The Penn's Grove record., 1923-11-16
Ownership OF
Water Supply
Governor Silzer Outlines Plan In
Talk to New Jersey State
Chamber of Commerce

Trenton.-State ownership OF the
entire developed and undeveloped wa.
ter supply of New Jersey was advo,
Gated by Governor Sil1er in an ad
dress at the annual dinner Of the New
Jersey State Chamber of Commerce in
Newark. To meet the expense OF such
requirement the governor would issue
state bonds, divided into two classes
bonds given in payment for going
plants taken over and development
bonds to raise money for new supplies.
The plants in operation would be the
security behind the first class, the
bonds to be held by the municipalities
or companies whose plants were &C,
Quired. The second class OF bonds
would be sold in the open market.
They would be tax free and bear a low
rate of interest because OF the high
credit rating of the state.
The governor estimated that In the
northern district of the state, where
the most urgent need Of water conser.
walton and development was manifest,
It would cost $40, 900 900 to take over
DuDllC anu RIlNdICly O"hON "ohSA
works, of which SIT, 900 900 would go
to private water companies and the re-
mainder to municipalities. Full devel-
opment of the porth Jersey water sup
plies would entail the expenditure OF
approximately $50, 900, 900 more, or a
total Of $3.50, 900. 900, the governor said.
He pointed out, however, that this de.
velopment could be gradually done and
would not require the immediate e
penditure of the large sum involved.
Must Be Kept Out Of Politics
The governor declared that II such
plan was adopted it must be kept out
of politics, otherwise 1t would be much
better to continue under the present
piecemeal policy.
III this great project is to be made
the football of politics, with all its ac-
companying incompetence, waste and
extravagance," he said, at had better
not be undertaken. II the question is
to be dealt with and solved by a legis-
lature which OF necessity cannot give
abundant time and thought to a mat
ter of this kind then we had better not
undertake the plan.
1.-THE commission to carry out such
plan must not be composed Of politi
CLANS or those favored by them. 1t
must not be made up of men who are
more interested in party success than
In the public interest.
at must not be made up of men who
are interested in the expenditure OF
money in order to provide patronage
or to aid favored contractors. The
commission must be nonpartisan and
made up of the highest type of men
who can be induced to undertake this
work, men who are willing to make
some sacrifice for the people"
The governor said that he expected
that objection to the plan would be
raised. Among such objections, he de
clared, would likely be the statement
that all the work outlined could be
better done by private companies, that
II the water companies disappeared
the municipalities and the state would
lose the taxes now paid by them, that
provision for the immediate future
might be made by the state developing
the Wanaque. Ramapo and Raritan
river sources of supply and that state
commissions do not operate effectively
and economically.
Calls Problem Serious
Before unfolding his plan the COVER
nor went at length into present condi-
lions, pointing out that, while the con-
dition In south Jersey was not yet
acute because of the scattered popula-
ton, the north Jersey section was fac
ing a very serious problem. He said
that In the counties of Bergen, Pas
sale, Hudson, Essex, Union and Mid
dlesex, which he termed the metropol-
itan area, thirty-three systems were
supplying water to a population OF
more than 1000 900, the combined ca.
pacities of the plants being more than
Sos, O00, 900 gallons daily. The con-
sumption was 244,0 900 900 gallons DAT
n, he said, leaving only an s per cent
excess were all the supplies pooled.
During the recent drought the sys-
TENS had practically no reserve worth
considering.
Making an inventory of the sources
already developed and in process Of
development, the governor gave the
yield in gallons daily as follows: Pc
Quannock River, 81, 900 900; Rockaway
River, $1,000, 900; East Jersey Water
Company, lower Passaic River, SO, 000,-
900; Wanaque reservoir, under con
struction, 96,O 0 900. Hackensack Wa
ter Company at New Milford, 41,000,-
600; Elizabethtown, Plainf1eld Union
and allied companies, 81, 900, 900, and
miscellaneous smaller supplies, 34,0o0,-
900.
The existing supplies of the East
Jersey Company and the surface sup
plies Of the Elizabethtown Water Com
pany, he declared, had been unsatis-
factory and should be eliminated as
soon as practicable or at least placed
in reserve for emergency or industrial
use only.
Fixing the needs in 1850 at 40,000,-
900 gallons daily, the governor said,