New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-30
CITY's WATER SUPPLY
Correspondent Complains Of the Delay
in Increasing II.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
| Sir: For over forty years / have been
reader Of your paper. and its contention
from the first to the last opinion expressed
that a good water supply is the most Inn
portant thing for the health and happiness
OF our city, heartily agree with. Your
issue of April % told Of the depleted supply
on the Crotou River. This news 7 have
long expected, because we have long been
beyond the margin Of safety for a city de-
pending for four months of every year on
stored water Our population 10 growing
rapidly. Soon We will have reached the
| limit OF our supply. Then. Just as fixed as
the sun that shlnes. comes the dry end OF
tho long cycle. or thirty-year cycle, with
four years OF drought. This has completely
depleted the supply OF water in the sub
strata Of the soil. and It will take two
years OF very heavy rainfall TO again bring
the Croton watershed up to normal We
have 80 completely depleted our supply
that It will take food TO again give US a
safe supply.
At this time and almost constantly since
January there las been running to waste
I'm the Esopus Creek, in tho Catskils, 300,
900 gallons and over daily. We are told
this is to be an addition TO our present
supply. When. ask. There are number
Of 'ifs" in answering this question. The
contractors on the dam and aqueduct say
their work will he finished so far by June
I. 1912, that water may be sent to the Gro
ton Reservoir If New York City gets the
tunnel under the Hudson at Cornwall COM
pleted." That's bad and very slow 'if. -
N oct
the water from the Catsklls by 1912 IF we
can get the Ulster & Delaware Railroad
removed Another very slow If" and a
lawyer for a Mayor and at the head of the
Water Supply Commission. That looks Ike
long willie to wait. why have not these
useless and unnecessary obstacles been
removed? We have had a Mayor all the
time and Water Supply Commission.
We understand the commissioners had ad-
vertised for commissions of condemnation
to attend TO this work when tho present
Mayor took Office on January l. 1910 lie
Mayor stopped the proceedings at once
and Is reported to have said he wished he
could stop all the work In the Catskill wa
ter supply matter Now we face a water
famine and a Mayor who wishes TO have
himself made dictator Of our city by new
charter The Corporation CounsePs office
knew from the first that the Ulster e. Della
ware Railroad had to be removed from the
Ashokan reservoir. 7 was In Albany in an
official capacity when the city applied 10
tho Legislature for the waters of the ESQ
pus Greek. A hearing was held before a
committee Of which remember Mr.. Apgar
was chairman. s. d. Coykendall. president
OF the Ulster 6; Delaware Railroad, and
his attorney. A. T. Clearwater and num-
Der Of water power owners on the Esopus
Creek were heard as DIRECTORS to the city s
plans This was in March. 1905. II seems
to me this was fair and legal notice to the
city OF what had 10 be done Yet after six
years the Ulster & Delaware Railroad has
not been removed. nor has solitary ripa-
rian owner been paid for his rights up to
lived long on good water and cannot do
without II, I have made an ironclad con-
tract with a first class bottling spring
water company for a sure supply and |
have insured everything have in New
York UP to tho limit. Now / think I can
face a water famine and watch tho Mayor
play politics and snarl at other interested
taxpayers who dare to ask his honor ques-
tons.
AN OLD AND INTERESTED TAX
PAYER.
New York, April q, 1911.