The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-09-15
THE QUESTION TO BE CON-
SIDERED TO-DAY.


readers of the Chronicle. 1t applies
with equal force to municipalities
generally:
Underlying the question Of the ac-
ceptance or rejection of the proposed
water contract for the additional sup
ply of New York there is one con-
sideration that will justify the serious
attention which it is receiving at the
hands of the Board of Public I'm
provements
Some American cities have found
it either useful or economical in the
exercise of their municipal powers
to control such utilities as the supply
of water or the means of communi-
cation Some of them, Philadelphia
conspicuously, constructed and con-
Quoted gas plant at cost of several
million dollars; others, Baltimore
and Cincinnati, for instance, have
aided by their credit and contribu-
tions more desirable steam railroad
connections, and still others have as
sumed share in private business,
generally at much loss and with much
scandal.
New York City's course in all such
1y and consistently the same. No
municipal interference with private
initiative and individual control; no
municipal ownership, so-called, and
no partnership with speculative pro-
jects of any kind in supplying steam
heat, cold storage, illumination, pas
senger transportation, electric cur
rent, natural gas, steam power, vapor
or machinery.
The many advantages of this policy
of New York has been shown in the
enormous DEVELOPMENT of all such
agencies and facilities without mu-
nicipal interference, together with the
preservation of the credit of the city
and it's unassailable solvency and con-
stantly increasing resources. One
illustration, which will suffice, is
furnished in the case of gas works.
Had the city of New York erected
some years ago a mammoth gas plant
as was urged in some quarters, secur-
ing land for the purpose and equip
ping it with machinery and appliances
on the then existing system of general
ing coal gas, the changes which have
since that time been introduced into
the methods of gas making the novel
economies utilized, land, above all,
the substitution of electricity in street
and house lighting, would have rem
dered unproductive most of the in
yestment and entailed the sacrifice of
the investment at a great loss New
York is now well-lighted city,
cheaply- Lighted city and city illumi-
mated not by the methods of thirty or
forty years ago, but according to the
most improved methods of to-day
In one particular and in one partic-
ular only, however, New York has ex-
ercised it's municipal authority and
control, and that is in furnishing and
controlling the supply of water, whole
some in quality and abundant in
amount, and it's course in this partic-
ular has been uniform and undeviat-
ing for more than half a century.
The reasons in support of it are as
potent as they are few.
Water is a natural product. The
methods of impounding and of trans
porting it are substantially the same
now as they were centuries ago, when
the aqueducts of Rome and other
ancient cities were constructed.
Waterworks, reservoirs, and dams are
a permanent investment. Those con-
structed by New York are available
assets of the city, and as the city in
creases the demand for water in
creases likewise. A substitute for
one form of illumination may be
found in another; substitute for one
method of traction or propulsion may
be found superior to the one in use,
but water, always the same, is al
ways in demand.
The second reason for municipal
control of water supply in New York
is equally clear and valid. The water
used is paid for by taxation. Those
using water are directly taxed for it,
and it is proper and wholesome ex'
ercise of government power that tax
alton for utility, which is in fact
necessity, should be at minimum cost.
From 1S43, when the Croton water
was introduced into this city until
the present, water has been furnished
by the city cat cost. F" Had control of
the supply been in the hands of pri-
waite corporation the profits made
from it would have been considerable
and they would have been collected.
in taxation. Water would have cost
more than it does now.
Lastly, it is essential for the we'll
being of city, for its sanitary health,
for the prosecution of the business of
it's inhabitants and for their preserva-
tion against confagration, that the
control of the facilities for getting
and supplying water should not be in
the hands of private individuals, but
in those of the whole people. Conse-
quently there has been no precedent
in New York for a partnership be-
tween the city and private individu-
ais, such as the Ramapo water con-
tract proposes, contrary to a half CEN
tury's experience.
The contract proposes partner
ship in the supply of water from
1902 to 1942-the city from its acque-
ducts and reservoirs to supply some,
and water company to supply some.
The city's quota is to represent to the
people certain cost per gallon; the
company's supply is to cost a certain
price per gallon fixed forty years in
advance. Section 6 of the contract
provides that the city of New York
"agrees and hereby authorizes said
company to act as the agent and rep
resentatiye of the city of New York, -
under the contract, thereby establish
ding a partnership of the kind that
those who laid the broad foundation
of New York's material greatness
assiduously endeavored to avoid.
Such partnership, repugnant to all
previous notions of municipal govern