The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-02-06
Mayor Mcclellan Begs That
the Borough Be Exempted
From the Provisions of a
New Jersey Water Bill
II DEPENDS ON NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK is NOT IN A POSI-
TION 10 SUPPLY IT'S NEEDS
GOVERNOR STOKES FORWARDS
THE LETTER TO THE LEGIsLA.
TURE WITHOUT COMMENT.
Especial to .-The Jersey city News .

Especial to tsThe Jersey City News.'D
TRENTON, Feb. 6. 1906.-Governor
Stokes submitted to both Houses last
night copy of a letter he had received
from Mayor George B. Mcclellan. of
New York, protesting against any legis-
lation which would prevent Staten Is
land from receiving water supply from
this State. This is the letter.
"City of New York-Office of the Mayor,
January 26. 1906.
"Hon. E. G. Stokes. Governor of the
State of New Jersey, Trenton, N j.:
"Sir:-I have the honor to request
your cooperation in an effort about to be
made to secure modification of the law
enacted at the last session of the Legis-
lature of the State of New Jersey, which
in effect prohibits the sale of water from
sources within the state to persons or
corporations outside New Jersey. The
modi6ca ton desired is to secure exemp-
ion from this provision for the City OF
New York. so as to enable it to secure
the quantity of wafer necessary to sup
ply the territory known as Staten Island,
which, as the borough of Richmond,
forms part of the City of New York.
81 understand that certain interested
persons have raised the question of the
constitutionality of the act. but / have
no desire to discuss that or any other
i gal phase of the question. my purpose
being to remove. if possible, an obstacle
which may delay or prevent the purchase
by this city of the needed water from
New Jersey sources of supply.
Staten Island is separated from the
rest of the city by large body of salt
water, and has no connection with our
great city reservoirs, and within its own
territory there cannot be procured a suf-
icient quantity of pure water to supply
the need sof the present population of
about $4,000 people or to provide for the
rapidly increasing population in that ter
ritory.
'"Tbe United States government has i'm
portant Notifications. on the island, as
well slight houses, marine hospital and
other institutions, and these have to be
provided with water from the regular
city supply.
q few years sources of water supply will
be developed in our own State and acque
ducts constructed which win enable us
to furnish all that may be needed for the
use and development of Staten Island,
but until that provision can be made we
must depend upon a supply from the
State of New Jersey, as supply from the
island itself is inadequate.
''The problem has been passed upon
by Mr.. John r. Freeman, Mr.. William
H. Burr. Mr.. Rudolph Herring and a
number of other distinguished hydraulic
engineers, so that the conclusions which.
here state are not mine, but theirs, and
you will readily see how important it is
to this city, especially the borough of
Richmond, that an adequate supply of
water be procured from the State of New
Jersey.
II understand that the motive which
induced this legislation last year was not
affected by the taking of SO small a
quantity of water as might be used for
the next five or ten years by the borough
of Richmond, and that therefore there
would be no serious objection to making
the desired exemption.
need hardly suggest as an additional
reason for the exercise of interstate COM
ity ON the part of the State of New Jer-
sey, that. this. island lies in close prox-
'AAtl} " ~t<W y Ci cCs @Afa lAAt AZ a S2Ndt
many respects its prosperity would be
beneficial to portions Of your State con-
tiguous to it.
"Indspendent. however Of whateve-
possible advantage might accrue to the
State Of New Jersey the situation is a
sufficiently serious one to justify me in
appealing TO You for your personal and
official cooperation, especially as the
quantity which the city would be reauir-
ed to purchase for the use Of the Bor-
ough of Richmond would not be serious
loss to the water supply Of any section
Of the srate Of New Jersey.
i shall feel under a personal oblisa-
tion to ysu If you will give this ma tier
speedy and serious consideration, And
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