The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-06
STREET SPRINKLING.
The City Has No Funds Avail
able for the Purpose.
4 SYSTEM or PRIVATE CARTS.
keassas Why tie Cooperation Cannot
UsAsstsks he rask-Merehants
WIZ Bear TIE Expense.

The expectation that an aftemrt woa4d
Be made by the city 70 sprinkle ttk Ifeess
II met by the positive fact that dIere is no
fund available for such q purpose. 1t il
Impossible to provide any money until the
next tax levy. 50 that discussion Of the
subject h premature. except ~ 70 general
principles, and Hobson's choice Is pre-
senfed.
Meantime. the citisens viii have to rely
upon the relief Afforded by private enter
prise. For the past sax years many mer-
chants on tie busiest thoroughfares have
maintained by subscription . system
which has grown from two to six water
carts. The price 10 the only objection.
Very few of the storekeepers who now
maintain the service object TO paying for
u; but they feel some resentment At the
refusal of their neighbors 70 join In the
movement, rs the greater number would
considerably lessensthe price to each On
Front and Second streets the rate is 50 .
month, but on the side streets the price Is
regulated by the number OF subscribers
and the degrec of grade, IS much
- so being paid for the corner OF Third
and Union.
This Is much higher than in most cities.
In Dallas. Tex, for instance, where the
conditions are much the same ss in Seattle,
except as to grades, the price is only IS
cents per month for . twenty -hve-foot
front. In many cities where the water
supply is ample and the rate low, the mu-
nicipal government undertakes to sprinkle
the streets, either by contract or by en-
pioying its own teams. The contract sys-
IA A. L.. 81 II.
cept where political favori,ism permits an
evasion of the regulations, il Is the most
effective So satisfactory has it proved in
San Jose, Cal. that the supervisors Of the
county have extended il 70 the country
roads for = considerable distance out Of the
town. greatly increasing the taxable value
OF property. Artesian wells and tanks at
stations along the road afford m ample
and comparatively inexpensive supply.
The amount OF water available for city
purposes in Seattle would prevent gen.
eral application of the system of street
sprinkiing even If a fund were available,
but II Councilman Durie's plan of piping
water from the bay should be adopted
powerful auxiliary to any source of fresh
water would be furnished. Salt water
would be very beneficial. Not only does IL
evaporate more slowly butts deposit forms
crust which is less friable than the drSAd
mud formed by fresh water. It's sanitary
properties are also very great, and ii .
supply could be pumped in sufficient guam.
titles to flush the sewers the benefit 10 the
city could hardly be estimated in figures.
There arc slight drawbacks to its use but
they are infinitesimal by comparison.
naa af ho Ahsaettnsa To- ~
sprinkling by the city is that the tax would
be borne by people living in the scattered
residence districts who could not enjoy the
benefits equally with those in the more
densely populated rosaways- The per
capita would be very low, but taxation
must be imposed for many improvements
which only q municipal corporation can
undertake, and the rate will be high
enough without adding an unnecessary
burden.
Some of the storekeepers who have held
out against employing private water
sprinklers did so in the belief that so long
as they were willing to do it the city would
not, but when il Is made evident that any
municipal undertaking of that character is
hopelessly ont of the question this year.
they will probably put their hands in their
pockets and Join their neighbors in the ex.
pense.
The result will be thorough system of
street watering at q merely trifiing cost to
eseh, and great benefit to their custom.
rs. II the example set on the New York
block were generally followed the cost
would be ridiculously low. There. not
only the storekeepers but the occupants OF
all the upper offices contributed their pro-
portion. equitably adjusted TO the apparent
relative advantage.