The Penn's Grove record., 1915-06-25
OPPOSE C. R. R.
CROSSING PLAN
Elizabeth Officials Voice Pro-
test Before Board.
HACKENsACk WATER KICK
Mud-Colored Samples Exhibited at
~Hearing-Six Tests Show Varying
Pressure New York Expert
Testifies for Water Company.

NOp0CldI 1T0uIOu
Trenton.-City officials and leading
citizens of Elizabeth appeared before
the Board of Public Utility Commits
sioners here 20 fight the acceptance
of the plans proposed by the New Jer-
sey Central Railroad for the elimina-
ton of grade crossings at Elizabeth.
81 won't stand for those plans" de-
clared Mayor Victor Mravlag, with
great emphasis, just before the hear
ing began. He was accompanied by
City Counsel Joseph Hague, Elwood
w. Phares, a prominent real estate
man, of Elizabeth, and John w.
Whalen, president of the Board of
Health of Elizabeth, president of the
Elizabethuown Gas Light Company
ami president of the Elizabethtown
Water Company.
The Elizabeth representatives are
determined on the defeat of the rail
roads plan to close every other
street crossed by the line. The Cen
trail proposes to fill up every other
street with dirt, and bridge the re-
mainder. The city officials declare
this would mean a saving of $4,000
to the railroad company, and would
nave a very bad effect upon the city.
100000 Expenditure.
The plans of the company were sub
mitted some time ago after the utility
commissioners, in considering Perth
Amboy grade crossing elimination,
had ordered the company also to
show cause why the elimination OF
the Elizabeth crossings should not be
ordered. The plans call for an ex-
penditure of $1,000, 900.
jackson E. Reynolds, counsel for
the railroad, concurs in the commits
sion's finding that conditions in Eliz-
abeth are worse than those at Perth
Amboy.
Mr.. Reynolds also declares real es-
tate conditions at Elizabeth are I'M
usual. The Central has already spent
$500, 900 in acquiring Elizabeth real
estate, he said, and this land al
needed solely to permit the elimina-
ton of grade crossings. More prop
erty must be acquired and its cost
may reach 100000
Hackensack Water Submitted.
Water that looked like coffee was
produced at the hearing before the
board of the complaints against the
Hackensack Water Company.
There have been several hearings
on complaints against the company.
Some have dealt with the cost of the
plant and equipment and others have
inquired into rates and service. This
time the users directed their attack
upon the quality of the water. Dan
Fellowes Plat, a lawyer of Engle-
wood, appeared as an interested citi-
zen and produced two one-quart fruit
jars. One was brown as a summer
coat of tan and the other limpid and
clear.
Mr.. Platt held up the clear jar and
said: "This is the Hackensack river
water before the company gets hold
of it." The other, he said, came from
the south end of the settling basin of
the plant.
Many Tests of Water.
Tho show ~irregularity of pressure,
the lawyers for the compliments pro-
duced sixteen charts of pressure tests
taken by an employe of the Utility
Commission between April IA and
June 3 of this year at various n.y.
drants of the company's system. A
further charge was that the water
had bad rusting qualities. w. M.
Wherry, of New York, n of the
company's counsel, declared that wa
ter taken from flowing streams must
be filtered in a way that imparts oxy-
genating qualities above those of
spring or we'll water.
The muddiness, Mr.. Wherry said,
is not a sign of danger. He declared,
ut is common knowledge that mud
dy water is not what constitutes a
contaminated supply. Hackensack
water is as good as can be found in
the country for drinking purposes"
DIR. Joseph A. Deghuee, Phi. D.. NJ.
A., a Columbia graduate, who said he
had been chemist for the New York
health department for eight years,
appeared as expert witness for the