New-York tribune., 1901-02-26
WATER, PARA1NOUNT ISSUE.
so SAYS F. W. HINRICHS AT THE GET
TOGETHER CLUB-R. c. OGDEN
PRESIDES.

"New-YOrk's Civic Assets and Liabilities was
the subject discussed last evening by the Get To-
gether Club after dinner the Hotel ST. George
Brooklyn. Robert c. Ogden who presided, said in
introducing speakers that this city passing
through a period of change, when men were almost
forced to a pessmistic frame Of mind and were in
danger of becoming discouraged. When one looked
back. however. to experiences when earnest men
got together there came vision Of better times.
In slavery days there seemed TO be Olisarchy
powerful that il impossible to shake it off.
but the time came when it that mighty
forces being developed which overthrow the
olgarchy
II seemed 10 Mr.. ogden. from the signs Of the
times that such a movement going n.
Men felt sad and depressed regarding civic affairs
and the slow righting of wrongs, but there was
| apparently a deep and vital accumulattve force at
work. which would manifest itself. The reign of
vice the sweatshops the lack Of protection for the
humber residents of the city-these things would
be remedied. and of such affairs the meet
ings of the Get Together Club. the gathering of
earnest discuss important problems. came
cheerful signs the times
William r. Corwine, OF the New-YOrk Merchants
Association spoke on The Imperial city" Illus
tratng his lecture with lantern slides He said the
descriptive adjective imperial could be applied
aptIy New-York's method OF misgovernment and
to the high rate Of taxation existing. The latter
was due to the extraordinarily heavy cost ~ the
city government and due also. turn a
lateral factor, to the loose system of conducting
municipal business. lie believed that. taking the
past a basis of comparison the citizens of New
York could by all pulling together. take the gov
ernment out OF the clutches of those who looked
upon politics 81 npIy means of personal gain.
The lantern slides served 10 show that this city
subjected to taxation which is eXtortonate beyond
anything which recent civilization has known
John l.. Thomas, speaking the subject or
''Tenements." exhibited stereopticon slides, show
ing blocks in which thousands Of children are born
and in some OF which the death rate :s enormous
He showed how the vitality and energy of willing
workers sapped by unsanitary homes until
they became unwilling charges On the public
purse criminal menaces to public safety. Against
these conditions was set the experience here and
abroad. where municipalities have demolished
sums and built model dwellings. and where
private enterprise has done the same. In both
there have been satiSfa tory financial
turns and perceptibIe Improvement in social con-
ditiOnS.
The Ramapo water deal was discussed by F. w
HinriChs. He said, in part;
There is much talk about the prevalence of vice
regulation suppression iS the most important
question before the people. But the just and
the unjust must i've, and no one can i've without
water believe that the oVerShadOwinE issue in
the coming campaign will be the water issue We
are on the verge of an appalling water famine in
both BroOky and The Bronx and shall be
threatened with like famine in Manhattan in
1910 unless immediate steps are taken permanently
to increase the water supply of the city.
Immediate temporary relief be easily secured
for both Brooklyn and The Bronx. but the giving
of this temporary relief Is dragging its slow length
along, without any proper justification for the de