New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-26
A STRONGER GUARANTEE DEMANDED.

A NIHONUEI U LIZ DLAH
That was curious document which Assist
ant Corporation Counsel Blandy filed with Gov
ernor Flower, in reply to the weighty criticism
by the Academy of Medicine of the Croton
Watershed bill, now a law. the gist OF 1t
was that the Department of Public Works could
be trusted implicitly to attend to the purifica-
ton and preservation of tho water supply, IN
asmuch as "from 1870 down 10 the present
moment under the auspices of the Commissioner
Of Public Works and his engineers universal
satisfaction has been given to the people of the
city of New-York in connection with the Croton
system" TO persons who have not received
direct illumination from Tammany Hall this
declaration will seem to be in somewhat strlk-
ing contrast to the arguments presented by the
Mayor and his advisers in support OF the
Webster bill just enacted. II there is and al
ways has been universal satisfaction with the
condition of the water supply, why do Mr..
Gilroy and his dear Commissioner OF Public
Works need $5OO,OOO year for three years
to change its condition? If everything is cred
table and satisfactory, why must huge
scheme of sanitary reform be executed at this
great cost? BY framing and advocating this
real estate operation the municipal authorities
repeat in the most forcble manner their former
assertions regarding the deplorable condition
of the watershed. They confess that under
their management a STATE of affairs has come
into being so horrible and dangerous as to re-
quire prompt, radical and expensive measures
to remedy it ; and then they cause to emanate
from the office of their legal adviser the OIL
cal announcement that there is universal salts
70 with ho CrOfnu Assistant
Corporation Counsel Blandy will do we'll to
recall the document which he signed ut the
dictation of Mayor Gilroy. 1t needs revision.
The truth is that there is universal and we'll
founded dissatisfaction with the condition OF
the Crcton watershed, and that swift and en-
crgetic action is impcratively demanded to avert
the natural consequences Of long neglect. a
year ago last fall the newspapers called public
attention to the agencies which were con-
Eliminating the water supply and in oonse-
quence OF this exposure the Board OF Health
made an investigation which fully confirmed
the most disquieting reports. Up to that time
the process of defilement had not been inter-
rupted by the guardians of the Croton who
now claim to have given perfect satisfaction.
That they have not accomplished any impor-
tant reformation since then is confessed IN the
enactment of the Webster bill, for which they
demanded urgency, and by which they obtain
power to spend S1,5OO,OOO in purifying and
protecting the water supply. We do not deny
tho necessity of acquiring land along the
streams which feed the CrOton reservoirs, and
we do not assume that the sum now provided
for this purpose is too large. smaller sum
expended with full knowledge of the require
mcnts and with perfect fidelity might be sufli-
cent, and larger sum would not be refused
if the taxpayers were assured that every dollar
of it would be honestly and judiciously APP
piled. No other condition Of comfort and
safety which the city government can provide
is more essential than pure and abundant
water supply, and any expenditure which is
necessary to procure it ought to be made. But
it was not, On that account, dangerous or dis
creditable to protest against bill which in
the judgment of experts is full of defects, and
which is far more likely to enrich few specu-
lators than to safeguard the community.
The bill has become law, and the opposition
which did not avail to prevent its passage
should now be directed to the securing of
supplementary measure such as the Academy
of Medicine proposes. Governor Flower is in
tClISChV ChOuSH W PNiSNA'O e""o A"A WV - 90
lation is needed, unless we misintcrpret the
memorandum which be filed with his signature
of the Webster bill. We care little about the
adoption of the proposals Of the Academy Of
Medicine in the precise form in which they
have been submitted, and we do not suppose
that the sanitarians who represent that Or
ganization and who have been treated with
insolence by the municipal authorities, would
object to notifications of their plan, so long as
the principle of it were preserved. They think
that an advisory commission of experienced
and disintcrested men ought to be created to
advise and cooperate with the Department of
Public Works. and we believe that the general
sentiment Of the community accords with their
opinion. There ought to be enough public
spirit here and at Albany to provide that guar
antee of honesty and efficiency.