Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-01-10

agree upon legislation to this end. /
am now informed that a bill has prac-
tically been agreed upon by the repre-
sentatives of the two mentioned cities
| and the other affected municipalities
and IS ready for presentation to you
for consideration.
State Sewerage.
The condition of the Passaic valley
should prove warning to other sec
lions against the improper use Of the
rivers and streams Of our state. These
natural highways, as Webster called
them, were never Intended to carry the
refuse Of civilization to the sea. In
many of our waterways incipient pol
| luton has already begun.
Economic and sanitary considerations
are arrayed on the side of publication.
Every municipality should be glad TO
divert sewage from all of our streams,
| especially from those from which num-
bers of our people obtain their water
supply This state, together with
| Pennsylvania and New York, through
| it's health officers and other state Off
Gals, is endeavoring to devise a plan
not only for the prevention of further
| deposits of sewage into the Delaware,
but for the removal of the pollution
already occasioned. The passage of an
act preventing the further pollution OF
our streams and the protection of our
bathing grounds would appeal to those
whose vision extends beyond the pres
ent hour.
Forestry Reservations.
The woodlands of our state will be-
come one of its great assets and will
under scientific cutting soon begin to
return a revenue to the state and even
tually show a handsome profit on the
investment They win, moreover, fur
nish game preserves, pleasure parks.
healthful camping grounds and pictur.
esque drives which the people at large
may enjoy as their own.
! Further development of our forestry
reservations and the protection of our
woodlands from fire is commended to
legislative support.
| Sources OF Water supply.
In this connection the acquisition OF
woodlands about the sources of our
potable streams and the purchase by
| the state of our fresh water lakes and
ponds, of which there are 108 in New
| Jersey, with an acreage of about a.
600 acres, was suggested in last years
message. Thereupon the legislature
| authorized the riparian commission, to
| gether with the state geologist, to in
vestigate the whole question of the
potable water supply of the state with
reference to state control of the same
The report of this commission will be
presented in the immediate future.
Potable Water Supply.
Our potable water supply presents
the most important problem before the
people of the state There is in the
state an ample supply of water for
/ the present and for an indefinite period
in the future if this supply be properly
| conserved and kept pure. The right OF
| the state to do this is unquestioned IN
der the recent Interpretation of oul
courts, I'm our potable waters we have
vast natural asset belonging to the
! people, the conservation and purity OF
| which is indispensable to their health
and well being The use of this
water is so necessary to life that q
direct and active control over the di
version thereof for domestic and mu
! nicipal purposes should be exercised by
! the state.
/ The creation of state water supply
commission to control and regulate the
diversion of potable waters without in
! terfering with present municipal or
vested rights or the vesting of some
such power in state board already
! in existence would seem to be neces
| sary to save this valuable asset.
/ Prompt action in this respect would
anticipate further requirement Of wa
ter rights by private interests.
The rapid growth of our population
in the metropolitan district is drawing
heavily upon our present available sup
/ ply. The dry weather flow of the Pas
| sale river, normally 100000 gallons
| daily, has been reduced to scarcely 3d.
100000 gallons by the demands upon
it, and this in spite of the large stor.
age reservoirs already constructed.
The daily drafts upon the Hackensack
river now exceed the estimated mini
mum flow in time of extreme
drought. One-half the population OF
| the state depend upon these two rivers
| and their tributaries. By reason OF
their geographical location the de
mands upon them must greatly in.
crease in the future, and If these de-
mands are to be met storage reservoirs
must be constructed to conserve the
surplus waters.
The amount of water which runs to
waste out of the Passaic valley in
4 = a = 7xy 10