Water Litigation.
The comptroller of Utica, N. Y., has refused to certify the bill rendered for services in the litigation between the city and the Consolidated Water Company by lawyer E. H. Risley, on the ground that the services charged for were rendered without authority and were voluntary. Lawyer Risley asserts that the reduction of $30,000 made in the company’s bill, was due to his work and that his claim for $1,021, is just and reasonable.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, will have to decide the matter at issue between the Butler Water Company and the owners of a number of oil wells in the Oakland oil district. The oil well owners have been discharging the salt water pumped from their wells into the nearest convenient water course, and it is claimed that the salt water has found its way into the water company’s storage reservoirs and rendered their con tents unfit for consumption. It was claimed on the other side that if the oil well owners were to he compelled to pipe their salt water to points below the storage dams, the expense would be so ert-at as to practically put their oil wells out of business and for this reason they appealed against the decision of the local court, which enjoined them from discharging their salt water into the water courses used by the water company In rending this decision, the court laid special stress on the fact that the case was one in which not only the water company, but the people of Butler were interested.
A bill drawn by the legal representatives of Paterson, Passaic and Montclair has ben introduced in the New Jersey State Legislature by Assemblyman McCran that is expected to dispose of the water supply troubles that are affecting some of the cities in that state. It provides that two or more municipalities may combine to ser cure water supply, subject to the control involved in carrying out the proposed plant for the state conservation of water. Under this bill the municipalities which may join in the enterprise are given all the rights necessary to project, build and maintain a water plant of sufficient size to furnish an adequate supply of potable water, after permission to acquire such supply shall have been granted by the state officials. Co-operative control is the keynote of the new water bill, and it is to be vested in a body of five commisisoners, chosen from the municipalties interested. to be known as a joint water board.
