Morning journal and courier., 1891-02-07
COMMUNICATIONS.
COMM U UNICATIONS. Municipal Ownership of Water. Works and Other Kindred Institu-


 Works and Other Kindred Institu-
 tiOns.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 It seems to me that as the question of municipal ownership of water-works and other incorporated institutions is likely to be agitated for some time to come, it would be well for the intelligent voter to be made acquainted with the facts con- nected with the policy of making such radical changes as suggested by our mayor. And in furtherance of this ob- ject will quote the experience and his- largest city in the world, embrac- ing such a long period in the manage ment of water supply, and deliberately turned over by the mayor and common council to the control of private con- panies.
 The history of the water supply of the city of London has an important bear ing upon the question whether the city of New Haven should purchase the Water company and other institutions or not The earliest knowledge we possess of the supply of water for the citizens of Lon don, was that derived from tho river Thames, the people passing through the various lanes from the heart of the city to the river banks. The growth of the city caused those lanes to be stopped up, and the inhabitants then resorted to various springs or wells, the names of which are preserved to this day, such as Holy-wen, St.. Clements well, Clerken-well, Sadlers- well, &c., An old antiquary, in his survey of the city of London published in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, relates that be- fore the Conqueror's time, and two hun dred years after, the southern part of the city was supplied with water from the Thames, the western part from wells and the center of the city from the Walbrooke The first supply by means of reservoir was commenced in Westcheap in the year 1885 and embraced 2 conduit system of 1,096 rods. About the time of completion of this conduit system operations were in progress for conveying water from ''Tyborne" to the city. This was an important project, and originated in a grant from Gilbert de Sanford to the Lord Mayor and commonalty to lay down lead pipe of six inches diameter from six wells in that vicinity. Some time elapsed before the extension of water from Tyborne into Cheapside. In 1438 further extensions were made by the city. In 14S9 the Abbot of Westminster granted to the mayor and common council of London, one head of water containing twenty-si1 perches in length and one in breadth, and all the springs in tho manor of Padington, in consideration of the city paying forever to the said abbot and his successors, on the feast of St. Peter, two peppercorns In 1885 the supply of water be- coming insufficient the common coun- cil granted sum of money for the purpose of conveying water from Hackney to Aldgate. Notwithstanding those provisions, the mayor and common council deemed it advisable in 1544 to ap- ply to parliament for an act to enable them to carry water to London from Hampstead Heath, Marylebone, Hackney and Muswell fifty years elapsed before it's object was realized. The means of obtaining water from the conduits consisted of employing people who made 6 business of selling it, or sending servants to fetch it, and both plans were inconvenient. For the purpose of carrying it they used vessels wider at the bot tom than the top, each vessel holding about three gallons, 50 that the weight might easily be carried by a man or wo- man, either on the head or shoulder. It will be seen that up to this time there was no system of waterworks in the city of London that conveyed water by natural gravity, water power or pumping, and al though there were many small works built by public and private funds in use at that period, they were insufficient to meet the increasing requirements, and the mayor end common council deemed it prudent and wise to turn over the city works to private corporation called the Hampstead Water company, and the reasons why they did so exist at the present time in the city of New Haven, human nature not having changed to any remarkable ex- will close this communication with the year 1561, which marks an important change in the water supply of the city of London, and state the reasons why munich pal ownership was abandoned ia future aztiols. E.