New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-19
A POLLUTED WATERSHED
York Must Drink Sewage Proposed
Mohanshe Westhester County Politicians and Property
Seek Their Own Selfish Interests at
To the EdItor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Ny attention has been called TO a
communication by Mr. Henry Marquand, who
resides in Westchester County and who ad-
yocates the defeat Of the bills which are
now before the Legislature to preserve the
purity of New York Citys water supply from
pollution by the Mohansc State Hospital
and the New York Training School for Boys
Mr.. Marquand is as ignorant of the situa-
tion as is Mr.. Osgood Field, the president
Of the board Of managers Of the training
school. Mr. Marquand says: "One would
imagine that there was a deliberate attempt
10 pollute the watershed" Imagination is
not necessary; it is deliberate attempt
20 poison the water which the people of
New York are compelled to drink.
THE city water was never purer than OF
present. says Mr. Marquand, and EVERY
possible impurity is vigilantly guarded
against; but it Is not because his West
chester associates were "watchfully guard
ing; in fact, they sought to establish in
the Croton watershed tuberculosis sana-
torium two years ago at Yorktown and then
again later at North Castle. Both sites were
abandoned after Westchester had exhausted
every legal expedient
The record Of Westchester County is
further besmirched by the history Of the
Bronx Valley sewer, which collects the sew
age from all the sewers in the Bronx Valley
and discharges it untreated into the Hudson
River just above the New York City bound
airy.
After years Of litigation the sewer COM
mission was compelled to agree to construct
q disposal plant, which agreement the Sec
rotary of War is about % enforce. The
politicians Of Westchester County thorough
ly dominate and control the situation We
were told before we went 20 Albany 20 APP
pear before the Senate committee that the
matter was all cut and dried" and The po-
litical leaders and not the people would
turn the trick" and sure enough, they did.
The vote was II to against the bills
At about the same time these bills were
smothered in the committee another bill
was reported out, permitting Wes,ches,er
County to tap the Catskill system Of water
supply Westchester did not want Croton
water for the same reasons that caused the
managers of the Mohansic Hospital to dig
| six wells because they did not want TO drink
he water from Mohansic Lake, into which
hey plan to empty their sewage.
Speaking of the "scandalous misuse of
public funds" Mr.. Marquand must have over
looked the Bronx Valley parkway exploita.
ton. The purpose Of the project was to 70
licve the Bronx River from pollution. but
now the Bronx Valley sewer takes care of
the pollution, and many millions have been
spent In scenic preservation which for the
most part, is used by the Harlem Railroad.
which practically monopolzes the so-ealle J
parkway on each side of the river through
which hundreds of trains rush daily leav-
ing trail Of filth on the roadbed and vi
cinity; and in the evening trainloads Of live
cattle I'LL the air with their bellows and
blats' on their way TO the New York mar
kets
Mr.. MarQuand further ssys that whsn