New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-06-05

THE MAYORS WATER MEASURE.
The following are the important pro-
visions of the Mayors water bill. 1t creates d
commission of three members. appointed by the
Mayor, to a constitute a board or water com
missioners to receive annual salary or s1Z'ooo
and to have power to create staff OF engineers
clerks and stenogra pliers. This board is to pro-
coed at once to certain water sources aValaoIe
for additional water supply for New-York C1ty'
make plans and report to the Board of Estimate
and Apportionment, which may approve or
modify the report Provision is made for prompt
action on these plans, the taking of the Land
and water necessary for the extension the ap-
poinment of commissioners of appraisal to fix
damages and the confirmation of the report OF
the commissioners of appraisal by the supreme
Court the appeal being to the Appellate DiNi'ioii
or the Special Term. This measure and the sew
eral supplementary bills also signed contain d
large number of sections. which mark conces-
sons on the part of the city to the various
counties affected by the bill, since they contain
water that may be taken by the city
CONCESSIONS TO THE COUNTIES.
or these concessions the most notable is that
inserted as result OF the work of Assembiyhlah
Wainwright of Westminster, permitting the
towns in that county to tap the additional sup
nlv and nav for it at the same rate citizens Of
NC44SNSSASN@ -
70 the CITY of Kingston. Ulster County gets the
concession contained in the provision that no
rase-,,o,r other than that laid down as the
Asbokan on the report Of the Burr Freeman
Herring commission shall be built in that county,
Duchess County is placated by section affiFrn-
ing that the ]. T. Smith law OF last year. eN-
Guiding New-York City from certain streams Is
NOT affected and Suffolk County obtains SIM
liar exception for the Burr law Assenplyinah
Apgar through dependent BILL which isza part
of the compromise, has secured the exclusion oi
New-York City from water sources IN FUthall
and northern Westchester counties, except at.
Cross River, Croton Falls and Rye Lake.
section provides for the protection of the in
terests liable to contingent damages, whose land
mr. water is not actually taken, and hnally a
number of provisions with reference to the
nrornpt payment of damages are contained IN
the bill.
The Agnew bill creates a State Commission OF
Wafer Supply consisting of five members, SerV-
ing without salary, but with allowance Tor eX-
penses for five years. To this commission are u
be submitted the plans of any city or town 1or
extending its water supply, and this commission
after speedy hearing. is to determine whether
these plans are justified by public necessity are
,rs+ and equitable to other communities af-
fected. and whether they make just and equitable
nrovision for the payment of damages Inc
fndings of this commission are renewable by
certiorari proceedings.
TO REPORT TO THE NEXT LEGISLATURE
In addition to other duties the commission is
directed to report to the next legislature con-
corning the available sources of water supply IN
the State the respective purity and quahty Oh
each source, and the availability OF each TOT
localities other than those Immediately adjacent.
This State commission will thus have the power
of approval or veto over al plans of the local
commission provided for by the Mayors bill
OF the six important gas bills signed to-day,
representing the work of the Stevens COM
mittee, whose seventh bill. fixing the price TO
the consumer at so cents, was defeated by the
gas lobby, that creating a State commission is
bv all odds the most important. This bill,
based on the Massachusetts State law and in
rhe main the work of Assemblyman Edwin Mer-
rift of St Lawrence, creates commission OF
three members. appointed by the Governor with
The consent Of the Senate. to serve for six years.
and each to receive $4,000 annually. This com
mission is to have general supervision of all
persons and companies having the authority TO
Law pipes or erect wires for the transmission of
ras or electricity for power. light or heating
nurnoses; is to have power TO investigate the
character of the service and the reasonableness
~ the prices together with the methods of
manufacture and distribution thereof; is to ex-
anime the methods of keeping accounts, TO re-
ouire annual reports and examine the books of
corporations to subpoena witnesses. take testi-
mony and to supervise the issue OF securities
purchase of stock or transfer OF FRANCHISES OF
these corporations. and finally TO regulate rates
90 charge It's orders are made enforceable by
mandamus.
HOW TO REDUCE PRICE OF GAS.
To secure the reduction of the price of gas
I'm any city or town, it is necessary that one
hundred taxpayers petition this commission, ana