New-York tribune., 1901-08-17
A WATER SUPPLY INCIDENT.

Abundant rains and OverfOwing reservoirs
have seriously interfered with the official at
tempt to create a water scare yet occasional
solemn illusions TO the subject would seem to
indicate that the authorities merely waiting
for more convenient season to revive the agi.
tatiOn which they were busy promoting last
year. The Tribune has never encouraged the
idea that the question of future water supply
was which it was safe to ignore though we
steadily condemned the attempt to create u false
ALARM and by that means reconcile the public
to a prohigate deal with the RamapO company
We have, moreover, repeatedly called official
attention to the fact that a large part of the
water actually brought to this city-probaby
not less than one-half of it's wholly wasted by
| leakage from mains and pipes and the leaving
open of faucets and have shown that the au-
thorities might easily relieve their apprehen-
sion of an impending famine by stopping this
| wanton and reckless sacrifice. So far as the
| public is aware, however, no steps TO that end
| have been taken. and more than hundred mill
ions of gallons are daily running into the sewers
and out to sea without performing any service
whatsoever.
1t is important, nevertheless-ndeed from
practical point Of view all the more important
because of this deplOrable neglect to conserve
the present stock-that the city should be pre-
pared TO draw on additional sources of supply
when the necessity arises, and therefore that
it should ascertain in advance what sources are
most available Hence no serious objection has
been made to the work of investigation and sur-
vey which the authorities are now understood
TO be conducting, and for which a preliminary
appropriation of 100000 was provided last
spring. At the same time, an interesting COM
mentary on the municipal way of doing things
has recently been furnished in a statement by
the Merchants Association relating to this mat
ter. AS a part of its public spirited campaign
against the Ramapo conspiracy. to which the
people in large measure owe their immediate
escape and the legislation designed to secure
their permanent safety the Merchants Associa-
ton caused careful examination of possible
sources of water supply 10 he made at an ex-
pense of $4,000, employing competent engineers
to conduct surveys and competent lawyers 10
consider the legal questions involved The pub
lished result is a large body of accurate infor-
nation collected In a single volume and made
thoroughly ineligible by maps and diagrams,
while the mass of data upon which il is based
remains on file i'm the office of the association
1t might naturally be supposed that the pub
lie authorities would be glad 10 utilize the ma
terial so procured in their own investigation of
the subject, and under that impression the Mer-
chants Association placed the whole of II at
their disposal and likewise the services of it's
engineers TO whatever extent their cooperation
might he deemed valuable The offer was cour-
teous and well meant, to say the least but il
took ten days and two letters to the Mayor to
procure so much as bare acknowledgment, and.
the association has no reason 10 suppose that its
assistance will be accepted especially In view
OF the opinion attributed 10 the chief engineer of
the Water Department. that the associations
committee on water supply was composed OF
"fools." Altogether, the incident is an inter