New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-27
ONE YEAR OF REFORM WORK
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE BY COMMITS
s1oNER ALFRED T. WHITE.

THE pRooKLYN DEPARTMENT OF CITY WORKS
Under MAYOR scHIERENs ADMNIsTRA-
rroN-REFoRMs. ECONOMIES AND IN
PRovEMENrs
Next Friday will mark the completion Vi 'ne ~"
wear O. reform administration In the CITY OF nrooN
lyn Mayor Schieren, TO be sure 'oon '''e W
January l. 1894 but under the brook.h '""''
the heads of departments appo'hteu ny Nv"
Mavor do not assume their duties until the ISL
q, Fehruarv To those familiar with the brooklyn
system Il seems rathvr strange that Mayor '"o"s'
OF New-York. should ask for as mucn as Din
months in which to select new commissioners
In fact a Brooklyn Mayor mas prae.'caH' '"iee
,ronths to make his selections. since ne Is eected
IT, q, Xovember and need not announce MS ap-
nointees until the end OF January. NO Mayor mas
90, comn,ained that he did not nave "''e W
ava Tho light men for the places and az RUE
thev have been chosen soon after the nes'"""s
OF the year. and In some cases eve" 49,
"a 80. 800, connrising Mayor Scheren's cabinet
,,,,,, Includes the heads OF all the municpai ue-
nartnents the one holding the most respohSip'e
n,ace ia Alfred T. White. the Com"'ss'o"'' Y.
civ Works Mayor Schieren ana inc e'''Ne' -
brooklyn have good reason TO cohsra'u"'. 49,
selves on the fact that MI "h'e wac
an IA accent this onerous and respohsoie once
II,, ,,gh standing as a pubc-spiried c''izeh' Ills
strct integrity and his business experience eSpe
cially fitted him to undertake the reioi'" 60 " go
needed In this branch OF the citys ous''. -
missioner White has devoted himself 10 INC u".u'
nj his Office with a diligence rarely seen !" p"D.
official Since January. 81 last he mas spent !u''
49, 49, In attending to his private business; THIS
.as In rulv or August when he went o'c' '"
Now-York for part OF one AFTERNOON %
rately he has been able TO leave ms piN"'o Co.,
N the hands OF others. and on Inc ae'asu ~
has given ten or eleven hours day 10 Tue u"
., h,s nub,lc Office He has had Jealous ana Gu
Woo Commissioner
who has rIvalled his chief IN the ''''e " ~
voted official duties
DIFFICULT JOB
wh.r Commissioner White asked day or TWO
ago for some expression of opinion regarding ms "o
year in office he replied that he knew At inc
he was undertaking dhicut Joo' o"' -" 49,,
not have been willing to go Into II NJ al ",'
been something pleasant and easy. VI, '"e 49,
he had not found II more difficult than ne ehpec'eu
r,nr,ng the first six months he had TO listen 10
,rmerous applications for employment. pu' ne re-
leved himself OF this by providing ioi me eur M,
OF laborers on the plan adopted IN 'he Wv 80.
Some system OF this kind was necessary 10 e',"'
the head OF the department 10 a'.e"u ~ ,,.r'
n.ss In those six months about 100" app"ca'onS
,ro-. made bu, in the second half OF the year the
number has been comparatively sma''. ....,,
In answer a question regaroihs .'e i p -
work OF the Department OF CITY "''ns oU'.
,as, YEAR Mr. White said Il suppose the water sup
iS
NAV be considered under three branches ~ Wv
Involvement Of the existing works; second the IN
creass OF the supply third. the hecess"' ~ P
vision for the future. In the reference !" Wv
,s,inc works the main thing has oeeh .ne ""
49, ., var,ous economies In the purchase OF sup
rias improvements des!gned 10 save tue' ~" "''
the discharge OF supernuous employees me s az,
,a accommodated ;hus FAR has been about '0V""'
and for the coming year vii amount 70 s''" ''e'
for we are Just beginning to realize 'ne a'N
OF some Of the new appliances WHICH nave O''' '"''0
duced in the pumping stations
INCREASING THE WATER SUPPLY
..-rhe Increase OF the water supply became "'A'
tor Of absolute necessity last summer o"'"s
The unprecedented drouth. the city OF h'o"'S
US nlaced IN a situation that for a time 'ooh'i
serious and prompt measures were "ee' -, -,
order to assure an increas. oi . ~. and their ca
ppsc,iv was increased and an aggrrsau. ss' ,hIs
10 900 gallons daily WAS mace va incyease
Of 10000 gallons and as soon n, as s.d ne bonds
Council authorized the issue OF ,ne rrontract was
made with Edwards Co.. ana the mr. 20 he
under this contract Is now ,rnrp driven Wells which
hay. heen found to furnish even better VAIL 70"
the streams and Other under this contract
The test Is 10 be based on the hVe con n ~. man
OF OH ,hnngh, Of putting in bid. when he saw me
terms OF the contract refused 70 90 80. s ~ both
ds and in the middle The engineers OF ths NJ
enus saw that now for the nrst time IN tnsr
experience they have no fear Whatever o' ""'''
for further provision for the future ,hoa y
mot mot am aiter has been carefully inquired into the
engineers have no, had TINE io within the next
TWO months but would not like 10 mar, ,es pY
tive statement ,h TrsaT Se%s are amersn. q
water on Long Island. some OF our a mr ONE
az afe the U's stations well 10 feet hereaboui mas
been driven near one only thi,E ~ - was found he
tween the two Of supply There her Il goSa
deal OF water yet on Long Island anu WIN" i, wa,ey
enough TO supply SooO people more than twice
the present population OF New-fofH OF proo"''"
HOW GOOD PAYMENTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN
ASSURED.
Commissioner White next referred to- the build
ing OF the Greene ave relief sewer ana 10 'he "o'A
that has been done TO prevent the discharge OF sew"
age into Newtown Creek. on the question OF pave
,nents he spoke OF the recent experience when ne
| had when visiting Philadelphia. lie was surprised
TO ind himself rolling along over asphalt on MS
way to the station. and then he c tn.
panies for the privilege OF introducing ne troiey
system that the comPane, rs sSSsa we're rr
placed wh either asphalt or gtsns In the dss ere.
ton Of the Commssi9ner Of Cy Wo Mon bu ~ tn
miles OF wepaved streets, at an expense 10 TN, ING
companies. he was told OF Se'~ee" S'0""' ana
Think" he said of what Nigh. have been done
by the BOARD Of Aldermen before the present one
for we have 1870 miles OF trolley railroad mere. ~
seems 10 me that the railroad companies ought ~
equity to bear a part Of the expense where streets
which they occupy are repaved ~ my annual IT,
mort spoke at some length Of this matter
Mr. White referred to the rev Wallabout lanas as
one OF the subjects requiring special attention from
his denarfment and also the number or new PROB
lens occasioned by the annexation OF the three
county towns.
DIVIDING THE DEPARTMENT.
"What about the proposed division OF your de-
partment?' was asked.
THAT subject is now under careful consideration
A hill has been drawn to cover the matter but
soma changes In 1t will be required. IL seems
necessary to make such division and to apportion
the duties now done by the Commissioner OF CITY
Works among three Commissioners Mr. Fowier