New York State Water News.

New York State Water News.

A judicial decision has put an end to the enormous sums the taxpayers of the city of New York have been forced to hand over to those whose lands were condemned to allow the aqueduct of the new Catskill water supply to be built and the watershed to be kept clear of the possibilities of pollution. In several cases kissing went by favor and pull enabled the owners of shacks and cabbage gardens to obtain almost fabulous prices for their lands. Sentimentality was urged as the excuse for making many of these awards. The New York Tribune remarks on the subject that a "grateful welcome is due to the judicial decision which, if sustained, will protect the city’s land acquisition in the Catskills from the profligacy and extortion which marked that in the Croton valley.” In one case the condemnation proceedings cost more than $4,000, when the value of the property was $7, and $6,000 when the award was only $600. This wastefulness has been going on commonly for years. Statistics showing that they cost on the average anywhere from 20 to 100 per cent, of the value of the land bought, and that, moreover, the awards as a rule are monstrously high, being favorable to the politicians who sold the land. Millions have been wasted in this way.

As to the condition of the Croton water: The New York city board of health has passed a resolution calling for filtration at the earliest possible time. The water department people have been looking over the Jerome Park filtration plans that have been in their hands for so long a time, and it is said that an effort will he made to get special consideration on the appropriation of $3,000,000 on the work. It will be remembered that the experimental plant was removed in the spring. The reason for taking that step was lack of money! The health authorities state that just at present any source of contagion would be an “exceptional menace,” and that safety lies in keeping tinCroton dam as full as possible. One of the physicians of the city's board of health said recently that if the winter should be one ot prolonged low temperature the supply of water would be diminished steadily until the regular late winter and early spring thaw. In former years the snow and rain fall have been stilli cient to replenish the Croton supply to a large extent. A filtration plant would remove all danger accruing from conditions such as are existing at present.