The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-21
Fort Announces That Spe-
Cial Legislation Is the
Only Solution.
WILL TAKE NO ACTION
UNTIL AFTER ELECTION
Governor Opposed to Diversion
of Potable Supply by Any
Person or Concern.

Governor Fort declared to a repre-
sentative Of the STAR today that he
would call an extra session of the Leg
islature for the purpose of securing
law which would curb any water COM
pany seeking the diversion of sub-sur-
face water from the State.
Because of the campaign, Governor
Fort will not call this extra session
until after election. He said he did not
think such an action would be fair to
many of the lawmakers, who are busy
with campaign duties.
The Governor admitted that he had
received from Attorney General Wilson
an opinion affirming recent CONVEX
sation to the effect that there was no
provision of the Bacheller law which
prevented the diversion of the potable
waters. He said that he did not wish
to make public the full to-t of the
opinion at this time, but would do SO
later He added that he might defer
making the opinion public until he
issued the call for the extra session of
the Legislature.
Governor Fort said further that after
receiving and reading Attorney-Gen-
eral Wilson'S opinion, he had reached
the conclusion that an extra session of
the Legislature offered the only solu-
ton to the problem of the diversion Of
the water.
This action of the Governors Is a
sequel to the concerted fight which the
members of the governing bodies of
Newark and Jersey City have been
making to prevent the Hudson County
Water Company from piping water
from wells sunk in Belleville to Staten
Island.
A meeting attended by Mayors Otto
Wittpenn, of Jersey City. and Jacob
| Haussling, of Newark. and the menu
bers of the Board of Works and other
officials of the two cities was held in
the City Hall here last week. A second
meeting was held In Jersey City and
a permanent organization formed.
| City Counsel Nugent. Of Newark. and
the two Mayors were appointed as menu
bers of committee to wait upon Gov
ernor Fort and secure his aid in curb.
| ing the water snake This aid they
wished to secure in the form of .
call for a special meeting of the Legis~
lature or anything else the Governor
might recommend, II he thought suci
| action necessary.
| Yesterday after this meeting an ef-
| fort on the part OF the water company.
to lay pipes from the foot of Inghra II.
avenue. Bayonne. under the Kill Won
Kull to Staten Island. was blocked by
| Chief of Police Yore, of Bayonne, who,
was acting under the order of City
Attorney Demarest, OF that city. Ths
Common Council of Bayonne had pre-.
viously granted the Hudson County
Water Company permission to lay their
I pipes under Bayonne streets, and thus
afforded them an opportunity OF max
ing the connection with Staten Island.
| The action of the water company in.
endeavoring to connect their pipes as
soon as they learned that the Governor
might be called into the fight against
them was anticipated and blocked.
1t is believed that the water company
will make every effort to lay their pipes
before the Legislature meets in special
| session.
"Will the Legislature be called upon
to do anything in reference to the re-
valuation of railroad property" was
asked, and it brought forth the reply
that the matter of revaluation was only
a small matter at this time. as COM
| pared with the water question.
! He added: "The revaluation of the
railroad company property will be con-
tinued. | have no doubt that the Legis-.
lature will make necessary appropria-
| tions for this work, when they ara
called upon"
! AS to whether he would discuss this
matter in message to the Legislature
| in special session, the Governor would
not at this time discuss.
News of the fact that Governor Fort
had called a special session of the Leg
islature to curb the East Jersey Water
| Company in it's diversion of State
waters was first conveyed to Mayor
Haussling and City Engineer Norris
r. Sherrerd by the STAR. Both of
these officials did not hesitate to ex-
press their qualification. There had
been some doubt as to the attitude Of
the Governor on the proposition or
calling the Legislature together. 1t -
believed that the Governor was prompt
ed by the action of the East jersey
Company in trying surreptitionsly TO
CROSS to Staten Island, and which ac-
tion was nipped by alert Hudson county
| officials.
"I am exceedingly gratified to hear
that the Governor has called a special
session." said Mayor Haussling. 1.-THE
need of immediate action was irnpera-
tive. Although the Governor did not
state that he would call special ses-
sion, he said that he would do all In his
power to check the company. Evil
IDENTIFY he saw that special session
was necessary. I am glad he acted 30
promptly"
| City Engineer Morris r. Sherrerd,
who probably knows more Of the situ-
alton than any other man In Newark,
said "The Governors action Is fair
both to the company and the state,
The question was of enough importance
TO both the company and the State 70
demand the calling or q special session.
In future years, II It was found that
evcn ground water was being diverted