The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-02-18
OUR WATER BILL AGAIN.

NCh " Il 4 I'm DILL <iI1IN
We have heretofore taken occasion to
urge the passage of Senator Watkins bill
proposing amendments to the present
law relative to our city water works.
From statements which have come to us,
both the bill and our position in relation
to it have been grossly misrepresented
by its opponents. We regret that the
length of the bill is such that it is i'm
practicable to publish it in FULL but we
re-affirm that the only material changes
proposed are to eliminate all that portion
of the old law which gives to the city
council any control over the city water
works and requires the city to account
for and turn over to the water commission
of the water bonds and from the sale of
lands under the law of Oct. 10, 1873 1t
will be remembered that the proceeds of
these lands were to he used, after paying
the expenses OF surveying and selling,
only for the construction of city water
works. What has become of these funds
no one seems to know definitely; in fair
ness to the city officers we assume that
the money is where it ought to be and
can be turned over to. the water com
mission without doing any one an in
Justice or exacting more than what is
right. In any event the city or its Off
GERS is morally, and we believe legally
bound to account for these monies and
be required to put them into the water
fund. The bill further provides that the
treasurer, who is to have control of those
funds, shall give proper bonds and stand
ready at all times to account for them
The commission are required TO regularly
publish statements of their actions, re-
ceipts and expenditures they are requir-
ed to keep all monies which otherwise
would be idle, loaned upon suoh securi-
ties. as shall be approved by the COM
mission and city attorney. We believe
this whole water business should be in
the hands of men selected by reason of
their peculiar fitness for tnat purpose
alone. The water commission as at
present constituted is continued, and we
believe they are men whom all agree
will manage the business upon the most
careful business principles. They have the
expenditure of the money raised by the
special tax and the property taxpayers we
believe are the proper persons to select
them. TO permit them to be chosen by
all the voters of the city would simply
place the matter under the control of
men who make ward politics a study,
and, in measure. their profession.
The bill has been carefully examined by
many of the leading citizens and has
been approved by a majority of the
property taxpayers of the city. We
believe that it should be thoroughly
examined and criticized. No attempt
has been made to keep its provisions
from the public and no one interested
in the matter desires anything more
than fair treatment.
Our special dispatches yesterday report
that this bill has been referred to
the Wasco and Sherman delegation and
that compromise would be effected
whereby the exclusive control of the
water works will be in the hands of the
water commission, the funds to remain
in the hands of the city treasurer. and
the commission to have the power to
loan the funds; the matter of further
bonding the city is referred to the tax
payers OF the city. While we hoped to
see the bill passed as introduced, we
much prefer the compromise to nothing.
The bill was prepared after careful con-
sideration and its strongest friends were
the heaviest taxpayers of the CITY, Cen
tlemen OF the legislature, if you can't
give us what we want, don't fail to give
us the compromise.