New-York tribune., 1890-07-14
At LAST TIE AQCEDCCT

Al LHNI mr. ~ '-'>'
In announcing that the new AQueduct is
ready. and will be made use OF tomorrow inc
AOucduct COMMISSIONS have made com
munication for which the public OF NeW-l ofk
has waited long and patiently Many paIhi"
and humiliating experiences have been gone
through by the people of this city Slnce th'S
vast work was legun. In it. as in every other
public enterprise, the lnayiSh politicians VINO
infeSt New York have sought to enrich them
selves from the peoples necessities. Every
thing which audacty and mScrnpuIouSheSS
could suggest has been attempted to compcl Ile
expenditure OF two or three tunes as H'ch
money as was really required and the energy
wasted in efforts TO escape the necessity Vi
doing the full work contracted Tor hhSh' pos
sblv be equal TO the construction OF Stlll all
other conduit. Never was an enterprise begun
or proceeded with under conditions more nos
tile TO honesty and success. The state luiIIi"
istIation with the prince OF political tnchs'ofS
at its head, was wringing money ana patronage
from the commission with un0nlshlhS I'M
pudcnce. Scores Of men in the Legislature
were placing themselves in debt TO the con
tractors either by accepting places lor thef
friends and dcpcndcntS or by relations even
more open and shameless The contractors
themselves became politicians and partisan
leaders. and quickly altered their position with
regard to the commission from that oi servant
70 that ol master. In these circumstances
Gigantic frauds were easy to commit ana the!
were promptly committed, and the wonder Is
no,v not that we have the Aqucduct at so late
dov but that we have il AT ALL
The people ol Ncw-l orll are sadly careless
and indifferent population. easily imposed upon
and difficult to arouse. But II Is Oh record that
thoy can be got t. assert their rights ana 'ha'
their rescntul humor, when II Is upon them
sweeps along with a swift and nlc>lNubIe cur
rent The Aqueduct con>puatoia were not "h-
mindful of this fact. nor were they ever abe 10
Get far away from the wltchful eyes oI the
noyvspapc-s They did much that was dis
honest. but not nearly SO much rs they had
MANNED 10 do. The worst of their haudN have
been prevented and many Others have been III
a great measure rcctiiicd. II Is uo' uhlIN'Il
that we have in the Aquoduct aS 1t stands To-
dav superior piece of WoIh, greater III I'> wa!
than any similar one and worth nearly a. m"ch
aS il has cost. \ great measure oil crcdIi lor
this result is due 10 the present commissions
II has laborod with 4 degree OF zeal, ntcll-
ecncc and purpose rarely obtained from puhhc
SERVANTS II has ,tubbOrny resisted the IN
uoriuuatc misrcWcscu'atOuS oi the contractors
and even lis own anxiety 10 have the work com
pletod. Nothing ha1 prevailed upon II to SWcr'e
from It's purpose to secure for Ne"-lo ork' NOT
merely an Aqucduct, but a really good one
and IN accomplishing this purpose II has cN-
ncnGcl much labor and pans.
T. Is h!gh.y agreeable 70 make such acIino"-
odgmcnts as these. The Aqucouct comes nj
time when j, j, desperately needed oar
,urplv OF waite! was Insufficient fifteen !'uN
ago. and the population has increased since
then nv hundred, Of Thousands. We can no"
obtain a supply at least four times Is great -
that we have had. and our storage system may
eventually be 80 increased a. t. render the iulI
resources Of the Croton water he'd aYt.iahI''
The Quaker Bridge Reservoir has not seemed
to rs t. b" Immediately necessary, despite inc
easily understood ambition OF engineers L. S'.
NJ i work 50 vast and GIncu.t. ms summer
experience viii afford good test of our ncc'>'i-
mes. Whether they arr satisfactorily supplied
or not. j, viii remain matter for conSIaiu'i-
iIOI that the city Is NOT committed 10 lhc IN
mcnScy expensive Quaker Brdg" reservoir.
Many other opportunities for storage cm"an@-
mcnt should be- exhausted before we impose
upon ourselves such heavy taxation. 1t Is well
enough 10 have an eye upon the future and 10
leave postcnty in i position 70 obtain what II
rcauiIc, but there is 10 call upon TN, genera
ton to dciIay the cApcnsc Of a labor which
j, not likely to be needed before ite children
nave become grandparents. What the pres
cnt arrangements can do will soon be clearly
shown. and safe guide viii be- developed for
further additions and extensions