New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-21
THE CROTON WATER BILL.
ITS CHIEF OBJECTS POINTED OUT.
DIR. J. WEST ROOSEVELT GIVES TIE VIEWS OF
HIS COMMITTEE OK 1T.


There has been some Misrepresentation lately IN re-
card TO The object OF the committee apponVcu w.
Gently by the Academy OF Medicine TO work against 'e
passage Of the Webster .roon Water hil 1t Is sad
that the committees chief objection to the WEBSTER
bill lay In the fact hat II gave too inuch Po"'' w
one man, the Commissioner OF Public WORKS. oh''
while this charge is in part true It's acceptance i'u'
TO "A mi sndcl standing o: the n-ture d ue com'''c'
and gives wrong Idea Of its aims ana oo'ec's'
Since the passage of the Webster bill by the senate
Il has been supposed that the only nope OF inc COM
nuttec lay in an appeal to Governor Flower 20 veto
tho bill. Eut such move Will not he made.
Dr. j. West Roosevelt. Il member OF the c"mmi'"e
Of the Academy OF Medicine who was seen yesterday
In regard to the Intentions of the committee an" us
aims for the future, explained the case clearly lie
said
"There Is no intention. far as know. on the
mart OF our committee t. ask Governor Flower 10 Ve'o
the Webster bill. The bill. As our committee S'a''o
10 tie Senate Committee OF Cities. simply naN'>
possible the adoption Of one Of The needed means o.
pr6rcction To certain extent 1t improves 'le
situation. Although IT places In the hahds vi ''e
Commissioner Of Public Works power which We oo
not think should be given TO on- man. u j. p'>No''
that by wise exercise of this power small part Oh
the danger may be obviated This Is no ume u" -"
the Governor TO veto the bin. Governor flowe' GU"
surely be trusted TO decide for himself whether 10
DO so not"
"But do Won mean to say that your committee ap
provcs OF the bill ?" was asked.
al mean to say that our committee has no re"S""
10 change the opinions expressed AT -NpahN W
stated these opinions TO the senate committee
,.,d bcfore that committee certain amendments wh'c
ombodied our ideas We plainly said that tN're WIS
one absolutely fatal objection IN inc measure "1 We
urged that this. at least. should be remoNr"' LUIS
objection was as calmly brushed aside DIV ue oci"'e
as II had been by the Cities Committee frooa"is
the Senate never heard OF II. Certainly neither the
Senate Committee nor the lawyers who appeared IN
favor OF the bill answered It, great many rc'No"'
were Given by Senator Brown ana MesSrs. DN"''"'
and Blandy which these gentlemen thought ma"' u'e
.nro,ntment OF a Croton Water Commission nnad
yisable but none which justified the passage Vi 'hc
bill In the form submitted to the Senate Our greatest
objection 10 the Webster bill is not. as has hech
charged that too much power is given to one man.
the Commissioner OF Public Works Ihat Is Tei"
ttyely a small matter. The greatest iauit Is ''H''
the bill Is not and cannot be maze e"e'"'0
In Its present shape no matter VINO uhoer'"hc' W
carry ont It's provisions Sufficient power Is no.
given BY Il to make possible the summary re"o'ai
~ dangerous nuisances. and none at all 70 compci
obedience to any orders OF the commissioner All
his power depends upon the authority co"'e''' "pO
him N acquire real estate to acquire or eXngush
some interest las defined in the bid therein ne
can no more make and enforce sanitary rules than Dc
fore The bill offers a premium on nnSanccs anu
It. ,n;rro+ons This Is the opinion OF several
lawyers Of high standing. We feel that II Is grave
mistake to put the execution OF TIE law soieS 'uc'
the control OF the Commissioner OF PuDhc "o'hs
and are at a loss 10 understand why the are''e"'S
advanced at the time the Aqueduct Commission was
created which showed clearly the advantage d
n commission have not the same force ooaS as '"c'
had in the pas But beyond all else. We demand
a law which shall specifically empower some perso"
or n commission to take decisive action TO secure ''e
purity OF the water
:" There IS only one way in which serious epidemic
In Cif
lion OF the water In the Croton watershed III ''
Aoroauct or In the reservoirs. Unless this occurs
there is little to fear but II 1t does occur II VIII
cost thousands OF lives and millions OF dollars
The truth OF this statement is shown III the ex
perience OF Hamburg last summer. Inc cV Vi
hamburg suffered terribly from the cholera cp'uemo
,.hue the suburb OF Altoona, which bears about 'he
same relation to Hamburg as Williamsburg does 10
prookIyn hardly suffered ut all. Hamburg gets It's
water from the Elbe. at point where Inc tue sweeps
the sewage of the city into the reservors' 'i'o'ia
obtains its water also from the Ebe but al po'h'
,rberc the river Is relatively free from 'he se"'i
effected tide: besides, In Altoona they inter 'h''r
,ra,.r through a bed OF sand. which removes WHAT
impurities there may be In it, Hamburg 'ahcA Nv
such precaution. In Hamburg the epue"lc '"eu
IN Al,ona IL appeared scarcely at all lnse wv
cities have practically become one The ha"ou'e
-, a,rs RIM into Altona's suburbs, and vice-versa
.nd 1, t. a strange fact. but the Hamburg choie'"
,sdemic was confined to the limits OF It's wa'ei-'i
ON one street. for example. the Hamburg "'''ns sup
plied one side OF the street, While thc o'DcI u' Wv
lis water from the Altoona pipes. Inc eIiu'
confined to that side Of the street that used 'he nam
,nrc water inasmuch as 400 persons uieu u" ''
Of the street, while but eleven dea'hs o''"' =,
,,,,nss across the street, using Altoona water an"
of these latter cases. several OF the Patio"''
found TO have taken water from the i""'""i9 "'',
In another case, one end OF sr'tt "S'" ~
,or tho other Altoona: the epidemic was coinheo
,nd There
W ~ .,.- no,rre In Hamburg there were
chartered during the cholera epidemic iarse wv
tacbment OF soldiers Their barracks were Ill III. 'V
infected part OF the city, and disease anu U'"'"
surrounded them; still, no case oil 'ne u,,'"
.'a,oroo among them The water the soldiers useu
CAM from artcsan wells the people about them "'""h
Elbe water. ,, ,nsor. .evlnm
nit, tho cholera epidemic gives another STRIKING
Illustration of the danger TO be isarea iro on
Ha'e In ~ January The asylum was then receiving
It's water from OF the branches o e ,S rpI
een on The aad Of January the no,S wp'g bra T%R
was changed 1t came en IRON pare y the 18th
81 January the epaenc had ceased cnteN ,n,
SIness cnnaed By impure drinking water and
NAV add that disease never has been Ehomm "
e Necessity for having pure water Is appnrsn.
There Is no question whatever Du! ''n. al rhnod ri
uon OF ,ts sources Of our water supply, the Croon
River or Lake, would be almost ce''"'' " '"''' VI"
entire city OF New York ..,. -. elm committee
Now the object and intention OF the co,h' ~
-. 81 cademv Of Medicine Is TO do the best III us
Sow"r 10 have really effective measures taken 10 p
tort rho danger from impure water WHICH Woulu
New. York should the cholera appear mere
We do not believe that the Webster bii Is cnicua.ea
40 do this or to ward of onctrnth OF ,nc fisk na,
seem IN MS 10 be apparent The committee mas nccn
Informed indirectly. that the senate had no intention
,rh.,nver of talking any rational step, TO prevent the
dangers we fear and thus II Is we feel II our du,y
70 law before the public statement OF the PerIs ,he
ona ~ Xew.Y ork City called upon TO face. and
:" fnnrsss upon them the necessity OF facing then
reward this end are working"
CARRIE CONPANY'S DIRECTORS