New-York tribune., 1900-08-20
A COSTLY UNDERTAKING.

This work cost over $4,000. Funds to carry it on
have not been available, and therefore. individual
officers Of the Merchants Association have ad-
yapced the necessary funds to complete H. once
having undertaken the work they were deter
mined that II should be carried through ana they
personally assumed the responsibility, advancing
the amount required. It IS hoped that the citzens
OF New-York City. who will be permanently oehe-
Hted by this work. by the action that II VIII ieao
20 and the legislation that viii probably come oue
of Il VIII see to II that the necessary funds are
raised 10 repay the officers Of the association VINO
have made the advancements. Checks should De
snade payable TO the order of Charles H Weop'
treasurer Contributions far have been ABOUT
sl1 coo About SD 600 more IS needed
If there is any who has a doubt that TINS
c,+v would fall into a most dangerous and ex-
pensive trap If it should be led to sign the pro-
posed notorious contract with the Ramapo water
Company the reading Of this report would dispel
any such feeling On this point the report says
among other things:
In calculating the cost under the contract system
with the Ramapo Company, we have assumed
amount of water as delivered under the municipal
system. Both estimates are based upon an an IN
Cease in the last few years and CONSUMPTION
that the total annual city receipts would be, at
present. $50 % per million gallons The results OF
Frst-By 1887 The, city would own its plant under
would own nothing under the Ramapo system.
6econd-Between 1906 and 1917 the city. under
defcit begnning with about 8 10000 in 1908
% @lu etilIle t lrii tagjnnirp iI 1913 the civ
would commence to make a profit which in
that year would be about $153,0D and would
constantly increase year by year until 1915 "a
Gate chosen because Il Is the termination or
the proposed Ramapo Contract), In which year
r. would be about $4,000. The excess of
this profit the deficit in the forty years
of operation from 1906 to 1s45 would be about
S46000,00e. a which represents the cash
profit to the city during that period under
municipal ownership.
Shird-Under the proposed contract the payment
10 the RamapO Company Of $40 per million gal
per million gallons would result deficit
TO the city Of over s6o,OC0co0;
Fourth-Tf, therefore, the city should fail TO build
and operate its own water supply and should
make contract with the Ramapo COMPANY,
il would suffer loss of sl08090.0 900 in the forty
FifthBut that Of sos 600 600 does not rep
resent the total loss 10 the city, for it would
plant under the Ramapo system
while, under the municipal ownership plan IL
would nave paid for its plant by 1887 and own
cash and property loss therefore Trould he
gallons daily. -' '''O0
Eixth-Furthermore bv 1q90 aro+Lar .,,..... l..
meet the increasing needs of the city and 10
eulp4y an additional 250,010000 gallons daily
- mus Ds constructed During the twenty-five
tuFtner loss Of at least 100000 10 The nity,
MouI1 result compared with a contract with
ne taInapo Company, for such additional sun
ply at the proposed price. This makes tba
s1a- do5 59S5 65 &c the city during forty years over
HeVenth-The operation Of increasing the srnDI,,
rom me Hucson every fifteen or twenty wears
d auuluonal supply of 25O0eO00O galIons
rom an engineering but most of ali froTo my
..i'aAc4ai standpoint The supplying of D,atsr
able enterprise while on The attar 5ly i5 pTolt-
lracung with the Rarnapo C,oTnnan,, -, 3I5 III
n1opoooyy Do1y - uII III IN giving that company the
IL beoii,0iy i,y oI an future additional supplies for
me city OF New-York 1PPI'eS lot