Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-03-25
FIGHT TO SAVE
RARITAN RIVER
Claim Made against Somer-
Vile Water Company.

Trenton, March 25.-Upon applf-
saticn of q number of property own
ers along the Raritsn river Vice
Chancellor Walker has granted a
rule requiring the Somerset Water
Company to show cause here. April
1, why an fnjnncticS should not is-
u restraining It from continuing Its
attempts to lay a thirty-six inch wa
ter main through somerville and
from ~dfverting any of the water OF
OF the river, except SO much as is
necessary for the use OF ~SoTaerville
and the town of Raritan.
The bin of complaint charges that
the real purpose of the water COM
pany Is not, as the company claims,
to provide a more adequate supply
for Bonneville and Raritan and the
municipalities along the route Of It's
big main, but to fulfil a contract
made by 1t with the Piscataway Wa
ter Company. the Raritan Township
Water Company and the Elizabeth
town Water Company. 1t is alleged
that unless prevented from SO doing
the SomerviI1e e-npany proposes to
take from the \ titan river, or its
tributaries, SOL hing like 10000
600 gallons Of water a day.
To show that In all its dealings
with the public and officials the wa
ter compa-/ has sought to disguise
its real purpose, the bill states that
the thirty-six inch amin would pro-
vide waer for Industrial, commercial
and domestic uses for a population
Of 100000 Inhabitants or more. At
the present rate of increase of pop
ulation In Somervil1e and Rarftan,
and with proper allowance for the
fncremental increase, 1t is stated that
the two municipalities would not
have a population of a hundred
thousand during the present cen
tury.
Charges In The Bill.
Charges are made in the bill that
the water company has been acting
without any legal authority what
ever and that unless restrained 1t
will irreparab1y injure the complain
ants and other property owners sim
fairly situated. 1t is averred that
the riparian owners are entitled tc
have the waters Of the Raritan and
its tributaries flowing along their
lands uncontamfnated and undimin-
ished In quantity. except for the do
nestle purposes of the land owners
about them. 1t is shown that now
during the summe months, the wa
ter In the river becomes so low al
times that It is possible to walk
across the bed of the river, without
stepping into the water at all. II
twenty million gallons should be ta-
ken from the river daily, the bill
says, 1T Is doubtful If any water
would be left at certain seasons.
Compliments also point out that
for many years there have been in
creasing encroachments on the
amount Of water taken from the
river, until the situation is becoming
almost unbearable. Unless some re-
lief is afforded it is charged that the
vaIue OF the property of complain
ants, much of which Is meadow land.
used for pasture and similar pur-
Snnses. will @ha materially lessened~ II
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the Somer-
lille Water Company has no pow
or authority to condemn any lands OF
water Whatsoever or to divert any
water In addition to that which II If
now taking for the purpose OF sup
plying Somerville and Raritan.
The compliments in the suit are.
Bernhard Meyer and John r. Selma
dake, of Bridgewater Township, and
John ~Groendyke. Cyrus s. Peterson
William Beardsles, George ". Greese,
John w. Hamilton, Charles w. Ham
ilton and John M. Frazee. OF Hills
horough Township.