New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-27
CITY ITEMS.

THE CITY SEwERs.~-We have received copy
OF an important communication from the Croton
Aqueduct Department, made to the Common Coun.
Gil at its last gesson, proposing certain modilca
tons in The present ordinance regulating the con-
asruction of Sewers. AS the subject is one OF much
Importance TO the citizens generally and any
change il the existing law will require legislative
action at Albany, we print the document entire:
To the Hon. the Common Council Of the 0itg of Net0 York
Fhe Croton Aqueduc Department respectfully
REPRESENTS:
That the rapid extension of the Sewers of the
CITY, and the increasing anxiety of householders to
participate in the benefits resulting rom them, rem
t der it proper for this Department TO examine the
several stepH required preparatory to execu
ting the contracts for building them, and also the
mode adopted to apportion, levy and collect the as
sessmenta imposed to meet the cost OF their con-
struction, for the purpoGe of determining whether
it be not possible to devise a cheaper and more
equitable syetem
An ordinance passed hy the Common Council,
directing the building OF sewer determines only
Its locality and leaves all its desails-its shape,
size number of receiving basins, caiverts mau-
holes, and manner of construction, to be liked by
this Department., through Its Chief Engineer and
renders it necessary in each ease, as preliminary
step, TO appoint one OF the City Surveyors to make
the required examinations, survey and diagram,
giving all the particulars above indicated, together
with it's depth below the surface of the street. and
the grade OF decent. Upon the coming in OF his
report it is examined, and if expedlent altered and
modified by the Engineer, and then advertised for
estimates for the period Of ten days. directed by
the City ordinance regulating contracts at the end
of which period the bids are publicly opened, and
the contract, under the imperative requirements OF
the ordinance referred to- invariably Arded to the
lowest bidder, Notwithstanding ii may be known to
the Department, from previous experience, that
sFpi liz nj ma
carry On the work, and without mechanical skill
sutiicient to justify his attempting it. An inspec-
tor ia then appointed and assigned to the duty of
experimenting lts construction.
U1on the completion Of the contract the Sur
vo, or makes . the aggregate, adding INFO tue
amount hs own fees and the per diem allo vance
of TWO dollars to the Inspector, and the whoe Ia
then certified over to the permanent Board of AS
sessors who proceed to apportion the cost together
with their own fees and the fees Of the Collector,
upon the owners of lots benefited by the work.
adopting for this purpose rule Of appottonment
which will be hereinafter examined and comment
/ ed upon.
From the preceding it will be perceived that
the contract price per linea foot for the oonstruc
ton OF sewer, can furnish but an imperfect est
mate OF its final coat, az the amount continues,
from time to time, to be swollen by the addition Of
ne W items, the effect OF which IL sufficiently ex'
emplified in report from the Street Commissioner
Of the 9th of April last Doc No 81 OF the Board
OF Aldermen
By reference to that report-covering period
of less than six months--it will be seen that tn :
assessments levied for the various works therein
specified amour to S4S3,533 25, of which the Sur
/ yeyors employed received Sl6,168 so the In
speosors 1853 the Assessors 1851 81 and
the Collectors s., 613 SO, makieg an aggregate
beyond the con.rsct prices of $50 4s6 49, aud leav
ing the sum paid to Contractors but S433, 40 81 =
In other wordF the assessments levied upon own
ers, amounts to nearly 2 per cent upon the Goa.
tract price for the work done.
Sewers can now be built, of the sizes ordinarily
in use at the rate of 50 "a per ineal foot, shiG il
an average Of the last Is contracted for By this
Department. where there is 20 rock excavation,
and were it not for the addition of the fees above
enumerated and the further addition for receiving
bssing, culyerts and Intersections, would cost but
about $50 for each street front Of % feet.
The mode adopted in apportioniDg the cost OF a
sewer upon the owners of lots benefited by It's
construction, settled liz the of LIE Roy and
others against the Mayor Aldermen and Common.
atty Of the City Of New.York, 20:h Johnsons Re-
ports page 429, January term 1928, upon cerior&ri
originating ont of the building of the Canal-as.
sewer WooGworth, Justice delivered the opinion
! Of the Court, and after deliberately reviewing the
whole case, concludes in these words: I'VE are
clearly Of opinion that by just construction Of the
act meaning the 18th section of the act to reduce
/ the aevera laws relative to the City of New. York
law S"S ~ - ~ - ~ VIZ @oSSSe-
ment ought 70 have been made upon all the owners
or occupants Of houses and lots ncl9ded within the
district designated on the map from whence the
the water flowed into the sewer"
1t ia not Intended TO queation the legality nor
the psopriety Of this decision, under the then ex-
lssns stste OF thinge. At that period it was sup
posed that the construction OF sewers would al.
ways be confined to a very few streets, which from
their locality formed the natural outlet to lsrg
district indeed, the writer well remembers that
II vas urged thai no further sewerage was likely
to be required for long series of years and thai,
therefore, the assessment might bo cheerfuly paid,
the las. that Would be imposed for a sim tr 90.
icct The coat Of this sewer vas about $qs 600
an amoun: which it Tss commended if ieved upon
Canalst alols, would, in etfec'. worz forfeiture