The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-08

One Of the first duties Of public authorities
is to make such use Of public material under
their charge as will be most advantageous and
beneficial to the constituency. The course of
action of our own rulers, however, appears to
be directly the opposite Of this in too many
instances. The best evidence Of this last as
sertion at the present time, is the action of the
Croton Board. BY rule of these directors,
the water pipes are closed up throughout our
| city, giving only the amount absolutely neces-
sary to qucnch our thirst, to make our tea and
coffee, and wash the dishes and the reservoirs,
from week to week, retain their supply, stag
mating, fermenting, and almost boiling, beneath
sultry sun.
According to the rules of this board it is true,
aprivate citizen, who has been all day long swell
tering almost to suf0catiOn, and drinking in the
! clouds Of dustwhich have darkend his windows,
has right to direct his servant to place the
hose pipe upon the Croton, and with it to wash
his dustcovered dwelling, the sidewalks and
| the street, thus, to slight extent, giving the
| atmosphere healthful and refreshing tone.
| This must he done within certain hours-before
SO'clock in the morning and after o'clock in
the evening. But this does no good in washing
the streets. For this the hydrant must be set
running and this work no citizen has the autho-
| rity to perfNm. II q man ventures to take the
responsibility upon himself, and opens the by
drant to wash away the filth before his door,
the police interfere and the gentleman
is informed that the Croton Board allows no
such luxurious indulgence to our citizens, but
he must be content to live on, stewing perspir-
ing and dust-blinded, with only water enough
for his drink and his domestic use.
Now this misery protection of the Gro
ton might be justified If any public interest
were jeopardized by its more free use. II there
was any danger Of the river running dry, ofany
sudden break in the supplying apparatus, or of
any confagration which might demand the full.
est head Of water, this preservation might be
proper. But there is no such danger, nor
grounds for any such apprehensions The Croton
river is full, its spring is never failing, the
pipes are strong and as to confagrations, the
Board might be liberal to our citizens and still
preserve q sufficient head Of water to satisfy all
fears upon this head.
But the inconvenience to our citizens occa-
stoned by this Withholding the Croton, is not
the strongest argument against it. The pre-
sent draft upon it is not sufficient to create
change in the supply as often rs necessary
Not only in the reservoirs, as VIC have sug-
gested, but in the pipes, the same water
is confined until the animalculc is dead
it becomes pregnant with tobacco guilds
and filth thrown in ht the reservoirs and
other places; ii stews and boils, ferments,
and stinks it grows acetated from the iron
and leaden pipes in which it lies and when
ii has been worked up into such sOup-when
the once pure Croton has been formed into such
a poison, the citizens drink it of with thanks
for this beverage only to the Croton Board.
Thus we have two great evils growing out Of
this miserly restraint upon the Croton--the
citizens deprived Of its use In washing the
streets, and their drink perverted
Will not these directors wake up 10 proper
appreciation of the injury they do our inhabi-
tants, with this lock upon the Crotoaa II they
will not allow the citizens themselves to use
the water at their own discretion, then enter
into some arrangement with the police, which
shall daily open the hydrants, and pour.
bealthfnl, copious and refreshing stream through
the streets and cutters, carrying away the
garbage and filth that have long been engender-
ing cholera and disease. Some such arrange
ments might easily be made; and Mt various
times the police captains, in their returns to
the Chief, have profcred their services to open
the bydrsnts and wash out the cutters The
times demand that action 10 this respect should
lie immediate and salutary. Death is in our
midst; the cholera has obtained fooihold
among rs; citizens drop down on the sidewalks
from the effect of scorching sun; the streets
are parcbed, dry, dnsty aud filthy. No wonder,
them in such state Of affairs, the people should
CRY for water, WATER