Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1918-11-09
To ISSUE BONDS
FOR WATER DEPT
Aldermen Meet Last Night and
Act on Request. Pumps
at Limit.

dl Iiitiils
After matters had been thorough
ly explained to the Board of Alder
men, the Board of Water Commission
ers at joint meeting at City Hall
last night the city fathers agreed to
issue bonds to the amount OF 100000
: for the enlarging of the water depart
ment so that the people of Perth
Amboy would beneft thereby. AS a
result the Water Commissioners sign
ed the contract giving water to the
government at SO a million gallons.
At first 1t was understood by the
Board OF Aldermen that the water
commissioners wanted the 10000
alone for enlarging the plant for the
water which they are to furnish the
! United tates government, but IL was
I explained that owing to great increase
in use of water in this city that 1t
was necessary to MAKE improvements
at once and that hence they had de-
cided to ask the aldermen for the
100000 bond issue.
1t was explained by the water COM
missioners that If the government used
three and a half million gallons OF
water day as they expected, 1t would
be necessary to install a new pump
and make other improvements at
Runyon at once and that If the gov
eminent did not use the water and the
department was only to supply the city
and their regular customers that 1t
would only be matter OF few
months when they would have to have
money for the improvements any
way as otherwise they would not lc
able to supply the demands of the
people of the city and the factories.
AS a result the aldermen agreed to
help them and will issue the bonds at
once.
They were assured by the water
| commissioners that at the end OF De-
cember they would have a budget
made up which would be presented to
/ the aldermen for their needs for 1919
and that they would work 1t in such a
way that it would be necessary to ask
| the city fathers every once in a while
| for money as In years gone by, but
that by January, 1919, when the city
! budget Is made up they will have their
| bulge tin and in this way they can be
taken care of for O year at time.
The aldermen could not understand
how II happened that the commits
sioners were asking the big consumers
of water such as factories and powder
plants $50 O. million gallons and yet
were willing to sell to the government
at $40 a million gallons. The COM
Major O'Brien and of how the govern
ment fixed the $40 a million gallon
rate and If 1t was not accepted the
government through Major O'Brien
| had threatened to take over the water
plant itself and how they did not want
| 1t to go forth that the city of Perth
/ Amboy had water and COULD supply It
to the government and would be max
| ing money at $40 million gallon rate
| If three and a half million day are
used, had refused to sell 1t to the gov
ernment and the government had to
come in here and commander tho
plant.
President Landback explained that
at the present time the pumps at Run
yon were working full force to send
water to this city and factories and
that If they used the air lift at Run
yon they could use the reserve they
mad on hand and In this way supply
the government and others with water
but If big fire broke out they would
| be up against 1t and would have no re-
serve and that the reserve at the pres
ent rate of consumption would last
only a short time and then the i'm
provements would have to be made
anyway and rushed through at a rapid
pace.
He told how by clever engineering
work the consumption of coal had
day to twenty-five tons a day and of
how they were trying to save in every
possible way. He told how the board
was at this time worrying for fear
there would be a bigger demand for
water and they would be compelled
to use the reserve and then in case of
an emergency like a big fire or some
thing of that sort they would be up
against II.
Superintendent Mason stated that
government had agreed to lay all OF
the pipe from Mattano place to con-
meet with the Middlesex water pipes.
The pipe is to be 16 inch mains and Is
to be of wood. He stated that the
government will have to build a large
pumping station of thier own at VAL
entine's siding between here and Me-
tuchen and that the expenditure for
this alone will cost the government
fully 100000. The pumping station
is needed. he explained. to pump the
water from the mains at Perth Amboy
to the mains of the Middlesex Water
Company and in this way the pressure
from Runyon would not be seriously
affected. He said the city would be
making money at the $40 million
gallon rate.
He claimed that the war depart
ment of the government figured that
the city would be making $40 on q
million gallons of water. but that his
figures were about s25 on a million
gallons of water and that within a
year the city would be a great deal
betetr Off.
The aldermen agreed to assist the
commissioners and they win issue
bonds to the amount asked for. The
commissioners will come once-t
commissioners will commence work
on the improvements at once. In fact
the yhave a1reaedy ordered 5000
worth OF material The contract was
signed and one copy win be kept and