FIRE AND WATER
SUIT has been begun to recover for a certain estate the ownership of a stream in Suffolk county, N. Y., which had been acquired by the defendant from the late owner, in behalf of a Brooklyn syndicate AS a part of the Suffolk county watershed. This brings to remembrance the fact that certain acts of the State legislature (how and by what influence passed was too well known at the time) made it impossible for the city of New York to obtain for the borough of Brooklyn water rights in Suffolk county, except with the consent of the supervisors. The right of eminent domain enjoyed by large cities does not obtain in Suffolk county—the legislature having denied it to Brooklyn for no reason that appears in the physical natureof the county or the size of its population. It is essentially a rural county (although it is by no means lacking in residences of millionaires); it bus abundant water beyond even the possibilities of millionaries' use; and in its physical and economic conditions there is no reason why Brooklyn should not take from it all the water the borough stands in need of. But-The watersheds of the county have been acquired by a syndicate, whose pull has hitherto been sufficient to allow it to monopolize these watersheds, and the Ktate-for a consideration paid to some and sundry legislators in the past—has forbidden the city to acquire them, except with t he consent of a small coterie of public officials, who may. or may not be more or less interested in withholding or granting the desired permission. The inference is clear: Force the legislature to repeal the restriction upon Brooklyn’s taking water from Suffolk county. That will help to solve the water difficulty for the borough across the bridge.
SUIT has been begun to recover for a certain estate the ownership of a stream in Suffolk county, N. Y., which had been acquired by the defendant from the late owner, in behalf of a Brooklyn syndicate AS a part of the Suffolk county watershed. This brings to remembrance the fact that certain acts of the State legislature (how and by what influence passed was too well known at the time) made it impossible for the city of New York to obtain for the borough of Brooklyn water rights in Suffolk county, except with the consent of the supervisors. The right of eminent domain enjoyed by large cities does not obtain in Suffolk county—the legislature having denied it to Brooklyn for no reason that appears in the physical natureof the county or the size of its population. It is essentially a rural county (although it is by no means lacking in residences of millionaires); it bus abundant water beyond even the possibilities of millionaries' use; and in its physical and economic conditions there is no reason why Brooklyn should not take from it all the water the borough stands in need of. But-The watersheds of the county have been acquired by a syndicate, whose pull has hitherto been sufficient to allow it to monopolize these watersheds, and the Ktate-for a consideration paid to some and sundry legislators in the past—has forbidden the city to acquire them, except with t he consent of a small coterie of public officials, who may. or may not be more or less interested in withholding or granting the desired permission. The inference is clear: Force the legislature to repeal the restriction upon Brooklyn’s taking water from Suffolk county. That will help to solve the water difficulty for the borough across the bridge.
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