The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-14
The Wafer-Works.

The Bo1rd OF Aldermen on MohoaS CIV
ming laid upon The table the joint fcsol"'''"
from the Common Council making an "p'
preparation for The purpose OF contlnu.hs '''
work upon the scw reservoir. inns o'>io'
sition was ,nsdc Of the joint rcsoiuuo"'
as It appears from the proceedings Oh LUZ
Board, in order to make an Investigation
into tie Disbursements for the work. "n''n
It is alleged have exceeded the estimates.
Wcsu bmit to the Board and to the people
whether it is wise to stop Work OF sueh
mscniud as that Of the new reservoir tor
such a purpose? Might not an investigation
be ,nde without suspending the work OF
bull ding the reservoir Should SO great
wo X. rendered necessary by the fact That our
pr esent water.supply is inadequate TO the
ublic wants, be suspended at all
We zee no necessity for the act OF the
Board and trust it Will be mod:eed al the
earliest possibie moment. II money has been
M sapplied or wasted, the Councils can inquire
al bout it without stopping the work. To-
d ced, the wonder is, if maladR'nlstralloh o.
the funds for the work has existed, that no steE
Tor investigating the fact has been proposed
until now, when the work IS lar PROGRESSED
towards completion.
It canno; be supposed that Richmond ha'
undertaken such work without intending
, to complete it. The city cannot 40 "i'nou
If. Water is un article Of first necessltY-l
;s INDISPENSABLE. A single fire under
scarcity of water might destroy property
-. enough to pay for the completion OF 'n'
, water-works.
. II it be alleged that the large amount al
/. ready expended on the works Jusllhes suS
r nension of them to look into the dlSourse-
!, mepts on their account, it may be answered.
: that the large amount so expended makes u
+: more imperative that the works should Of
t hurried on to completion. that the people
NAV be put in the enjoyment OF the comforts
, for which they have paid so much ana ioi
, which they are now paying taxes. we al
know what it is 10 te without water. VIZ
have all suffered because Of stInted supply
We have been driven to the alkaline springs
and the offensive well.waters, whose condl
ton has recently been SO clearly accounted
for by the Board of Health. heavy hooe
has driven us to these Objectionable re-
sources for five and six days at a time anC
when the water sinks single foot In th
! reservoir hundreds of families on the high
places are left altogether without water,
It was to avoid these periodical priVations
and perils that the city legislature bold
" undertook the measure OF building ths
new works 10 secure an abundant anC
certain supply of pure water Tor Inc
citv. And is SO great WORK, lnau
eurated for such unavoidable obJects,-so
Interesting TO everybody-to DC suspended
while the exp erts 60 to figuring up to see 10"
money has been spent3 A matter, give Us
leave to say, that the Councils should have
known something about before so much Of
the peopse's money mad slipped through the
disburscrs' fingers.
Let sharp eyes and financial intellec;s
scrutinize the books, but let the workmen
20 ahead. Suspension scatters laborcrs, 10
terferes with i;ystemS introduced by expert
euce, and res. tits in the necessity Of begin
ming things an ew, and consequent delays
The city canuo. afford to be deprived OF the
benefits Of the new works moment longer
than is necessary to, complete them. She
cannot lay OH Of the money already eXpcnd
ed while the grave committee, with ii:
arithmeticiau, like unter for drowned
body, drags the eva ter-works" for the
money that's spent. Let both works &
ahead; neither interferes with the other.