New-York tribune., 1906-07-16
WESTcHEsTEB SEWAGE DISPOSAL.

There will be widespread rejoicing in cities
and towns of WeStchester County at the pros.
pect Of a SOutiOn-though it may be only partial
and temporary-Of the important problem of
sewage disposal which has vexed them for many
years A commission appointed two years ago
has reported a plan for sending through a trunk
sewer into the Hudson River near YOnkerS the
sewage of the southwestern part of the county,
from New York to White Plains and from the
Harlem Railroad to the Hudson River. This
plan must be passed upon by the State Engineer
and the State Board of Health. If approved and
executed it win afford relief to a number of
popuous communities and will facilitate the
work, which has often been urged in these col
umns, of redeeming the Bronx River from its
present abominable pollution, though of course
much more will be needed TO attain that end.
1t Is an interesting coincidence, however. that
this commission should make this report only a
few days after the appointment of another COM
mission to consider ways and means for redeem
ing and protecting the waters Of the North
River and Of New York Bay from pollution with
sewage. For 1t can scarcely be doubted that In
time-it has, we believe five years for its work
this second commission will report strongly in
favor of undoing the very work which this first
commission now recommends TO be done. This
Mestchester County commission purposes to
pour the county's sewage into the Hudson River
accordance with the old fashioned way of doing
things, in which every pond was regarded as a
potential cesspool and every stream an open
DRAIN But the world is now learning a better
way. The New York Harbor commission will
doubtless report that the way to redeem and
protect the harbOr from pollution is to stop the
pouring Of sewage into it, even from such sewers
as that which it is purposed to build in West
chester County.
OF course, it will be argued that the entire
output of this Westchester sewer would be only
drop In the bucket compared with the vast
hoods which this city itself pours into the river
and that therefore, this city would have no
cause for complaining Of it as nuisance. That
is ali quite true. Yet the fact that an existing
evil Is great is no excuse for making It greater
"nether New York will ever become sufficiently
civilized and thrifty to stop defling it's own en-
clrcllng waters and to stop throwing awav a
fortune every year may be problematic. But If
1t persists In its filthy and wasteful practice
that is no reason why the communities of West
chester County should follow the bad exsmpIe
From YOnkers to Peekskill they are all inter
ested In cheap, safe and inoffensive method Of
dlsposlng of sewage. But they are many Of them
also very directly interested In preserving the
water and the shore Of the Hudson River from
pollution, and they may be sure that If they pour
their sewage into that stream at Yonkers +he
evil effects will be felt not only as far down as
Spuyten Duyvil, but as far up as Tarrytown
Inc time will come, If it is not now, when thev
Will carefully consider whether It would not he
wiser to make some other disposition of the
sewage which would be at once safer and
cheaper and would not defile the water and shore
OF the river which is their pride