New-York tribune., 1909-01-29
TIME TO STOP SAGGING.

About three years ago, we think it was Mr..
Taft then Secretary OF War and in direct
charge Of the Panama Canal undertaking. re-
ferring 10 the attacks which were being mace
upon that great work by certain hy-by-uighC
wiseacres. pithily said: After one thorough IN.
''vestigation has been completed and every
truthful man and every liar has been heard,
then let the work go on. You can't be an
'swering questions and building canal ar the
same time
His words come aptly TO mind at this time
as equally applicable TO the impertinent nag
ging at a comparably great undertaking which
the citv of New York now has in hand. We are
engaged in constructing the greatest water sup
plv works i'm the world and there Is the ut
most need of expedition. The work was be
gun after the most careful and circumspeet
deIiberation and from the beginning has been
surrounded with every possible safeguard or
the public welfare The utmost publicity has
been given to every move, and searching inves-
legations have been made. with the result that
if has been shown TO have been thus far con-
Quoted with exceptional discretion and econ
omy and with unimpeachable integrity. Yet
critics persist in nagging at it usually in the
most dsingenuous manner. and apparently in
doing all they can 10 embarrass and delay IL
and to discredit those who are responsible Tor
il. without a shadow Of cause.
The detailed statement from the three COM
missioners of the Board Of Water Supply which
we printed yesterday ought to end all such
ns ggings and cover their authors with con-
fusion It demonstrated clearly that the board
is in no wise responsible for vast expense
or for any expense at all In the acquisition Of
nroperty through condemnation proceedings,
all the responsibility being placed elsewhere by
the law and the constitution; that the change
of line over which much pOther has been
made was effected in the~most open and above
board manner. and that the complaint that
the board disregardS the city debt limit Is SIM
DIV silly. since 'the water debt, which pays
for itself. is not within the debt limit. Ihe
statement also showed that the Board OF Water
Supply has been treated with marked unfair
ness in some recent Investigations. in the re
f,lsal or failure to call to the stand authorita-
tive witnesses who could have made the whole
truth plain.
II seems TO us that 1t Is high time to stop this
nagging and in Mr. Taft's words, let the work
go on The members Of the Board Of Water
Supply are doing one of the greatest things, in
point of physical and financial magnitude and
in point of urgent Importance to the public,
ever undertaken by this or any other city. So
far as the closest scrutiny has been able to dis
close they are doing 1t particularly well, and
they are entitled to the gratitude Of this com
munity. OF course. there will always be some
'kckers" II was said on noted occasion OF a
certain chronic nagger that when Gabriel
sounded the last trumpet he would bob up with
a cry Of Louder. pleaser' But at least, it is
high time for all such TO be ignored, and for the
great work in which New York is engaged 70
go on undisturbed and undelayed by their
habbe