The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-18
CorER CALLS IT A STEAL.
,,rrFR ATTACK or THE RAMAPo
WATER CONTRACT


II would Cost she City slo,ooo'ooO, Ehsi.
...r. say, to Build the Necessary fiane
60 IA. tho Yearly s5,OOo,O00 Worth OF
w.t.r-AuembIy Said to Have No Veto.
w..n comptroller Coler got 10 his office
,oatsrday morning he sent for the Chief Engl-
nner, OF the Finance Department. Eugene Z
Nj aan. and had long talk with him about
potar Commissicner Dalton's plan to mako
forty-year contract Tor wafer a' aoou'
az 900 600 a year with the Ramapo Water
Tonn.nv Mr.. Coler told Mr.. Mclean that he
,r.ntsd 70 have the engineering features OF the
Ter .ituatiop examined and reported upon
~ ,bor,uphly az was possible In two weeks,
u. s,id that II Mr.. Mclean force OF assistants
v,a too small 10 do the work or II the services
NJ specialists were needed. the CHIEF Engineer
shorid am ploy them, 30 that there could be no
ouaation OF the authority OF the report Then
Mr.. Coler set to work with several OF his assist
onta 70 make an exact statement OF the oity's
financial condition. to be used in connection
With the engineers report when the Ramapo
sobame comes up for discussion before the
Ronrd OF Public improvements on Sept. 80.
lam going TO fight this scheme" Mr. Coler
.,id and in no event shall / vote 10 have
,ba oitv buy water from any private company.
A. the prescnt time there Is no need OF such
an Increased supply, and II 1t shall arise In the
future the city should build and operate its
own system. More water is needed In Brook
Ixn hut IL can be obtained from Long Island.
Tbis aside. however. there can be no excuse
Tor Attempting to rush through contract
committing the city to pay 5000. 100000 to
water company owned BY private capital.
Irsu.lly such propositions are submitted to
the Finance Department before they are pro-
nosed for adoption. In this case nothing was
h.
nv accident am convinced that this Ramapo
.cheme ia worse than the Broadway franchise
stesl. It's the worst proposition that have
ever heard OF.
lone interesting and somewhat amusing
thing about this matter In that the men who
yotsd to commit tho city to the hands OF private
water compan were bowling q few months ago
for the municipal ownership Of gas plants and
asphalt plants. Now they are very anxious to
70 into this plan. although Manhattan and the
Bronx have all the waJer they need now. and
Brooklyn and Queens can be supplied without
going into this 5000. 100000 schsme."
Henry P. Schmidt, forme q member OF the
Brooklyn Board Of Education. called on the
Comptroller yesterday, and urged him to fight
the contract Mr.. Schmidt told Mr.. Coler that
he intended to organize mass meetings OF pro-
test F.O. Moore. President OF the Continental
aletter protesting against the contract and en-
closed copies OF some correspondence he had
with the Mayor and President Holahan when
the matter was considered In June. 1893 In q
latter from President Holahan to Mr.. Moore
under date OF June IL. 1893 was this para
graphs
This 10 q matter which win have TO be thor
ouehly investigated by the Department Of Wa
ter Supply and others, and very strong reasons
advanced to convince the members OF the
necessity for utilizing the Oatskiu watershed,
II another hearing is held. notice will be sent
to parties representing both sides Of this aues-
tlon SO that every member Of the Board will be
fully qualified to judge for himself as to the
advisabiity Of accepting any offer that the
Rsmapo Company may submit"
No further hearings were held.
Chief Engineer Birdsall Of the Water Depart
ment said yesterday that after the Ramapo
Company delivered its water at the city line.
reservoirs and service pipes costing 5.ooo.-
600 would be necessary before IL would be
available as the Department. wishes to use 1t.
This money would be used to build o reservoir
In the Bronx to supply the northern part OF the
city. and to lay pipes 10 take the water across
the East River under Randalls Island tn the
borough Of Queens and thence across Newtown
Creek to Q reservoir in Brooklyn.
OF the necessity Of increased water supply,
Chief Engineer Aphonse Fteley OF the Croton
Aqueduct said shat since 1890 the per capita
consumption Of water In Manhattan and the
Bronx had increased from rs gallons day tc
ITO gallons. On the completion Of the Croton
Aqueduot system In 1902 ii will supply $780,
100000 gallons day. The supply now IL 1885,.
OOO.OO0 There is NO danger Of famine thil
year, he said. but. II 1900 is q dry year. there
might be scarcity OF water. The Crotor
water shed extends north TO Pawiing. By eE.
tending Its lines 80 as to include the Ten Mile
River. which now runs into the Housatonic
the supply could be increased by 100000
gallons day. II the increase in per oapits
consumption continues at the present rate
Manhattan and the Bronx will need 900. 900. 00(
gallons day in 1909 Mr.. Fteey said that tht
per capita consumption was rtdiculously larg,
and wasteful
There Is some question whether the action o
the Board Of Public Improvements on the con.
tract would need the ratification OF any othe
municipal body. If the water were olassed a.
a"supply." the Boards action would be final
and last year the Water Department made
contract with the Citizens Water Company. o
Queens. at $65 million gallons. without sub
uniting 1t to the Municipal Assembly or tn
Board OF Estimate. II the purchase Of waite
were held to be public work." as Justic
Maddox has held the purchase Of gas and cleo
trcity lighting to be. the contract would hav
to 90 to the Municipal Assembly.
Col. Sims Will.
The will Of the late Col. William e. Sim wa
nled for probate In the surrogates office Il