Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-31
C0MAENDS STARS
(. FIGHT AGAINST
BAD WATER LAWS
Cornelius c. Vermeule Points Out
BurdensOme Feature of Pro-
posed Legislation.


Cornelius c. yermeule. in COM
munication to the EVENING STAR,
commends its action in exposing the
efforts that are being made to enact
legislation which would affect the water
supply of the State.
He claims that agitation in regards
to the attempt to supply Staten Island
with water was simply used to raise
the dust to conceal really dangerous
flank movement
The letter in full is as follows:
/ am pleased to note that you have
come back to your attitude Of last year
as to water legislation. Allow me to
call your attention to the fact that
Assembly bill No 507. introduced rive
days after bill No. 400. of which | wrote
you a few dav nee, is quite as bad a
bill as 400 is also a supplement
to the State Water Supply Commission
act of 1907. 1t covers the essential
features of 490 in another way 1t pro-
vldes for condemnation powers to be
exercised by the water companies
through the courts. and does not at
tempt to legislate away the common
law rights of mill owners and land
owners 1t has the same burdensome
features as to the well water supplies
of Camden. Atlantic City. Perth Amboy
East Orange and many other munci-
palities.
The worst feature of all is that the
word approval" contained in the orig
inal act Is changed TO grant" (See sec
tion 8. lines l6 and 23.) The original
! act of 1907 was very carefully guarded
so that no grants should be made. the
I and license" and Governor Stokes
4 himself was responsible for this care
ful limitation of the powers Of the
these safeguards away, yet of all those
who were present at the hearing last
Monday, not one raised his voice
against this dangerous bill. There is
/ a perfect flood Of bills to supplement
/ the State Water Supply Commission S
/ powers under the act of 1907. Every
/ lures. and I sincerely hope that the
STAR will continue to expose this leg
islation.
So general has this onslaught been
this winter that it has been my per-
sonal opinion that the Staten Island
matter was simply used to raise the
! dust 10 conceal a really dangerous flank
movement. and / shall never change
my opinion about it. You express sur
prise at my condemnation OF Assembly
bill No. 490, but to make that matter
Pan not 70 a yo1 opponent water o say co1a tna
nies, so long as they do what is right,
4 but | am an opponent of such covert
attacks upon the interest of the State
as are contained in these bills. for
which, however, / do not hold the
water companies so culpable as those
who acquiesce in or aid, although they
are people from whom the State has a
right TO expect exposure of such at
4 tompts. To abuse corporations fulfill
/ ing legitimate functions and doing for
municipalities what they have not been
able aog willing to do for themselves Is
worse than foolish
The water companies of the State
4 have been almost indispensable in our
development. and no State at present
has better service in the matter OF
public water supply than New Jersey
/ but what the people especially need al
present is TO be taught to clearly dis
finguish between what is right and
! what is wrong concerning the water
companies. and not to make themselves
4 ANY, city not content to be served by-a
7 private water company can. under the
laws. condemn the plant and go into
4 he water business on its own account
/ Il the State Water Supply Commission
I will not interfere with them and will
allow them to have a fair share of the
4 watersheds OF the State. If they are
/ TO be hampered as Newark and Pater-
son have been during the past year
then they must remain forever depen-
dent upon the water companies.
If your journal will mako this mat
ter clear. you viii perform a greai
I shall be only too glad to cooperate
4 with YOU to the extent of my abilities
i