New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-28
pUTcHEss COUNTY WATER RIGHTS.

The memorandum presented TO the Governor
Yesterday by the Corporation Counsel OF New
York concerning the Dutchess county wafer
fsu corroborates with facts and figures the
statement hitherto made, that the proposed TAX
,no ~ water bv New-YOrk would not infiict
unon the inhabitants OF that county any ma
tarial injury for which adequate compensation
could not and would not be made 1t mas Deen
declared again and again By the advocates OF
The pending prohibitory bill that IN taxing tne
water OF the two streams New-York would
wholly destroy the manufacturing industries
NOW seated on the lower reaches OF those
streams. and that, while the mill owners might
no cornDensated for their loss, the army of oper-
gtives who we're thus thrown out Of work, and
the neighboring farmers who were deprived or
a market for their produce. could not be- his
statement Of the case would, II true, be
strong argument against letting New-York take
the water, though It might not be insuperable
Rut the Corporation Counsel, fortified with
elaborate data, squarely challenges the truth
Of it
New-York does not propose to take all the
water Of Fishkin and Wappinger creeks. The
area OF the Fishkin watershed above the mills
Sc AZ least 1s8 square miles. New-York pro-
noses TO take the water from only eighty-one
SQUARE miles, leaving 105 square miles I'M
touched. The dam would be more than dozen
miles above the factories, and in the course or
that distance q dozen considerable tributaries
enter the creek. The area OF the Wappinger
watershed is 100 square miles, of WHICH New
York proposes 10 take only ninety, leaving sew
| enty-nine untouched, including seventeen miles
OF the creek, with nine or ten tributaries The
| effect OF the proposed diversion, then, would
not be 10 deprive the mills OF all water. 1t
would lessen their supply for power, and thus
| compel them 10 use more steam power, for
which the city would OF course, indemnify
them II IS to be noted that at the present time
! most II not all the factories supplement their
water power with steam power, some or them
| using much more steam than water. It may
/ be said with confidence, therefore, that New
York would not deprive the establishments of
power There remains the question Of water
supply for various other purposes in the mills.
The supply IS said TO be even now scanty ut
certain seasons, though at other seasons there
is vast surplus, and the average is far more
than is needed. New-York would no doubt con-
siderably reduce this supply. But the city pro-
| poses 20 establish and maintain such a system
Of storage reservoirs for the mills as 10 assure a
maintenance OF an adequate supply, actually
| more constant and trustworthy than at present.
! New-York proposes, I'm fact, 10 benefit the manu-
| featuring industries OF Duchess County by i'm
! proving their water supply, instead OF destroy
/ ing them. as has been charged
| There are. Of course, many other points TO be
/ considered on both sides OF the question; but
al least there should be no further pretence that
4 Nex-York is planning TO work irreparable in-
| iurv TO Duchess County by destroying great
/ industries for which no indemnity can be made
| If the pending bill Is vetoed and New-York IS
permitted under the existing general law 10 get
water from Duchess County, just as IT might
from any other county In the State but one