New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-30
WATER BUREAU
SAVES 100000
Cuts Street Lighting $780,
600 and Departments
Operation 100000.
WILLIAMS CONDEMNS
TAX BY FRONTAGE"
Wasteful and Not Exact, He Says
Motor Repair Trucks Lessen
Danger of Burst Mains.

Commissioner Williams Of the De-
partment of Water Supply. Gas and
Electricity, made public yesterday his
report for the last year, showing the
PROCESS made by the department in
assuring tho city better and more plen-
tiful water and illumination.
The city water, according to the
Commissioner, is now purer than 1t has
been for many years past, and is safer
to drink than most the bottled waters
The Catskill reservoir is fast nearing
completion and by the end of 1915, will
yield the city 250,Oo0,O00 gallons a
day. Then the pumping stations Of tho
Brooklyn watershed will be shut down,
to be used hereafter only in emergen-
cy. A large saving will be accom-
plished in this way.
improvements in the water supply
during the last twelve months include
laying of seventy-fve miles of new
water main, the reform Of the repair
companies. through the medium of bet
ter housing, the purchase of motor
vehicles which enable them to reach the
point of rupture in a water main more
swiftly, thus saving increased damage to
property and possible loss of life, and
the establishment Of a new 100000
pumping plant on Staten Island.
The Commissioner complains, that
through insufficient appropriations,
rome of tie department buildings are
n deplorable condition. He wishes it
10 be understood that the responsible
ty for this laXness rests with the Board
Of Estimate, and not with him or his
subordinates.
Other duties of the department in
correction with the water supply have
been the regulation of the rates
charged by private companies in Brook
lyn, Queens and Richmond, and the
collection of the water revenue. which
amounts to nearly S13,000,0O per year
In this latter duty the Commiss Toner
finds need Of reform. He objects es-
pecially TO the practice of fixing the
water tax by the dimensions of the
building-the frontage rate.
Frontage rates" he says, take no
account of the amount of water ac-
tually used, and while they purport
TO be a means for estimating the same,
yet such estimate is mere guesswork
Furthermore. they are an incentive to
waste water, when this valuable prod
They have long ceased to be an in
telligent means Of levying the water
tax"
Regarding the lighting Of streets
and public buildings. the Commissioner
points out that the cost Of street
illumination has been reduced $780,
900 this year. The department is also
replacing rapidly the old-fashioned arc
light by the nitrogen lamp. 1t is
also intended to substitute electric
lights in those parts Of the city which
still have gas lights in the streets.
The cost of lighting public buildings
has also been reduced. The annual
expense of lighting Greensboro Bridge
has been $4,000 less this year.
Complaint Is made by Mr.. Williams
Of the inadequate number of men al
lowed him for gas inspection. In
1914 he considered his staff Of twelve
insufficient. This year he has had
inspection, he announces that during
the last year 100 theatres and 1000
moving picture shows were inspected
weekly, and 1900 schools and churches
semi -annually.
Great reductions have been made
in the operating expenses of the de-
partment, and with these has come a
rise in it's efficiency. Fewer men are
required to operate the Bureau Of
Water Supply than ever before. and
a saving of 100000 a year has been
effected. The Bureau Of Administra-
tons payroll has also been reduced
$4,000