Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-05-09
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.
proceedings Of the City Council.


Present-Aldermen Park, Camp, Hen
derson, Gilbert, Sullivan, Warters, Yard
ley, Livingston, Carpenter, Fouche, Glass
and Kern.
The Mayor made the following state
ment, setting forth of object of the meet
ing:
Gentlemen, of the City Council:
After due consideration of the interests
involved, and after hearing the views OF
many leading citizens and taxpayers, /
have called this extra meeting of the Board
for the purpose of further consultation on
the question of constructing water works
in our city. 1t is quite unnecessary that
should say anything for the purpose of i'm
pressing upon your minds the Importance
of this issue. It is one involving la large
expenditure of money, and it also involves
am Improvement, the benefit of which can
not be over-estimated. 1 will not attempt
a detailed statement of either of these
points. Your usual caution is evidence
that you appreciate the former, and your
zeal in the investig alton of this question,
shows that you are fully alive to the latter.
Your Committee on Water Works, has
been specially active aud jealous.
But the great Importance of hequestion
demands for it, at our hands, thorough,
deliberate and careful investigation in all
its bearings. We should avoid haZarding
the success of the scheme, by hearty and
inconsiderate action. If it takes us the
entire year for which we are elected, to
perfect the scheme and bring the question
in an Ineligible shape before the people,
it will be year well spent, and we will IN
the future, regard our labors with pleasure.
If the scheme is hastily or unintelligibly
presented, or if 1t should even seem that
Sc ~ nd
should meet with reverse at the ballot
box, it May require years to work up the
public mind to the point of again serious
Iy considering the matter.
Hence, in myjudgment it would be prop-
er, before submitting the question to the
qualified voters of the city, to procure the
services of {. competent engineer, who
could make an estimate approximating the
cost of what we propose to undertake. 1t
would ibe, proper perhaps to appoint a
committee of our own citizens to
examine the various systems of
of water works, either by correspondence
with parties informed or by visiting cities
similar in population, situation, area, &C.,
or both, and ascertaining cost. adaptation
to our wants, &c. Our special committee
have been unusually jealous, and they de-
serve the thanks of the community, but
the time has been too short, in my judy
ment, to permit of that Investigation the
subject demands. With these views, and
for the purpose of avoiding what might
have the least appearance of undue haste,
I have called the meeting, in order that
gentlemen of the City Council may inter-
change views, further discuss the question,
and determine whether we will adhere to
the policy adopted at our last regular meet
ing or whether we will postpone action for
the present.
The property offered by Mr.. Mabry, con-
sidering the situation and number of acres
is not high. If an engineer should pro-
of it, should be purchased. But suggest
that if the question of having water works
could be submitted independent of any
particular site, it would relieve it of en-
barrassments. Every site has its enemies;
every owner of site has his enemies, and
to endanger the whole system of water
works by such embarrassments is, think,
unwise. $500 sar~.
have no personal interest to influence
me in favor of any particular site. / look
alone to the good of the public. / am most
in favor of water works, provide
ed they can be constructed without impos-
ing an unreasonable and intolerable bur-
len on the tax payers of the city. 1t is be-
cause 1 am so decided friend Of the pro-
ect, that / am now anxious to rescue it
rom possible defeat by hasty or unaccept-
able action. We have only about eight
hundred tax payers in the corporate limits
IF the city, that is who pay tax OH proper
". These men are liberal and progressive,
out as i'm their own business opera
ions, they always take into consideration
,he cost in all of its bearings of their en-
5erprises before undertaking them, so in
such project as this they prefer having
5he estimates and opinions of competent
engineers before voting such tax upon
themselves. Feeling that, as the PROPOSE
Die, and believing that if presented in
ome other form with additional informa-
ion, it would be cordially and almost
unanimously supported, 1 respectfully re-
that the present proposition be
from the voters, and that the
Council provide for gathering further and
more satisfactory information on the sub
ect from engineers and other sources.
Alderman Fouche stated that he had
the subject thoroughly, and felt
certain the measure in its present shape |
would be defeated, for the reason that no
,stinlate had been made as to the probable |
'ost Of the water works and the people felt
unwilling to vote the purchase of a site UNI
ablished. A defeat of the measure at
present would embarrass all future move |
nents of that nature. He was in favor of
having an estimate made of the probable |
ost of water works and moved that the |
lction of the Board at the last meeting be |
Alderman Carpenter stated that the COM
nlttee appointed by the Board were men |
Who always considered everything before |
hey acted. He had acted in favor of the |
present movement upon the recommended |
ion of the committee. He stated that, if
lie understood the committee, the site in |
question was undoubtedly the best that |
;ould be found near the city, and he was
n favor of the location in question. He
vas opposed to annulling what the Board |
lad done at its last meeting, but if it was
necessary to do anything, he was in favor
# postpOning the election.
Alderman Fouche, in explanation, wish
d Alderman Carpenter to understand that |
lie was in favor of that site, but it was i'm |
'ossible to postpone the election without |
the the former action of the |
Board. He was in favor of proper esti-