Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-05-06
REVIVE PROJECT
TO BUY PLANT OF
WATER COMPAN
Engineer to Be Engaged in lrV-
ington to Bring Investi-
CATION Up to Date.

Revival of the project to buy the
plant of the Clinton Water Company
and a lively discussion over a letter
from the Irvington Improvement As
sociation regarding the purchase of
an automobile for police patrol duty
featured the meeting of the Trying
ton Town Commission last night.
Commissioner Harry j. Stanley pre-
sented the resolution providing for
referendum on the purchase of the
water plant. The subject came be-
fore the present body last fall ana
almost innumerable times before IN
previous administrations. Each time
1t has been proposed to submit the
question to the voters on a referen-
dunn, but as regularly, something has
intervened to prevent settlement
of the vexing problem.
The resolution introduced last night
permits of the engagement OF Engl-
neer Alexander E. Potter for the pur-
pose of bringing up to date an inVestl-
CATION conducted by the same engl-
neer i'm 1918. In September or that
year Mr.. Potter. at the request OF lhe
officials. prepared an exhaustive re-
port ON the plant 1t is now proposed
To have the engineer continue his in
vestigation down to the present anu
make a further report. This report
according to a statement made last
night by Mr.. Stanley, will then ne
printed in a technical form anu
distributed among the voters, SO tnat
thev NAV become conVersant with the
problem and decide If it would pe ad-
visable to buy the plant.
Arrange for Invest CATION.
Navor William l.. Glorieux appoint
ed a committee to arrange for the in
yestigation comprising Commlsslohers
stanley. Mahlon Stockman and Leon
ard Setaro. r,u,.,oa,.
In his previous report Ehsileer
Potter advised that the town BUY the
plant at a cost of $230,OOO lie placeo
the value of the plant at $l9f'SSl' pue
declared that improvements necessary
70 be made would cost an additional
S27 600 These improvements. he SAID
at that time. should be demanded py
the town whether or not IL poueht
the plant. Under the terms OF the
contract the engineer pointed out ailal
tbe nlant would cost the town Sz5O,
600 hut he figured that 1t could be
obtained at a smaller price through
the ability of the town to prove ehae
the company had violated PROVISIONS
of its contract in not maintaining
proper service. -. -,
Scarcely a week BOtS b9 t'A'
one in Iryington does not make com
nlaints either before the town officials,
civic organizations or the water com
many itself. that they are being over
| charged for water rent. 1t has been
! these complaints which have served
| IN snur on the officials at various
times to complete details for rel
andum vote. but the arrangements
could never be consummated.
Limit Fee to $500.
For the work which the engineer is
now expected to do he will be allowed
not more than $500. He has an un-
! maid bill against the town OF aholher
$500 for his investigation two years
ago. ,uoa,a
commissioners Setaro and Greene
figured in a lively discussion win
Reinhold Kniep, member OF the
Irvington Improvement Associal.o a
over n criticism offered in letter
from the association about unusual
| axnenditures," which the improVefs
| thought should not be made without
| advance notice being given to the
| nublic. The letter had to do with the
action of the commission in authoflz-
ing the purchase of an auto Tor police
patrol duty, but the missiVe dld not
make itself clear in the minds OF the
board. The mayor sensed its import
for he remarked that 1t should nave
raferred 10 unusual economies.
Moved by a number of communi-
cations from the improyers of late,
Commissioner Greene sarcasticaliy
remarked that Il large placard ought
to be printed in big type and sent 10
the association asking them to come
and sit with the board and take part
i'm the discussions He added that the
public is always welcome, but letters
containing such 'inuendos" are not
fair nor sportsmanlike.
At this point Mr.. Kniep rose to ex-
plain the true import OF the letter
He said the improvers meant to con-
vey the idea that the officials should
not put through resolutions for mat
ters like buying autos for policemen
without giving the public chance
to be heard, which he said could not
be done because the board had passed
the measure In one sitting.
Refers to Uiterior Motive.
Commissioner Setaro, who was re-
sponsible for the police auto project
declared that the association and Mr.
Kniey were all wrong
"You criticised us in one night,
didn't you?" asked the official and
YOU didn't understand the matter half
as we'll as we did. I want you to un-
derstand that I can look after the af-
fairs of the police department with
out any help from you improvers
There are ulterior motives behind
your activities. You call us bunch
and talk about the recall.
THAT was the remark Of only one
man." answered Mr.. Kneip, "and he
was a little excited. Haven't we
right to criticise our officials?"
"Sure, go ahead" answered Mr.
Setaro you can get up a petition
and stop the resolution to buy the car
if you want to-"
Mr. KnIep ended the discussion with
the remark that the amount involved
is too small to warrant such proce.
dure.
A resolution was passed calling for
proposals for collecting the garbage
of the town. Mr. Stanley said that
when the bids are opened on May 10
he will at the same time present fig
ures as to what it will cost the town
to do the work. An ordinance passed
first reading providing for the con-
struction of a storm sewer in Ball
street The report OF the assessors
for the final estimate on the cost Of
widening Lyons avenue was ordered
to a hearing on May 26.