New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-18

RESIDENTS OF THE THIRTY FIRST WARD
TO BE ARGUED TO-DAY.
A case involving many thousands Of dollars
N the taxpayers OF the Thirty first Ward
o;ravesend) will be argued In the Supreme Court
this morning 1t is a suit brought 10y Fredercl,
r. JorgensOn through his attorney. Horace
Graves to enjoin the city from collecting the
water rates and cutting off the water supply
in the ward The suit II test case. and all
the taxpayers CT the ward are interested in the
outcome Or the advice of counsel taxpayers
have refused 20 pay the assessed water rates.
the ground being that the water rates are paid
with the sewer taxes. 1t is probable that JUS
Ace w w Goodrich will sit In the case.
In speaking of the case to d Tribune reporter
yesterday Mr. Graves said:
Before the sewers were built in the town IL
Grayesend one Stevens had contract running
eety years 10 supply the town with water. He had
a monopoly OF the water supply When 1t became
necessary to pay more careful attention to the
Are department Of the town application was
made TO MI Stevens for price hydrants.
and the sum which he named. $50 year for
each hydrant was high that the town looked
around FOR means Of supplying hydrants at
cheaper rate At about that time II was found
necessary 10 have d more adequate sewer sys-
lem and as the sewers were built, water mains
were also laid as a part of the sewer system, for
the purpose Of flushing the sewers. That was
necessary on account of the level condition Of the
land To pay for the sewer system. bonds were
issued which were made large enough also 10
cover the construction Of the water plant. wells.
pumping stations, pipes. etc.
Each year thereafter certain sum was put
in the tax levy of the town to pay for the main
tenance OF the sewers and cleaning and repair
ne them which included the expense Of the
water supply The residents of the sewer dis
licts paid every year in their taxes the interest
OIL the bonds and certain proportional part
II the principal sinking fund and for the
water under the head of the maintenance Of the
sewers Any resident Of the sewer district who
,uos,. - connect his house or hotel with the
wafer main was permitted TO do SO. and he was
.eaidcd az paying for his water in the taxes
as has been described
when the town was annexed in 1894 pro-
vision vas made in the statute that the Board
Estimate should determine the tax to he
raised Icy the town Of Gravesend, which then
.,.arno the Thirty-hrst Ward. In November.
50 The Board of Estimate certified to the
lsard Of Super, isors that the tax OF the Thirty
tiial and interest and 5000 for the main
tonance of the sewers in the third sewer dis
irict designating the district by its appropriate
school district. That provision for the main
,rnarcc of the sewers meant. as has been
stated 90 include the supply of water. both for
lh. sewers and tho houses and hotels. The
Board of supervisors confirmed the tax, and IL
was paid Il was several months after ths
that the city completed its negotiations for the
purchase Of the water plant Of the Thirty-nrst
Ward under the provisions Of Chapter 9s9
# tn" Laws of 1897. In this way the residents
oi The Thirty first Ward have paid for the use
~ Nat-r in their houses and hotels from Janu-
ary 1896 10 January L. 1877 But on May L.
1896; the Board of City Works as the Depart
r. en-; empowered to collect the water tax Tor
tho city Of Brooklyn. issued tax bills for the
Us alter supplied in thv town OF GraNesend from
May /. 1896. t. May l. 1897. thus calling upon
the residents Of the former town OF GraNesend
80 pay twice for the water supplied 10 them
for about eight months of the year 1N"i. the
dearest verifcation Of this presentation OF the
matter can be found 10y turning to the minutes
of the Supervisors for November II. 1879. pages
Nos .,io ard J3I and by document X.
November. lN9I. which is the tax levy for the
year 1>H; IN advance for the Thirty-first Ward.
Tho cit. is thrca tenng. unless the bills which
il has issued paid. To cut off the water
.o3n the houses in the Thirty-irst Ward, and.
presumably. from the large hotels in Coney
island The effect would he detrimental to pri
1at- citizens and calamitous to the hotel bust
Yess On the island.
BUSINESS men at Coney Island are watching
the outcome with much interest