Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-04-15
SOL R DAVIS TO DECIDE
WATER main QUESTION
Enlarged Main or Reservoir Subject
of Two Hours Discussion.

from lu0Suay night s COUNCIL session,
] that developed one of the most in
teresting discussions witnessed in that
body for many moons. Differences of
opinion as to the wisest course were
expressed in moderation, and after the
final votes the victors voluntarily for
sock their advantage and referred the
subject of a possible legal impediment
to the legal advisor of the city. 1t was
an exhibition of devotion to principle
rather than an idea, that amounted
quite to craftsmanship, and is an as
surance to the taxpayers that the
city's interests rather than personal
glory rule in Council.
The session opened with report
by DR.. Curry, of the Water committee,
on the bids for furnishing pipe and
laying the proposed 16inch water main
from the pumping station to the dis
| tributing reservoir. The bids were
! published last week.
I He reported that the committee had
found that Camden Iron Works were
the lowest bidders for pipe
| Mr.. Miller, Of Wilmington, was the
lowest bidder for laying, with VIM.
/ Wakemen second lowest.
Nathan Trotter, of Philadelphia, was
the lowest on joint material.
DR.. Curry then asked Mr.. Pierce to
present the figures of the cost in dol
! lars of the lowest bids, which be did
as follows:
/ For pipe, via train, $24.927.
| For pipe, via boat, $23, $3.50.
! THE last named bid is an informal
one, and simply shows the difference
in water and steam freights. However
/ $500 additional teaming would be re-
quired.]
Laying, $6,800.
Total cost, S31,4S3.
Mr.. Coombs asked if the city can
make a bond issue in that amount
! DR.. Curry replied that the Water
committee can pledge Council to make
/ the improvement on a $4,000 bond
issue and pay the balance from the
I water funds.
Mr. Coombs asked if the bid of Mr..
Miller was considered regular when
it. was not a complete bid; there was
no bid for joint material.
Nh. Shivers said il MAS moi the lltel
ton to require bidders to bid both
ways-they could bid with or without
joint material.
Mr.. Pierson: The city asked for
bids to furnish lead. If the city re-
solved not to supply lead, what be-
came of the bid that did not include
lead. 1t would be yalueless.
Mr.. Coombs said one bid had been
thrown out as informal. Why not
throw out all that were Informal?
DR.. Curry did not think the Miller
bid was informal, further the bidder
was reliable and could carry out his
| contract.
The subject of re-advertising for
bids for laying the pipe was brought
up by Mr.. Coombs, when DIR. Curry
! said he was entirely willing to read
! vertise if Council deemed it wise. If
it will save any money he was in favor
of it, and if hGiae man was then
successful he would be pleased.
President Shivers called Mr. Bur-
/ kett to the chair and taking the floor
said: AS everybody knew, he was not
in favor Of laying this main till it was
needed. His opinion was that no per-
son in the city knew whether or not
the new main was needed, and asked
i Mr.. Curry what he knew about the
necessity for it.
DR.. Curry replied that the main was
/ laid 20 years ago and was a good and
| substantial main In that year there
were pumped 33.000,000 gallons of
water, last July, one month, there was
pumped 30,000,000 gallons. This main
was built to go with a 12-inch pump;
i since then 16-inch pump had been
put in. 1t was built to withstand a
pressure of 65 lbs, and pressure of
4 95 lbs. is now being put on it. The
reservoir holds one days supply, hence
| if anything happened to this over-tax-
| ed main the city had only "a hours
water supply.We now pump 10 hours
each day to keep the reservoir filed,
and at this season water consumption
/ is at a minimum We have had two
breaks in the main this year, and the
conviction of the Water committee and
the Sup't is that all considera-
ltions of safety, economy and good pub
| lie policy dictate that the time had ar
rived to make our water supply secure.
Since these bids were opened iron has
4 advanced ST ton. It is reasonable
prophesy to say that the need of more
| water will increase, and If so this
work should be done now to meet the
| need and possible consequences follow
| ing accident.
Mr.. Shivers said it had not been
demonstrated that the pipe was not
| safe, yet he felt sure that Mr.. Curry
and the Water Superintendent believed
/ it was not safe. The pipe is as per-
| feet as the day it was put in, he as
serted, and the argument in favor of
| this $4,000 expenditure is that in
case of a break the city would be
without water. It seemed to him
| we were starting at the wrong end of
the trouble. With an expenditure of
| 1000 we could build an addition to
the reservoir that would hold weeks
supply, and scientists say the longer
water is exposed to the air the purer
| it becomes. Because we now have to
run the pump 10 hours day is no
argument for this expenditure. Many
places run the pump "a hours a day.
Occasional breaks are no evidence
that the main is worn out. We will
have breaks on any main, new or old.
| Mr.. Curry said the committee was
IT,.