The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-12
ASKS
GOVERNOR
TO ACT
Council Protests Against
Amended Potable Water
BilI--Sees Discrimination.
[From a star corrsspondent.l

DIOltSllilB Bd1lSL I1O pOldDiC N0tC
commission act as it is now on the
statute books. The letter requests the
chief executive to have the first sec
ton of the law amended for the sake
of the protection of Railway. The rea-
son given for the appeal is that the
Middlesex Water Company and its sub
sidiary, the Consumers A%queduct Com
pany, of the first of which former Gov
ernor Foster NJ. Voorhees, is president.
being also secretary inc treasurer Of
the latter, have been responsible for
the amendment to the original bill, SO
that those companies would not be in
terfered with In the maintenance of
whatever rights they may have OBJ
tanned in an alleged plan to gain con-
troll Of all the water rights In the Rah-
way and Delaware Rivers.
The Common Council of Railway is
incensed over the amendment in view
of the fact tina Mr.. : VOORHEES,. who
has been appointed president of the
Potable Water Commission, will be call
ed upon to pass on whatever rights his,
own companies may claim. The
amendment is so worded that It applies
only to the Railway companies, and
the Common Council feels that unjust
discrimination has been made against
Railway.
If the amendment be allowed to
stand the councilmen fear that what
ever rights they may have to erect a
water plant of their w will be taken
away from them by the companies In
which former Governor VOORHEES, fig
ures Importantly. Besides Mr.. Voor-
hees, Frank Bergen, who drew the
amendment. and William Fl. Corbin,
counsel for the East Jersey Water
Company, are heavy stockholders.
This is the letter sent by the Railway
Common Council to the Governor:
SIN February, this year, there was in
Senate No. 116. otherwise known as
the potable water bill. Following the In
PRODUCTION of this bill there arose a great
deal Of newspaper CRITICISM ooth aav ors
the question was important TO this mu-
nicipality. By its provisions as first pre-
scented to the Legislature the rights OF me
city of Railway in what Is known as the
Robinson Branch Of the RAILWAY River
were In a Measure preserved.
1.-THE question Of additional water sup
ply for this city has been under eolnsidera-
ton for many years, only eliminating dur
ing the first of last month by the pas
sage of a resolution of this municipal
body directing those in authority to ac-
uuire the necessary lands and water.
1T has been the opinion of this body
that the bill, as originally framed, pro-
tected the interests of this city. in SO Tar
as waters adjacent thereto and necessary
to its welfare were concerned. Moreover
you have been quoted in public print as
sayt"e Of the state to a K definite control
OF its potable waters and prevent those
waters from being absorbed by private
companies. and, further. that 1t was your
intention to consult the municipalities
most affected to learn Its attitudes toward
the measure.
which the potable water bill was founded
was directed by joint resolution No. 2, APP
proved March I, 1906, and the report finally
The Middlesex Water Company organ
lied under the water act of 1876 unGoubt-
eddy with full knowledge of the report
water bill, founded thereon. proceeded, in
the face thereof and against the rights
of this city and all others interested, to
acquire all the watershed supplying what
is known MS the Robinson Branch of the
Railway River.
From the time the first parcel of land
was acquired up to the present moment no
opportunity has been lost to push forward
the work, and many thousands Of dollars
have been spent. All this In the face of
the report of die commissioners and the
Dll llltiOuu0&A W VII l.
1.-THE principal stockholders OF the Mid
dlesex Water Company are Frank Der
gen, Hon. Foster M. Voorhees,, William
H. Corbln and Charles l.. Corbin.
"At the recent hearing before the Sen
ate committee. appointed to hear argu-
ment on the potable water bill, William
gems suggestion that the clause in the
second paragraph Of the bill, as finally
approved by yourself, was inserted, and
Mr.. Corbin further stated that the Mid
dlesex Water Company was the only cor
poration, municipal or otherwise, affected
thereby.
so far as the water question was con-
cerned, but was never able to learn that
any amendments had been made to the
original bill until the same was finally APP
of potable waters from being absorbed by
private companies seems to work well
with ithr every Rsrg municipality aSgP tSsy but oa5e Ea esDsIemen
were considerable enough to provide for
the filing of their plans with the commits
stonsrs within hin p nitnebtyI days ysr of act the lgnn tin e
filing plans somewhere IN the middle of
September, about the period when the en-
tire work will be completed.
I'VE learn from public print that The
Hon. Foster M. Voorhees, has been made
chairman Of the commission contemplated
by this bill. At present he is the secre-
tary Of the Middlesex Water Company,
and has been for a great number OF years.
He is also the secretary and treasurer
of the Consumers Acqueduct Company, a
subsidiary corporation OF the Mfddlesex
Water Company.
'Summing up the whole matter makes
1t perfectly evident that the city of Rah-
way has been disseminated against, and
that, with no opportunity to be heard.
I'm view of the above facts we re-
specially request you to send a mes
sage to the Legislature suggesting the
amendment of the second clause of the
potable act by striking out the proviso
= -. ...t 4Rz~ r..n1odtrA nc mill ArNfonf
the interests of the city of Railway
This letter Is a elimination of extreme
bitterness toward the Mlddlesex Water
Company and the Consumers Aqueduct.
At the last Senate hearing IL was dis
covered how initiating the amended first
section Of the bill is towards Railway and
the Councilmen got to work at once to try
to remedy matters. 1t was learned that
former Governor Voorhees, a leo shares
Of stock I'm the Middlesex Water COM
pany, that Frank Bergen, who drew the
amendment, had 800, and that William H
Corbin possessed 30. The COMPANY was
capitalized at $500, 900 until January q
Of this year. when the amount was in
creased TO $500. 0e0.
On April "a. of THIS year, the Consumers
Water Company was Incorporated at $l0O.-
900 to build a reservoir on the south
branch OF the Railway River. 1t is ad-
mittedly a subsidiary Of the Middlesex
Company, Messrs. Voorhees, and Charles
4. Corbin being the principal stockholders
Work was begun on the reservoir at
| once. options having been held on the nee