Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-02

j, to meet in Mr.. Baldwin's successor
gentleman equally capable and pleasan
to deal with as he.
THE SEWER QUESTIONS.
1t is no exaggeration to say that TIL
present City Council is the first body o.
its name in Butte that has been endowed
2 with the power and scope of authority
that ought to be lodged in the Legislative
Q body of a municipal corporation. It is
Q equally certain that there are many inn
9 9 portant matters that this body win have
5 to take action upon involving heavy re-
= sponsibility. 1t is therefore incumbent
upon its members to proceed intelligently
and with caution upon the matters call
ing for their attention, and to weigh
} carefully the propositions for expenditure
Of public money. With the enlargement
of the city will necessarily come an in
crease of expenditure for salaries and in
laying out the new addition. But there
are other matters that will demand their
attention, and among these is the subject
of sewerage. 1t will be necessary that
this should be among the first subjects
to receive careful consideration.
The city has grown insensibly from a
mere village to a populous center. With
the large aggregation of people living in
close proximity 20 each other in Butte,
the subject of sanitation can no longer be
ignored. As a means Of preserving the
health Of the community at its proper
standard, a system Of sewerage to re-
move the waste of the city is absolutely
demanded. 10 undertake such a work
upon the most moderate scale will in
yolye an outlay OF more means than the
city has at its disposal in the way of
reye lue. The same problem has pre-
scented itself in all communities of rapid
growth Like this and is therefore nothing
new. 1t will have to be met here as else
where by the sale Of bonds. Under the
incorporation act the cityis empowered
to incur an Indebtedness not exceeding
3 per cent. of its assessed valuation, of
which only / per cent. can be expended
in one year. The question of mourning
such Indebtedness, however, does not rest
with the council. The proposition to do
SO must be approved by the vote Of the
citizens. It is. therefore really in the
province of the citizens to say whether,
when the time comes, they are willing to
incur the debt for the proposed purpose.
With the excellent financial standing of
a city Of the resources Of this, its bonds
would sell at par in any of the financial
centers Of the country. There is no other
way apparent to reach the object sought
and the necessity to provide the city with
a system of sewerage is so evident that
we may expect to see a proposition to
this effect among the first subjects of
moment brought up in the Council.
As already stated, the present unsew-
cred condition of the city cannot con-
tinue without danger to the health of the
inhabitants. 1t is pressed fOrcibly on the
attention Of everyone by the noisome
smells emanating from alleys and what
pass for cutters on manyo of the principal
streets and calls. loudly for reformation
by providing some underground channel
for carrying off the cause of them. That
the city has hitherto enjoyed immunity
from epidemic amid such contamination
is no guarantee that it will always con-
tinue SO. The question of sewers has to be
faced and the Council cannot too soon
take the preliminary steps to bring it be-
fore the public.
At the same time, the matter should
not be gone into too extravagantly at the
start, and here is where the Council must
exercise caution and moderation. While
it will be necessary to devise a plan
will meet the full requirements Of
The city when completed, only the most {
imperative work need be undertaken at {
irst. Butte is fortunate in one respect, !
being able to avail itself of the in {
formation recently collected on this sub
ect by the City Of Helena which is now :
aging out a scheme of city sewerage en- t
cred upon this spring, the result of care !
ul and intelligent investigation of
everal plans submitted to their City
before a final decision was
Our City Council can therefore.
With the light of Helena's action to di- r
ect them, proceed with moderation and "
Intelligence on this important question, :.
nd judging from what is known of the "
entlemen composing the present Coun- Il
IL, it is safe to assume that their action u
nil be governed by the discretion neces- 81
ary in the consideration Of so important v
matter. IL