The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-07-30
CALLS JERSEY
SEWERAGE BODY
D|SC0URTE0US
Foe Of Trunk System Project
Says Commission Tried to Balk
Quest for Information.
YORK DIRECTORS TO
PLAN HITS AT GOVERNOR
Through Merchants Secretary
Charge Is Made That Efforts
Were Made to Thwart Them.

For weeks past members of the pollu-
ton committee of the Merchants Asso-
citation of New York have been gath
ering data on the proposed New Jersey
trunk sewer which the Passaic Valley
Sewerage Commission will build with an
outlet at Robbins Reef In New York
Bay. They have met with little or
no opposition until recently, Edward
Hatch, jr, chairman of this committee
says. This opposition comes, according
to Mr.. Hatch, from members of the conn.,
mission and Its secretary, John g.. Glib
son.
Correspondence between the New
York organization, Mr.. Gibson and Gov
Fort dates back to June II, 1907,
when Mr.. Hatch first wrote Mr.. Glib
son for information. This letter was
ignored entirely. Mr.. Hatch wrote
Governor Fort March "a last, inclosing
a COPY of the letter to Mr.. Gibson,
stating the position of the Merchants
Association and describing existing
conditions. Under date March 25 the
following reply came:
THE Governor has requested me to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the oath, regarding the possible sew
age disposal in the Hudson River. We
have referred your letter to the Passaic
Valley Sewerage Commission with the
request that they reply to your former
letter and this one at the same time.
Very truly yours,
LESLIE r. FORT,
Secretary to the Governor"
Mr.. Hatch says he got no reply to
this letter, and on Tune 26 wrote to
Governor Fort again, stating that, be-
yond acknowledgements of his former
letter, he had received no reply. This
letter closed with the statement II
hope you will appreciate the desira-
bility of an understanding between the
parties interested in his discussion, and
may be able to elicit from the proper
officials a definite reply to this COM
mittee's remonStrance."
Mr.. Hatch declared today tina he had
received nj reply to this letter, and
wrote again July %. In this letter he
said: Il trust you will be able to advise
the organization l represent Of the atti-
t'o' w Sip NNtN ocioCS olutldlS lOWdTu
the objections the New York assoc
citation has put forward with such
frankness.'
This letter was answered as follows:
Camp Fort. Sea Girt, July 81, 'OS.
Edward Hatch, jr., chairman, New
York city:
Dear Sir: Your letters with rela-
ton to the matter of the trunk sewer
pVnf,nGad fn hn Inil br tta Da.eofo xToI
10y Sewerage Commission have been
This commission is a special
body created by the Legis-
lature, over whom the Governor, so far
as l know, has no control other than
the possible appointment of the COM
m~issioners.
The district embraced within the
district is to be taxed for
the cost of the proposed sewer, and the
rest of the State has no interest in the
project. If you would write to o h
s. Gibson, secretary, Prudential build
ing, Newark, or Chandler w. Riker,
counsel to the commission, Lawyers
building, Newark, yo would probably
any information you desire.
very truly.
JOHN FRANKLIN FORT"
Mr.. Hatch was seen at his Office In
New York today by an EVENING
STAR reporter, and said that men on
the commission nave known all along
the attitude OF the Merchants Associa-
ton toward the trunk sewer, and add
ed that he could see no reason why his
committee should not be treated with
common courtesy at least.
He could not understand why Gov
ernor Fort should write such a letter
as the last one. and intimated that he
believed the Governor was making an
effort TO evade the matter at issue.
Mr.. Gibson was not at his Office in
the Prudential building today.