are
running behind in our water account now
at fearful rate. We will run into bank
Tuptcy if we were to buy water from the
FLYNN syndicate at per million gallons
daily. By buying the plant and selling
the water to Jersey City, in few years
we will wipe out our debt. Amy one with a
slight knowledge of figures can ngure that
out. This 80 million plant in, our hands
would be benefit to the city. Ine con-
tractor must furnish us with pure water,
and ii will he boom
Commissioner J. H Carnes remarked
that the proposition had been threshed
out thoroughly in conferences between
Mayor Hoos, the Boards of Finance and
Street and Water Commissioners. He
was sure that if those who opposed the
purchase of the fifty million gallon plant
had given the subject as close attention
as had been paid to it in these confer
ences they would unhesitatingly declare
in favor of the purchase.
Few" said Mr.. Carnes, sin this city
know the mathematics involved in this
question and l have often been surprised
to find that so many ask, What | am
voting .about?' If these would read the