New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-19
A MONUMENTAL JOB.

OninIons differ as to the prospects or the RAM
,>o ,,.oter ioh II Is said on the one hand, that
having been once exposed the promoters OIL tne
scbome In tbe BOARD of Public Improvements
will, no officially instructed to drop 1t, and, on
tho other hand. that there is danger Of its being
nu+ tbrouph the richness of the deal justifylng
Tho risk Of nolitcal or legal retribution. In our
onin,on Il is no more than prudent to assume
that in order to defeat the consplrac! sun
fight must be kept up at least unth alter 'ie
dote TO which further consideration OF the proJ-
ect was postponed Tammany's audacl'y' al
WAYS remarkable, has been enormousi! ueNef
o,od s,nce tho organization returned 10 power,
ond tbore Is little or nothing Of which 1t is not
canable so long as the people evince only
mild disapproval Of It's proceedings But we w
not believe that even Tammany VIII dare 10 give
a private company n S2O0,Ooo,ooo water COLI
tract II the contest begun yesterday WIN eA-
traordinary unanimity and vigor is carried on IN
the same manner.
Further consideration Of the proposal puts II
In still more odous light, and we do not MINK
the Controller overstates the case when ne sa!s
that II is "the worst scheme that ever was ialu
before the city" Holahan himself estimates
that il would not cost the city more IMAM
SIOOOOOOOO TO do on It's own account what he
wants 70 let the Ramapo Water Company 90 1or
f. and the interest running against the CITY
on a bond issue Of that amount would be only
81 600 900 a year Why, them is Holahan so
anxious 10 pay more than S5.OOo.OOO to MT
butcher and his friends? And that isn't ALL
One little detail which was not mentioned AT
first came out yesterday-to wit, that the Ram
ono neonle would deliver the water at the Ion-
kers line and that 1t would cost the city about
S2O.OO0.OOO TO bring it TO consumers 90,
The city must indsputably create and own
the means of supplying itself with constant
and annie SIMPLY of water whatever the cost
but there is competent testimony TO prove that
there is no present or prospective need OF VAST
expenditure for that purpose. The resources OF
the Croton watershed are not near exhaustloh'
Even with the enormous and utterly unneces-
sary waste which is officially tolerated there Is
comfortable margin IN sight for good whiie I'D
come on this side of the East River, and Long
Island can be made to supply the heeds vi
BROOKLYN at comparatively small expense. but
this IS not equivalent to saying that the present
waste can properly he ignored. Beyond douot
II ought 10 be stopped. and could be 10 great
extent without diminishing the comfort ana con-
yenience Of a single citizen or discouraglhg i'll
the slightest degree that free use or water lor
bathing purposes which the general welfare re-
ouires The single item Of barroom faucets run
ming necessarily accounts for heavy loss every
day in the year, and the best judges reckon that
of the daily supply Of two hundred and sixty
one million gallons 40 per cent is not used IN
any way
Mr.. Croker who seems to need more rest
than any other robust citizen Of New-York, was
resting at Long Branch yesterday, and could not
be induced 10 disturb his repose by emitting so
much as a single word about the monumental
lob which his closest friends in the city govern
ment are trying to put through; but Mr.. Platt
and Mr.. Quigg were quoted as saying that the
city certainly ought to own its whole water
supply and as expressing great Indignation that
the Republican machine had been supposed to
take lively interest in the fortunes OF the
Ramapo company We are glad that this en-
phatic disclaimer was put upon the record with
reasonable promptness, and we hope it may
prove useful during the next two weeks and
when the final vote is taken in the Board or
| Public improvements