New-York tribune., 1903-07-23
AFTER MANY YEARS.

The fuss that is being made and the antics
that are being performed over the 'squatters"
in the Croton Valley provoke the informed OBJ
server partly to hilarity and partly to contempt.
We are not sure but that the latter sentiment
predominates as the story of the case would IN
dicate. Some half dozen years ago the Aque-
duct Commission condemned extensive lands in
the Croton Valley for reservoir purposes and made
many of the occupants get off instanter without
any such trifing formality as getting paid for
their property. There was not the slightest
need of such hurry. The city did not need
the land then, and it was perfectly evident
that it would not and could not need it for some
years. AS a matter of fact, it has down to the
present moment made not the slightest use Of
the bulk Of it. The land lies to this day in
actly the state it was in when its occupants
were driven off, or with only the changes which
nature has produced. There was really no
good reason for driving the people off at that
time They might just as well have been left
undsturbed for four or five years longer, or
even more with saving to the city Of 6 per
cent interest on the value Of the land for that
time But the Aqueduct Commission got for
some tnScrutable reason into a tremendous
sweat over the matter. and hurried it up as
though the whole valley was to be under water
within thirty days.
At the same time this same AQueduct Com
mission, for some other inscrutabe reason. let
various other occupants of those lands remain
undsturbed- Especially was this true of GER
tain occupants of large and profitable farms
bordering directly upon the Croton and the Mus
coot. While the tradesmen and residents of the
village of Katonah were incondnenty hustled
off and the entire village was wiped out of
fstence these farmers more directly in the
oF 4Ia he tod @1
main in full possession and use Of their farms.
Their land was condemned. of course. and the
city was made responsible to them for per
cent interest on the assessed value. But the
farmers kept on farming year after year, just
as though no such thing as an aqueduct COM
mission had ever been heard of. The Aqueduct
Commission knew it, and at least tacitly acQui-
esced in it, letting the farmers go on occupying
the city's land rent free, deriving their usual
yearly profits from crops and stock and also
drawing per cent interest from the city upon
the value of the land. The very same officers
who expelled the villagers with such tumuItu-
Gus haste permitted the farmers thus 10 tarry
year after year.
But now, after many years, the Aqueduct
Commission suddenly gets into another sweat
IT makes the astounding discovery that these
people have all this time been "squatting" upon
the city's property, and it makes mad rush for
their expulsion, Immediately If not sooner!
The Sheriff and courts of Westchester County
are invoked 10 aid in this most urgent and
necessitous undertaking. Just as though the
Aqueduct Commission had not known all about
it and complacently winked at it for all these
years! The farmers, it is to be observed admit
that they are squatters and that the city has
right TO expel them from its land But with
fine sense Of humOr. which should be duly ap-
preciated by the Aqueduct Commission. they
ask TO be permitted to remain until all the crops
on the farms have ripened and been harvested.
There is an uncenfrmed. but not Incredible,