New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-04
THE PASS4IC SEWAGE PROBLEM.

We print elsewhere letter from Mr.. j. AL
bert Stowe dissenting from views recently ex-
pressed by The Tribune concerning the disposal
Of sewage In the lower Passaic Valley. MIR.
Stowe took conspicuous part In bringing
about the present movement for the purihca-
ton Of the Passaic River, and is now believer
I'm the wisdom OF the plan proposed. namely.
the construction of a huge trunk sewer that
will carry the sewage Of Paterson, Newark and
all places between them. and empty 1t into the
lower part Of Newark Bay. Between his Views,
expressed IN this letter, and those of The Trib-
unc expressed in the article he critcises, there
Is really less divergence than he seems TO
think. Both are agreed as TO the paramount
necessity of redeeming the river from pollu-
ton at the earliest practicable moment Both
are agreed as to the necessity Of constructing
intercepting sewers along the river fronts OF
the cities Whether those sewers are all con-
nccted or each municipality keeps It's own sepa-
rate system Is not ali essential matter. The
important point of difference between Mr..
Stowe and The Tribune is that Of final disposal
of the sewage. lie thinks it best to pour it
into the bay. We think it best to send 1t to rem
dering works and sewage farms.
Our correspondent objects that such estab-
=
That means merely that they are not always
example OF Paris Thirty years ago it estab-
lished sewer-farms at Gennevilliers, a little
north Of the city. Those farms now comprise
more than two thousand acres. The crops
have been auadrupled The population of tine
neighborhood has nearly doubled in ten years.
The community s n model OF healthfulncSs.
And the liquid part Of the sewage returned TO
the Seine is clear, lmpid water, containing only
a dozen microbes 10 the cubic centimetre while
the drinking water OF Paris contains sixty two.
SO satisfactory were the results OF this first
experiment that other and larger sewage farms
have been established. about five miles from
the city. and in year or two more all the
citys sewage Will thus be disposed Of. In such
fashion all the sewage Of Berlin is disposed Of,
the farms comprising more than twenty thou
s0nd acres and using seventy million cubic
metres Of sewage n year Despite the great
cost Of land so close to The city, the farms are
very profitable. They already nearly pay In
terest on the investment. In few years more
they will be paying far more than full interest
on all the cost of the system. ard IN time be-
yond doubt will have paid back the invest
ment and have become perm anent source Of
handsome revenue to the municipality. Equally
successful is the venture from a sanitary point
Of view Instead of being unhealthful, the
farms are so free from unhealthfulness that
they are used as sanitariums. Certainly If
such results can be obtained In the crowded
suburbs of Old World capitals they should be
possible here.
The Tribune Is in perfect accord with Mr..
Stowe In decmlng 4. the imperative duty Of the
present Legislature to begin the work Of purify
ing the Passac. For years II has been urc-
ing action to that end. 1t regarded the appot.t-
mcnt of the Pnssalc Valley Sewerage Commits.
sion with hearty approval and believes the
members OF that body are entitled to the
thanks of the public for their unsefsh and
bcnefcent labors. But 1t believes, and that was
the Gist and purport Of the article to which
our correspondent takes exception. that there
Is n quicker, easier less costly and in all re-
spects better way OF solving the problem than
that proposed. The sewage OF cities is TOO
valuable TO be wasted. Instead Of the sewer
systems being a cause Of constant expense to
the cities they can be made Il source of revc-
Due This belief IS founded not upon theories,
but upon facts, upon actual achievements in
circumstances far less favorable than those In
the Passaic Valley.