New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-04
WATER BOARD
FIGHTS FOR LIFE
Members Begin Campaign
Against Mayors Plan
of Consolidation.
THREE $4,000 JOBS
NOT STAKE, THEY SAY
Economical to Let Them Finish
S1S9,OOO,O00 Water Supply
Project, Is Assertion.

The Board of Water Supply, which
has supervision of construction WORK
Of the great Catskill water supply sys-
TEN, is preparing TO tight hard for us
existence. In view Of the recent sugges-
ton of Mayor Mitchell that it should
be abolished. Before the Brown legis-
lative committee the Mayor advocated
that the present board might be dis
continued with impunity and economy
at the completion Of the aqueduct and
the delivery OF an additional supply Of
about 8O0,OO0,O00 gallons Of water
daily from the already developed
Esopus watershed, which the commits
sioners promise will be a reality by the
end Of this year.
Mayor Mitchell suggested that the
board could be consolidated with the
local department of water supply and
the future work Of developing the
Schoharie watershed left TO the local
department with considerable saving to
the city The Brown committee has
no indicated what legislation it will
recommend.
Commissioner Charles y. Chadwick
has prepared brief in retu.ation Of
the arguments for abolishing the board.
Civic Bodies to Aid.
He also has taken the matter up with
civic bodies, including the Merchants
Association, which arc in favor Of al
lowing the present board TO complete
the entire work. Mr. Chadwick will
discuss the matter to-day before the
Chamber OF Commerce.
1--WE are not anxious 10 perpetuatc
our Jobs" said Commissioner Chadwick
Yesterday, "but We do feel that we
should be allowed to complete the
great work we have undertaken in a
manner which will be entirely for the
best interests Of the city"
The Board of Water Supply consists
of three commissioners, Mr.. Chadwick,
Charles Strauss and John F. Calvin,
whose salarie sare $4,000 each. The
engineering staff of the board costs
about Sl25,000 a year.
Commissioner Chadwick, In his brief,
asserted that the consolidation OF the
board with the Department of Water
Supply would mean more expense ana
delay.
THE work Of the Board Of Water
Supply and the Department Of Water
Supply is entirely different said Mr..
Chadwick. The Legislature, the city
and the grea tcivic bodies Of the city
recognized in 1905, when the board was
created, that 70 secure continuity OF
plan, of administration and execution
IL was necessary TO have q n-partisan
business commission Of three members
whose terms Of Office should be CO.
terminous with the work itself.
Changes Would Hamper Work.
"The continuity Of the commission
as a permanent body has effectively
prevented the hand-to-mouth policy or
changing commissioners with each new
administration. Such short-term COM
missioners no sooner would have &C
Quainted themselves somewhat with the
details OF the work than they would
nave ndQ TO SLep dSlut Aol tbHtiS - "HD
must have repeated the process OF
learning"
Commissioner Chadwick declared the
board had proceeded with all speed TO
build the reservoirs and aqueducts. and
will be prepared 20 make delivery OF
the first instalment from the Esopus
watershed by the end Of 1915. The
development of the Schoharie water
shed will take seven or eight years
more. he said, but the whole huge
project, costing $3.50, 482,0O0, will be
finished we'll within the time allow
ance Of twenty years. By reason Of a
continuous policy, large economies in
the cost of construction had been made,
he said, and it could reasonably be ex-
pected that there would be reduction
of from 100000 to Sl0,000.000 on the
estimated cost of S189O00,O00 at the
completion of the work.
The Commissioner contended that it
was imperative 10 so ahead with the
work on the Schoharie watershed 20
meet the demands of the growing popu-
lation Of the city, which the Board Of
Health estimates will be s,74l,754 in
1925.
Mr.. Chadwick said that to make the
board single-headed commission
would be the quickest way TO place the
whole great project in the hands OF
politics.