New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-12
TIE WATER OUTLOOK.

Tho outlook for NETWORKS water supply
seems distinctly to have improved IN the i"S1
few DAYS. and it has done so through Tie Net'
nroress which The Tribune recently recoiA'-
mended-namely that the representatives ol tno
city and of the rural counties Should get W
qether" It has seemed TO us all along 'n" :
come ground of nmicable agreement and or
,,o,,,,,ot advantage might be found If only those
concerned would set about looking Tor 1t Win
half the zeal which some have appeared to EN-
nIov in heaying half bricks at the other SIDE
We have no idea that the rural counties are IN
a conspiracy to infict a water FAMINE upon the
metropolis, and we are quite sure this CITY n"S
M desire or intention to make wildernesses or
deserts of its northern neighboring counties or
TO pauperize their inhabitants. The city wants
It's needs supplied, and the country folk want
their rights respected That is all. Between
those two wants there is no incompatibility or
conflict.
The proposition to let Westchester County
communities tap the New-York City supply,
when necessary, appears to be just and reason
able 1t is q step toward that general system
of a metropolitan district which has proved so
benefcent in and about Boston and which The
Tribune has long been urging for Newly ork
and its suburbs. That Putnam County shall
have the use of its own remaining water sup
plies, so far as it needs them is also reasonable,
as it also is that Duchess County shall have
left to it sufficient water for the supply of its
industries. 1t will be recalled that this latter
point was acutely raised year ago. New-York
City proposed plan by which the water Of that
county could be so husbanded as to give the
mills as much as they are now using and at the
same time to give this city a large supply. If
only our city government had been willing to
put that plan into the shape of a legal and bind
ing undertaking, it would have been permitted
to enter that county for water and would have
saved full years delay. If it really is posi-
BILE to effect such conservation of water it would
be good business operation for New York to
do it, for it would cost much less to do that than
to compensate mill owners for entire destruction
of their industries.
1t does not appear that this compromise ar
rangement interferes in the least with the ad.
mirable plan proposed by the Mayor in the bill
which he has sent to Albany and which is now
pending there. On the contrary, it will serve to
supplement- that measure. The Mayors bill pro-
Yides exclusively for the city's operations in
such water supply regions may be open to it,
1t does not profess to determine anything more
The agreement which we have described. and
which is reported as having been made ia AL
eany, would prescribe the regions into which the
city might go under the Mayors bill and the
terms On which 1t might take the water The
two plans would work harmoniousIy side nv
side. Nor would there seem to be anv objection
TO the further creation of a State Water Com
mission, to have general supervision over water
supplies all through the State. What is urgent
~ desirable is. however, that under such a plan
as that provided in the Mayors bill this civ
shaA De enabled to proceed Immediately with
me WORK OF increasing its water supply