New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-12
INJURY CAUSED BY RIVER POLLUTION.
METHODS OF PATERSON AND CHICAGO IN DIS
POSING OF THEIR SEWAGE

POSING OF THEIR SEWAGE
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir; Paterson and Chicago have secured an I'M
enviable reputation by the success with which they
have polluted the waters of the adjacent rivers
and the endeavors which they are making to COM
pei others to take the consequences and suffer any
injury which such pollution may produce the at
tempt of the city of Chicago to turn its refuse into
the Mississippi River. and the objection MADE
thereto by the city of St Louis and its ef1orts 10
restrain this act will watched with interest, as
it Is unjust that in this age of improvement such
conduct, worthy of medieval times. should be per-
mtted.
The old maxim that one should use his own so
not to injure his neighbor, seems to be abso-
lutey lost sight of. or in fact. reversed. ana II
would If the maxim were low to be read
that, if your neghbor IS injured by the use OF
your let him take the consequences ana pe
satisfied IS to be earnestly hoped that the city
Of St. Louis viii succeed in preventing the I'M
necessary pollution of the Mississippi River. not
only as it is unnecessary, but unjust ana uh'
economical. The city of Paterson. as well as the
city of Chicago is permitting TO go to waste prop
erty which, if conserved and subjected TO very
easy processes would yield considerable and val
liable products: and that this sewage snould oe
dumped into rivers and permitted 10 IolSom a u
the adjoining properties throughout the Wnoe
length and course of the river Wouu DE he nam
hood to assert their rights In the proper trloua al
Jersey City virtually abandon its valua pie water
plant at Beevie, the city OF Newark give up IIS
equally valuable plant near the same place, ana
both of said cities subjected to enormous expenses
by corporations which have secured the upper
waters of the Passaic and now selling them; TO
the absolute damage of all property owners below
intake of their works. and to the almost entire
destruction of the extremely valuable water plants
above referred thus adding unnecessarily 10 the
taxes and expenses of these two cities
The property owners on the line OF the river pc
low this intake are also damaged. because the
presence of the sewage is more evident by reason
of the reduction of the flow of water, and yet
neither Newark Jersey City nor any citizen on
the line of this river has apparently the courage
to present his IN court and secure the RELIEF
which the will be bound to grant and enforce
the damages against the city of Paterson which
they would be bound to recover; and 1t IS only by
united effort the part of each individual prop
this sewage recover the damages to himself IN
continues that the wrong can be stopped
Appeals to the Legislature for assistance are
useless. acts of the Legislature simply mean
that they must be enforced and the courts are the
only places where the same car be enforced; and
the rights of property owners cannot be made any
more clear than they are now by any further legis-
laton. If the city of ST. Louis can only succeed
and it is hoped that it will succeed-in preventing
the city Of Chicago from throwing it's sewage into
the Mississippi, it may possibly excite Newark or
Jersey City the property OWL ers on the banks
of the Passalc to enforce their own rights against
the city of Paterson ANDERSON PRICE.
New-York, Dec. IS, 1899.