New-York tribune., 1904-10-05
cROToy VALLEY PROBLEMS.

The extension of New-Yorks water supply
in the near future is doubtless desirable ana
perhaps necessary. But the protectlon Oh the
existing supply at the present time Is lmpeIa-
tive To this latter fact the LEGAL authorlues
now seem 10 be more fully waking up. II Is
high time While il Is quite true. as we point
ed ont the other day, that Croton water is free
from typhoid or other dangerous contamlna-
ton, il is also true, as we have again and again
made clear that the margin Of safety is IN
some places a narrow one. Conditions are toll
Grated in the Croton Valley which might easily
become menacing and disastrous. Some OF
them call for unremitting vigilance. and some
Tor prompt and thor. ugh reform.
During the last year or two we have called
the attention of the authorities to various
abuses and nusances along the CrOton and its
tributaries. from Mount KiscO TO Cryton FaIls.
Some Of these. about katOnah and BeoIoru
station. were investigated by Mr.. Oakley and
his assistants were found to be even worse
than it had been p ssible for us TO tell IN PRINT
and were abated. Others are being TO some ex-
tent corrected by the general progress OF af-
fairs But some, and by no means the IeaSr
Objectionable, have been quite neglected unul
The present time, when there seems TO De an
jther Of those periodical spasms OF acu'Ity
which our public functiOnaries appear u prefer
~ steady performance Of duty. The present
storm centre is Mount KiscO. After repeated
urgings by The Tribune. II seems 10 nave
dawned upon the official mind that the sewage
Of that populOus town is not deslraole oeNeI-
age for this metropolis Attention Is now Delhs
yiven we believe. chiefly TO the Italian quarter
in the northern part of the village. Wen, con-
litions there are bad enough. We are not sure
that they are a bit worse, however, than In the
Italo- o-Africano-cosmopOlitan settlement AT the
SOUTH called Kirbyville; or even than rIght IN
the heart Of the village. where huge put ram
shackle livery stable stands on the bank or
tributary of the CrotCn. There is little inter-
ing apparatus there, It is true but 1t IS diincut
to imagine that it serves any better purpose
than TO call attention to the gross pollution OF
the stream A few minutes inspection should
convince any intelligent observer that there Is
urgent need of radical reform.
The question how that reform is to be effected
IS however. not one 10 be answered onhand;
certainly not by railing against the village in
question for polluting our water supply We CO
not believe in the right Of any person or cor
poration or community deliberately to pollute
a stream by artifcially conveying sewage into
it, But we are not aware that that IS being
done at Mount Kisco People there are simply
letting nature take its course. and letting wafer
seek its own level. They have not built sew
ers 10 carry the drainage Of the town into the
(TOtOD. DuI ueltutT are tAS9 puAAN4tb "a! NN9 -
Ae.o the surface drainage out Of that stream.
The former they would have no right TO do.
The latter they regard themselves as under no
compulsion to do. They hold that II this city
wants the water of their streams for its uses
II must itself at lis own cost, protect It from
polution: and that II this city does not Ike them
to maintain, their old system Of surface drainage
so near its water supply, it should Itself pay
the cost Of installing a sewer system.
These views Of the case undoubtedly have
much 70 support them. and must be reckoned
with in any JUST and final solution Of the Crotoa
water problem. New-York must expect t. pay
the cost not only Of securing water supply,
but also of safeguarding It against contamina-
ton II IL had more promptly recognized that
fact and had acted upon II with more practi-
cal sense it would to-day oe far better or than
If is But if It has been negligent and injudl-
cious IN the past. that Is no reason for conunu'
ing to be so in the present and in the future.