New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-15
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY CHARTER.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY CfLAnih"
GEN. poRrER's VIEWS ON THE PROPOSED AMEND
MENr5 AFFECTING MS DEPAR TWENTY-FIVE CON-
TRACT SYSTEM OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES An"
ECONOMY Iue POLICY TO Bg PUitSUED-hS IN
CREASE or THE WATER SUPPLY or TIE CITY
NEEDED SOON.
The various bills introduced into the State
Senate by Senator Booth. and which nave DceD ia'or9DS
reported upon. caused Some comment yesterday among
the ,oclans Gen Fitz John Porter. Commissioner Oh
Pubtc Works. in a nysrsatiOn with reporter OF iHk
TRIBUNE, gave his opinion Of tho bill aseoSng MS DO
partment.
seot,op proyidos that all work in tho regulating, paw
ipg etc. of any street. avenue road drive OF boueYaru
In the city OF NcwYork shall he done and pcror"ed ~
contract This he favored. Ho believed That u was nucn
better 10 have the public work done by contract thah py
days work All Of the street opening, paving, e'c
now done that way Bids which were recciveu yeoVe
day for paving etc, were on avoraso OF az o'"es p
square yard than last year Repairs to st"ets he
thought should DO dono by days WORK, nnder 'ho o0c
ton OF the Commissioner OF Public Works
spctou 2 recurring the consent of the Controller. VA
well rs the heads OF Departments to the acceptance OF
rejection all bids for performing any WORK or iufn'n
lur supplies and proyiing that all bids or proposals
shall be opened in tho presence OF tho ooh'
tro,ler be did not favor. He fhought the
responsibility Of ordering work TO be done or
receiving supplies should be vested In the mayor ana
heads Of departments. Neither could no s'e "Iy ~
absolutely necessary that tho Controller shOnI DE pr
emf whom all bids arc opened He might be SICK IVY MA
vodaby absent. and the bids would have to remain uh
opened until hc was present. . - ono ooo 4.
section provides that not more Than 100000 IN
the aggregate in any one year after tbo year 1870 Emu
in that not more than 100000 sha! De spent Ca
street improvements. repairs, etc This met WIN ,he
approval OF Gen Porter The policy OF Ills dolmrtcn az
tie present time retrenchment instead OF oApAsion
In the matter Of public expense. -, xx..
The bill 10 amend tho Law authorizing tho Comnis,
sOner OF Public Works buy certain lakes and adccnI
nfs in Putnam Comfy for the purpose OF improving INC
water supply of New-YOrk, VIII WAS ps1seh VI istl
when VIM ii. Tweed WAS CoiDmisS oner OF PUBLIC WORKS
nv unwilling that tho Commissioner of PuDnc VOTES
csnnot exercise this pOwer without tho consent ~ the
Controller and Mayor would rooelvo the oom,ncnasso
OF Gen Porter If IL included the Mayor and Comnis
soner OF Public Works alone. Although The law now
gives him the power to ao1ni1e Inc titio 10 ean
land for these proposed storage reservoirs 10
wonld not think OF doing so without consulting the
Mayor He was in favor Of having she vale OF The mD
aunrcd In order thu. the city might acquire title To IL
before it had largely increased In value The experience
OF the past Winter showed thai provision must 10 maze
for larger supply OF water This could 0ny d. ~ oouit
by providing storage reservoirs within ten years ~ VII
be absolutely necessary for tho city TO have an aquect
double tho capacity of the present large one.