The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-01-11


TO the Editor of the Journal and Courier:
The agitation OF the water supply
question in the Borough Of West Haven
is no new matter, and has no connection
whatever with the recent transfer Of a
control of the stock of the West HaVel
Water company. The complaint of the
people and of the borough authorities
has been constant for the last ten
years. Committee after committee has
visited Mr.. Phipps when he was in con-
troll, and last summer he confessed to
the committee that, although he mad
obtained authority from the Legislature
to issue additional stock and bonds,
this would do no good, since the avail
able watershed was already fully used,
and the reservoir capacity exhausted,
and that nothing was left but to turn
the whole matter over to the New Ha-
ven Water company, which was able to
supply the borough whenever it should
be willing.
! The complaints were incessant that
even upon the ground floors of dwellings
| the supply was often feeble, that upon
| the second floors it was almost always
! inadequate and that in some houses
where the level was less than 20 feet
above the level of the Sound it was
next to impossible to get any water.
| The Borough had expended great
many thousand dollars for Good
Roads," which We're being ruined be-
| cause at first no water and then only
| very little, could be obtained for sprirk~
| ling purposes. 1t was, as Mr.. Phipps
expressed it, not a question OF the COM
panys Willingness to sell, but of its ut
ter inability. To call the present sup
ply, or any supply which the company
could by any means create sufficient
supply for fire purposes, was ridiculous.
At it's very best the company could
not furnish a pressure which would
throw a half inch stream on the roof
of an ordinary dwelling. Moreover, the
rule of the West Haven company, re-
quiring the payment of years water
rate In advance, whether the water
was used for one month or one year,
was felt to be unjust and arbitrary.
The situation had become and is now
intolerable.
Under these circumstances the
borough, at it's annual meeting Decem-
Der LIST, appointed a committee who
should examine the whole question and
report to the borough authorities. I'm
der the express statement of Mr.. Phipps
the inability of the West Haven Water
company. no matter who should control
it, was confessed. The system was ut
terly inadequate in every respect, and
"stocks and bonds galore could not
make it competent to meet the demand
made upon it. For Il rural population
of a thousand it was well enough, but
for thrifty, settled population of 1900
people 1t was and is practically useless.
Its mains are old, laid down cheaply,
and of kind which the New Haven
Water company has been compelled to
take up in New Haven wherever laid.
What was and is needed is better
mains, better supply and pressure for
fire purposes.
The sewer question had already been
canvassed in the Borough. but no sew
erage system can be devised which does
not require at once an adequate water
supply, If the West Haven company
had reached the greatest possible limit
of its capacity, now, what reasonable
hope of a system of sewers unless help
was to come from new and increased
water supply
Under these circumstances the
Borough committee at once placed it.
self In communication with the New
Haven Water company, and to the |
qualification of the committee. the New |
Haven Water company expressed its
Willingness to enter the new field, and |
to undertake an adequate supply of |
water for the Borough under certain |
circumstances. In a high |
minded. honorable way the New Haven /
company approached Mr.. Phiprs. who |
held bare majority Cone share) and |
offered to buy not only the Phipps |
stock, but all the stock.of the West Ha- |
ven company. and to paw therefor a |
price which Mr. Phipps himself declared
was reasonable. The New Haven com
nanv was in the wafer business and |
had water to sell. 1t was a plain bus
mess proposition. The West Haven
plant was really of very lit
lie value to the New Haven con1pany
and the New Haven companJ had ful |
legislative authority TO occ1nv the ter
rtorv before the West Haven eannanv
was formed but in a straightforward
wav The New Haven comnanv was
willing to nav the West Haven com
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