The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-03-29
Newark Thinks Governor
Will Call One for
Sewer Bill.
HUDSON'S POSITION
Will Act With Essex If
Greenville and Bayonne
Are Protected.


Wednesday night, letter was read from
Senator McCarter, in which he said
AT the meeting of the Pollution Com
mittee on Monday last discouraged an
effort to call an extra session of the
Legislature unless it was certain that the
pollution bills could be passed, which
did not believe could be accomplished
without the assistance of the members
from Hudson County. In order that no
stone might be left unturned in this mat
ter l had a conversation with Robert
Davis, the leader of the Democratic or
ganization in Hudson County, who ex-
pressed himself as willing to aid with his
influence any measure to remove pollution
frem the Passaic River. provided It was
done by plan fair to Hudson County.
He suggested that should see Senator
Hudspeth of Hudson county, and take the
matter up with him, saying that whatever
would be satisfactory to the Senator
would be agreeable to him. 1 thereupon
went to Jersey City. and had a confer
ence with the Senator. 1 found that in
his Judgment the Hudson county oppo-
sition could be entirely removed if a pro-
vision was inserted in the bill defining
the powers of the commissioners to be Gp-
pointed, prohibiting them from emptying
the sewage in a noxious state at the out
let of a trunk sewer upon the shores of
Newark Bay, the objection being that
such action as this would merely transfer
the nuisance from a number of different
localities, as at present, to one locality,
and result in the ruin of the lower west
ern end of Hudson county.
Il told him that it was inconceivable to
me that any commission should undertake
to do this, and that if they should try to,
in my judgment. the courts would enjoin
work that abolished nuisance in one
place by creating it in another, and that
of course, any such trunk sewer plan
should carry with it a treatment plant,
which should remove from the sewage its
noxious ingredients. The Senator there
upon stated that a provision protecting
Hudson county in this manner should be
incorporated in the bill, to which 1 told
him 1 had no objection unless William
T. Hunt, president of the State Sewerage
Commission, should say it was imprac-
ucable. l communicated from Jersey City
with Mr.. Hunt over the telephone. He
said there was no objection to such pro-
vision Senator Hudspeth thereupon stated
that he would see Mr.. Davis during the
day and communicate with me later
tnereupon saw the Governor and laid the
situation fully before hiIn, and to nv
; great qualification he said that if he were
assured that the bills would pass, he
would at once call a special session of
the Legislature.
Still later this afternoon 1 have had
1uItner conversation over the telephone
with Senator --udspeth, in which he in
formed me he had conferred with Mr..
Davis on this subject and that, provided
hudson County is safeguarded in the
matter above outlined, the disposition of
the representatives of that county, so far
as Mr.. Davis and Senator Hudspeth can
lnnuence them, will be not only not to op-
pose the bills at special session, but
10 aid the cessation of pollution in the
Passaic. have no doubt, with the sup
port OF Hudson County, that bills of the
nature of Senate bills Nos. 100 and 102
can certainly be passed, and such
think, is the opinion of the Governor also
1t will take short time to draft an
amendment to the bill that will be agree
able TO Hudson County and to get the
matter in final shape, but it is progress
ing very rapidly.
Mr.. Davis said that the letter i lcally
related what passed between n and
McCarter. He said that he was willing
to do all he could to help Essex purify
the Passaic, provided the interests of
Hudson were safeguarded, but the plan
which was generally spoken OF, that of a
trunk sewer emptying into Newark Bay,
would only transfer the danger complain
ca of from the banks of the Passaic in
Bayonne i'll Hudson. This of course Hud-
son could not tolerate for minute, and
all the efforts of the members of the Leg
islature from Hudson county would be
directed in defeating the proposed Legis-
lature. What influence he possessed, Mr..
Davis further said, would be exerted IN
the same direction
If, on the other hand, disposal plant
should be erected on the west shore of the
bay, at when the sewage from the Pac-
sale Valley would be disposed of on
scientific lines, Mr.. Davis continued, he
4 would do all he could to help Essex Sc
cure the legislation requisite for puri-
sucn a disposal plant on Long Island, and
was satisfied that if similar works were
erected on the meadows they would an
sWer the purpose without infiicting a
serious injury on Hudson.
There was no doubt Mr.. Davis said that
the ondition of the Passaic was most de-
plorable and should be remedied as soon
as possible, but it could not be done to
Hudsons injury.
AT this same meeting Peter M. Van
Riper, of Belleville, announced that he
was present to inquire what part the
farmers We're going to take in the mat
ter; what share of the prospective cost
they would be compelled to bear. The
taxes, he said, were now as heavy as the
farmers could struggle under. All the
money they had was laid out in the land
they owned, and there was no way of
raising assessments unless by getting the
wherewithal out of the ground by hard
knocks
When Mr.. Van Riper began to blame
the Republican party for the death of
the pollution bills. Mr.. Jenkinson arose
to protest.
Il object to this gentleman's speaking =
said the former president. I'm the first
place. he is not a member of this Board;
in the second place, he is talking poll
tics''
Mr. Bigelow took issue with Mr.. Jen-
kinson, maintaining that the meeting was
public one, at which any one should be
allowed to speak.
mot if he speaks on politics. declared
Mr.. Jenkinson.
Il will talk on politics as long as am
a member of the Board, retorted Judge
Bigelow.
Il appeal to the members to stop it!''
exclaimed Mr.. Jenkinson.
1t was not necessary, as Mr.. Van Ripper
sat down, with the remark that unless
the Board of Trade makes this political
measure it will, in his opinion, never pre-
vail.
Il might say to Mr.. Van Riper,, Assem-
blyman Rice interposed, "that but for the
abusiveness of Essex the old bill might
have passed. But for Senator McCarter' S
abuse of Hudson member we might have
reconsdered and passed the BILL 1t was
not too late to do So"
A committee Of citizens of both parties
from Newark, Orange, Harrison, East
Newark, Kearny and Bel1eville was APP
pointed to visit Governor Voorhees, and
persuade him TO call an extra session. The
Essex people feel confident that the Gov
er130r viii acceed to their wishes and the
McCarter bills will become laws.