New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-09
A REpUBLYCAV "OUTRA9E."

Another Republican outrage" upon the city
of New-York goes by the board with the har-
monious and satisfactory adjustment through
the helpful agency of the State Water Commits
sion-another outrage" by the way-of the
questions relating to the Ulster County water
supply for this city. One of the pet grievances
of the critics of Republican state government
has been the passage by the Legislature of
1904 and the acceptance by Governor Odell of
the Smith bill. excluding the city from Duchess
County. Yet now the city accepts as entirely
proper the conditions on which 1t might have
had the water of Duchess County.
When the Smith bill was before Governor
Oden he endeavored TO secure from the city
authorities an agreement putting them under
legal obligations 10 pay reasonable indirect
damages and TO safeguard the interests of the
people OF Duchess according 10 the plans which
the city engineers themselves prOfessed in
tention TO carry out. This the city officials re-
fused 10 grant They were Ready to give the
most ample assurances that they would do no
harm. but not to make those promises enforce
able They professed intention to conserve
the supply so that the local needs should be
as fully met as before and 10 divert only the
surplus which had been going to waste in the
seasons of food. They wanted nothing more,
but they refused TO make any legal stipula-
ton on the subject Neither would they con-
sent to pay any indirect damages. though there
was nothing novel or unjust in such payments.
In Massachusetts they had been made in the
development of water supply systems, and it
was obvious that If industry was ruined by
condemning water power other persons than
the one whose mill happened TO be taken and
paid for might suffer and be entitled TO some
consideration.
AS the city refused TO agree TO enforceable
safeguards, Governor Odell signed the bill pre-
venting its taking the water at all At the same
tiron he made a public offer 10 call an extra
on Of the Legislature for the passage of
n bill allowing the city with due provision
for al interests. 10 take the water, and there
was Ut the least reason TO suppose that the
Governors influence would not have been suf-
fcient to secure such a law. Instead of avail
ing himself of this opportunity. the Mayor at
tackled the Governors good faith, and declared
It useless even to put it to the test and try TO
secure the Duchess water on the terms which
the city itself had pretended a desire to comply
with.
So was lost the Dutchess water which might
have been made available In a short time and
have relieved all danger during the long term
necessary TO develop the Ulster scheme Pos
sibly the larger scheme was so much more at
tractive TO Tammany that II wished TO make
instant resort TO it seem imperative while
throwing the responsibility for undertaking it
somebody else. At any rate, the city is now
embarked on the Ulster enterprise, and as
preliminary step agrees to even harder condi-
tons than those which 1t scOrned with respect
10 the nearer and cheaper supply. Thus it con-
cedes the prOpriety of Governor Odel's action
of two years ago and must perforce give up
one OF its favOrite texts on which TO preach to
the people Of this city Tammany friendship and
Republican enmity to their welfare. The adop-
ton by the Mayor of Governor Odelrs sugges-
ton would have put the city well on the way
10 an additional water supply by this time.