Mr. Gardner. Are you prepared to go on now?
Mr. Irving. Yes; I would be glad to do so.
Mr. Gardner. As president of the board of public works all the public utilities come under your supervision, do they?
Mr. Irving. We have nothing to do with the water board. That is a separate and distinct commission. Mr. Darrow represents that commission. We have charge of the sewers, the building of the sewers, and the building of the streets and public works.
Mr. Magrath. What is the population of Ogdensburg?
Mr. Irving. About 18,000; that is, including the inmates of the State hospitals.
Mr. Powell. You simply do the work of constructing the sewers and the manner and time of such construction is determined by the State authorities?
Mr. Irving. Yes, sir. I might more fully answer your question by explaining our sewerage system. In 1872 Col. George E. Waring, jr., was employed by the city of Ogdensburg to make a report upon a system of sewers, which he did. He also presented plans and gave a report as to the best method of sewering the city. Practically all sewers that have been built since that time have been built on what is called the Waring plan. The law provides that a sewer can not be built unless plans are submitted to the two State commissions, the State board of health and the State conservation commission. They have to approve the plans before the sewers are built. After those plans are adopted and approved by the two different commissions, then our board constructs the sewers. That, of course, is obligatory on the part of the city corporation.
Mr. Gardner. That same condition applies all over the State?
Mr. Irving. I believe it does. It certainly does so far as we are concerned. It applies to all cities of our class, at any rate. We are a city of the third class.