Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-06-27
SPIRIT OF THE MORNING PRESS
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

remedy of the defects of the ordinance hastily
passed the Of adjournment of the last COun-
cils and they argue if this bill would interfere
with or suspend the operation Of that ordinance
surdity Of that idea.
The new bill does not discard or propose to re-
peal any essential portion of the existing law QD
all which il embOdieS, together with additional
provisions of importance to the proper manage
ment Of this new department Of our municipality
n proposes to establish water Board consist
ing Of three members, to serve without compen-
saton, ~ In the same manner as the Trustees of
tue Public Schools. and upos this Water Board
the bill proposes to devolve the duty Of supern-
tending and managing the water department,
ferred upon ID by the City Councils.
Of the necessity Of this special superintendent,
there is abundant evidence in the experience OF
other cities, which supplied with water
through the instrumentality Of their respective
governments. In every such case so far as we
are Informed, IL has been found to be expedient
and beneficial to resort to this mode of managing
this peculiar department.f3) Is there not mani
fest lmPrOpriety, then, in our venturng upon a
new and untried system, or one which, ii else
where tried. has been abandoned as inefficient or
lmpractcable!
The imperfections Of the present law are obvious
TO every one familiar with its provisions and with
the subject to which il relates. That they did not
escape the notice Of the erudite Attorney Of the
Corporation, is evidenced by his letter to the COM
Inittee which framed the law The Mayor also in
Notifying the Councils that he had signed this law,
order to obtain its presumed objects az He dis
unctly alluded to the necessity OF d w alter Board;
and this necessity had also been &C knowledged by
the committee on the distribution of water and
the Board OF Aldermen, as is shown by their
action upon the original bill, in which a Water
Board was provided for, and which was not
abandoned until they found that it could not be
appointed by the Councils, and be composed of
Their own membership Thus, whilst the neces-
sty OF Il Water Board was acknowledged on all
sides, 1t was expunged from the bill TO indulge
Sfse4FR To 81 lI=l,.
he object of the bill is to correct this error
and profit by the experience of other cities ID
proposes to secure u more certain, speedy. and
faithful execution of this great work by giving il
head To direct and control it. in which respect
u Is now utterly deficient, 90 Can any reason
able citizen object TO an amendment Of the law in
this Particular
The present law authorizes only two Officers
Registrar and a PurveyOr-the first Of whom is
required to remain in his Office from 0 O'Clock in
the morning till O'Clock in the evening whilst
II IS made the duty of the other to test and take
care OF the water p pes, and other fixtures and to
attend to their laying and djustment There is no
provision for that general direction and superin-
tendence which are so important 10 the successful
administration of water department Il J. This Ia
Dor cannot be performed by the Mayor amidst the
multiplicity OF his other duties. He might, with
much prOPriety, he expected TO manage the public
schools without the aid Of the school trustees or
10 administer the affairs of the alrnshouse without
the aid OF the commissioners of that institution 81
why, then, withhold from him the requisite as
sstance IN this case, especially when il be OBJ
tdlned without expense to the city9 There Is no
substantial reason for withholding it, nor even
any pretext for il which does not deserve and
VIII not eventually receive, the reprehenson of
the people, who will not he long in discovering
that without the agency Of water board this
work cannot be properly systematiZed and eco
nOmiCally conducted
But, besides providing for a Water Board. the
new Dill contains another wholesome provision in
amendment of the present law. IL provides that
the contracts for every portion of the waterworks
shall be given 10 the lowest responsible bidder,
and restricts each bidder to a single proposal and
10 speclhc prices. IL also removes from the CITY
Councils, where the present law places it, the
privilege of awarding the contracts and confers
ms privilege, under the conditions and limita-
lions JnSt stated, upon the Water Board BY this
course of proceeding there will be no di tcuItv in
nAlnZ The responsibility of the awards or of secu
ring investigation whenever circumstances NAV
require II. This, according 10 one of yOur cores
Pondents, Is the mountain - in the way Is he
Interested In preventing the removal Of this noun
tain! He las not correctly represented the forms
tne present. law. IL does NOT require the con-
tracts TO he given to the lowest bidder When il
was determined that the Councils should make
the awards this injunction was Syick,u ONT of the
law as We're other appropriate clauses having in
view Tue securing Of fair and intelligible bids
nus the field is left open for every species of in
ulSue, and, If members Of the Councils cbOOs. 10
engage IN ~ there is no probability that their con-
duct VIII be subjected TO investigation for the.
reason that If majority of them should negligent
~ or cofruPtiy dispose Of contract the same ma
WGud nave II in their power to prevent any
n,
IRIS is one Of the worst features Of the present
law anu IL Is new feature in the legislation of
ahis cry IL is the corrupt system Of New York
"hu'r which The people there have been for MANY
Years overburthened with unnecessary tayes (
just idea Of its operation may be Obtained from
any OF the current newspapers of that CITY with
N"t regard 10 their party predictions They dis
close the fact that even at this moment stri,nUI.
Is IN progress there relative to contract conneffd
WIN 'le sanitary requirements Of the health de-
partnlent The Mayor under the directions Of the
Board of Health, IS having this work veil dono
10y contract at SI,uOO per month or Si2C;0 ner
war Inc Councils claim the rig ht of giving the
n ae conHae' 10 another Person at 5000 per
nohto, or sOO,Um per wear. The Mayor has vetoed
thelr bill directing this unnecessary Outlay: and
eNeydgdnt as II IS, there seems 10 he treat daner
'ua' Ihe councils will persist in the face Of oppo-
slu"n from every quarter, in PASSING their lin
over the veto bya twO-third vote IL that he done
tue contract will be sealed, and the people will
sSe,1, =, iUOt me ne; account Your Pondent
Tue present law, will be initiated here The n.Iv
hli, now pending in the Board of Aldermen ~,
Fu'aIts ana rejects II, with entire confidence that
however honest COunCiImen NAV be mon
equally honest outside of the Councils may be
1oHnd 10 award the water contracts and mon too
VINO are In all respects responsible, and willing to
June y. W.
Nofes-Belng disposed only to secure for
the city the best possible administration Of its
proposed Water Works, we do not hesitate In
publish the above communication, though sat
lshed OF the improperly of making extensive
alterations IN the system for its management
that has been adopted, before it has oven been
tried. 1t was adopted, it will be remembered.
only after long and careful investigation on
the part Of the City Councils, the integrity Of
whose purpose in arranging its details we con.
hde IN, the hint of our correspondent TO the
contrary notwithstanding For convenience
sake We number his points requiring notice At
our hands, and proceed to notice them as fol.
lows -'
J. whether the new bill does or does NOT
propose 10 repeal any essential portion Of
the existing law, is a debateable question 7,
Is already evident to us that a cons;do,.h1s
majority Of the Board of Aldermen think i
does propose to change its character entiroIv
in It's most important provisions.
2. The idea of obtaining superintendent os
the details Of the business ofsupplyine Wash
ingtOn city with water without compensated
Strikes abSurI