New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-21
THE WATER SUPPLY.

This Legislature shows little disposition to
act intclligently on measures for the rea! bene
fit of this city. 1t is ready enough to consider
bills intended to increase the city's BURDENS
as witness the votes on the scheme to raise
the salaries of policemen and iiremen-and it
is not averse to breaking down the barriers
which the lowest class of dramsellers find en-
barrassing. For the promotion of jobs and the
misuse of time it has shown a special aptitude.
Week after week and month after month have
been worse than wasted in the quarrels and
truces and bargains of factions. The session
Is near its close, and nothing has been done
n regard to one of the most i'm
portant subjects which can be considered at
the Capitol-the water supply of New York
Within two years this city has twice suffered
severely from scarcity of water. In every part
of the island, from the highest to the lowest,
from Murray Hall to Baxter-st, from the
cOstlest mansion to the meanest tenement
house, the evils of a diminished pressure and
a partial flow have been experienced. The
city officials issued appeal after appeal to the
consumers to be sparing in their use of water
and finally, when the danger that the sources
of supply would be wholly exhausted seemed
imminent, the outflow from the Central Park
reservoirs was cut down to the lowest limit
that it was thought the people would bear.
The discomf0rts of those times of privatOn
were SO grievOus that they will not soon pass
out of mind But nothing has been done to
prevent a recurrence of these Or OF still graver
evils.
No duty of metropolis can be more i'm
perative than that of furnishing its people
with a generous supply of good water. In
comparison with that the care of the parks,
the cleaning Of the streets-even the main
tenance of schools and the protection of prop
crty by the police force-become secondary.
To the health of the city, to the comfort of
its citizens, and to the saving of their homes
from destruction by fire, liberal water sup
ply is indispensable. Only last year this truth
was impressed upon every man, woman and
child in New-York by bitter personal expert
ence. What warrant have we that the drouth
of last year may not be repeated this season
or an even worse one follow The city can
do nothing of itself. The relief must come
from Albany, if at all. What are our repre-
sentatives doing for this most vital of our
needs
There are two bills before the Legislature in
reference to the increase Of the water supply.
One of these gives to the Commissioner of
Public Works control of the matter, with the
sole restriction that the approval of the Board
of Estimate and Apportionment is required
for his contracts and purchases of real estate
This bill can never become a law, and ought
not to do SO. Commissioner Thompson has
not the public confidence in a sufficient de-
gree to be ntrusted with such power and
such patronage as this bill would give him.
His career both in and out of his present
Office, indicates that he would use this power
| and patronage with an eye single to the adj
vancement OF his own political fortunes and
the fortunes OF the faction of which he is n
leader. Even if this bill should 90 through
the Senate and Assembly-of which there is no
probability-t would be vetoed by the Gov.
ernOr, and rightly, too. Another bill which
was introduced by Mr.. Roosevelt in February
proposes to put the undertaking in the hands
of a commission composed of the Mayor and
Commissioner of Public Works and three resi-
dent taxpayers of the city whom the Governor
shall appoint with the consent of the Senate.
This plan is great Improvement on the other,
still it is open to the danger that Mayor Grace
and Commissioner Thompson might not
act i'll harmony with the other members
of the commission if those members were
such earnest Republicans as Governor Cornell
would be likely to appoint. Moreover the long
continued wranglings in the Legislature over
the question of giving to the Governor the APP