New-York tribune., 1905-06-14
SIGNIFICANT INEFFICIENCY.

The manifest ineffciency of the Department Of
Water Supply, Gas and Electricity in an emer-
gency, as exhibited last Sunday, recalls, with
suggestions at once of relief and apprehension,
some of the plans that have been made to se-
cure additional water supply. 1t is relief to
know that such plans have not been under
taken. But it raises apprehension to think that
they may possibly be revived and that our trust
for health and life may be placed such a
broken reed as Commissioner Oakley's force.
One Of the plans for water, which some en-
perts believe we must ultimately come to after
exhausting neighbortng watersheds, is the tap
ping Of the Hudson River. This water would
not be fit for drinking purposes without care
fuI filtration. and the commission Of engineers
which under Mayor Low studied the subject
laid particular stress upon the danger that the
administration of such filtration plant might
through politics fall into careless and incompe-
tent hands In the light Of the Park-ave. per-
formance, it is clear that this warning had a
sound basis Who would consider the vigilance
of Mr. Oakley and his subordinates in q flua-
ton plant an adequate insurance against ty-
phoid? Indeed, is department. which cannot
for hours find its water gates get Into
Communication with its own needed employees
In an emergency trustworthy in any respect?
II Is emergencies Of this kind that test the eff
cheney of an organization. Any sort Of adj
until something happens to put it to the test.
What assurance have we that typhoid in the
Croton watershed would be promptly discovered
and guarded against by these public servants
who cease to serve New-York City On Saturday
afternoon and for a day or two are as much
beyond reach as was Dewey when he cut the
Manila cable? Possibly the men appointed for
political purposes TO inspect ponds and reser-
voirs out on Long Island would discover any
thing wrong before Brooklyn mortality sta
tistics directed them to find it; but Mr.. Oakleys
response tc a test gives no ground for conf
dence Apparently conditions Of health are
good In the watershed, and so the city gets on
all right But there is no certainty that the
force will be efficient when there comes to be
trouble.
This Iooseness and inefficiency in public de-
partments is q reason to fear experiments In
municipal ownership. The head Of one of the
great departments under the Low administra-
ton. familiar with private work. once said that
If he could get his force to do two-thirds of tho
work which would be required Of them in pri-
vate employment his ambition would be salts
fed With the utmost vigilance he wes not
getting much more than half honest days
work for days pay. Mr. Dalrymple put his
finger on this weak spot In our system, and told
us not to expect with it the good results
achieved through municipal ownership In Glas
Cow. We find much fault with our transporta-
don lines but If Mr. Oakley, instead OF Mr.
Hedley, had been In charge OF the subway, az
well as of the broken main, there Is no telling
when traffic would have been resumed, or, In
deed. whether 1t would have been suspended
without a serious accident Before we embark