Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-03
Citizens Meeting at the Court
house Last Night.
THE EXPENDITURE OF MONEYS
For n New Waterworl<s system the Prin-
cipal Topic-The subject Discussed Pro
and Con-The Remarks of Various
Speakers Upon the Subject.


! against those actions of the city council
| which look to the expenditure OF money,
| especially the erection of the new water
! works system.
The courtroom was filed to overfowing
| long before the time set for calling the
! meeting to order had arrived. Judge Cooper
| was called upon to state the object of the
| meeting. He read the call which was pub
| lished in The GAZETTE of yesterday morn
| ing. Joseph Terrell was made chairman OF
| the meeting and Thomas ". Slack was
| elected secretary.
Judge J. f Cooper was the first speaker,
| and said that the meeting was not DIS
| has been stated an indignation
meeting, and that no one was there for the
purpose of accusing the council of any bad
motives. Il WAS only 4 case of the citizens
exercising the sovereign power vested in
them, and a case where the majority
thought it necessary TO call a halt on
the policy that was being pursued
by the council, and he hoped the
the latter Sc ould heed the warning.
Judge Cooper then addressed himself to
the proposed question OF erecting the new
system Of water works and put in his earn
est protest against the expenditure of the
money proposed to be put in this
enterprise. He also protested against
the purchase of the new
size, favored the old site OF the waterworks
plant, and thought the present plant
would answer adequately al purposes for
the present. He favored q policy of re
trenchment and was opposed to the eX-
pcnditure Of any more money
than would be positively necessary
in the running of the city affairs. He then
touched on the bonded debt of the city, the
floating debt, and the interest on the bonds.
Judge Cooper closed his remarks by saying
,a1aial matters had to stop somewhere, that
rrtreuchment should be the watchword,
and that taxpayers should draft
a, resolution requiring the council
10 renOUuce lis determination to build
new system of waterwOrks-to repair the
old one. and 10 sink artesian wells from
which ali abundant supply of wafer could
be got. He also advised the cutting
Gown Of the number of the employees Of the
city 10 what they were two years ago.
Senator Jarvis was called upon and made
some remarks on the cutting down of the
number OF the city officials, and also the
salaries OF all. He opposed the erection of
the new waterworks system, and agreed
with Judge Cooper. that retrenchmeut
should be the watchword At the close OF
Senator Jarvis remarks Judge Cooper in
troduced the following resolution:
Resolved. that al the present time il is
mad isable and we are uuqualifiedly OPP
posed to the construction Of Il new system
of .vaterworks. That the issuance of bonds
for such sySteI is the bids for the con-
s1ructiOn has been advertised in The GA
ZETTE would be ruinOus to Fort Worth, and
we demand that the council renounce all
such plans.
That we favor the necessary repair of the
present system. and that artesian wells be
bored 10 supplement it on fuckers hill, at
the pumping station and at such other places
as may be deemed eXpedieut. the entire
cost OF which not TO exceed $4,000"
After the secretary had read the resolu-
m cd ba
privilege OF the floor. He said he deemed
il but Just aild right that the city council
should be heard from. and that their action
ON the proposed erection of the new water
works system should be laid before the peo-
pe in 4 fair and impartial manner before
the vote on the resolution introduced should
be- taken. Mayor Smith advocated the
erection of the waterwOrbs IS u measure
Of public policy, which, though times were
at present unfavorable. should not be 10
nored. In speaking of the adequacy of the
present waterworks system. which some
seemed to think sufficient for all demands,
the mayor said that it had been
put in fer city OF 10000 inhabitants,
whereas now the city of Fort Worth was q
place of between !j,O0U and 10000 people
That it was not proposed to expeud $1,000
600 in the erection of the watcrwOrkS; that
the system proposed to be erected was suf-
ficieut to the demands of -, 600 Inhabitants
aud that in the future 10 further trouble
need be had about waterworls
In answering the arguments that
interest on the bonds with which it is pro-
posed To build the plant would be enormous
he cited the fact that each year between
$40. 600 and $50, 600 was expended by Citizers
IL have arteSan water brought and placed
in barrels. This amount, he said, would
more tran pay the interest on the money
which it IS proposed to place in the water
works plant, and IN addition to this the
water would be pure and wholesome and
not stand in barrels in the corners of lots to
grow Stdgnant. Mayor Smith also pointed
TO the fact that new sewer system had re-
Gently been put in At an expense
of $4,000. and that not one
drop of water had ever been through
il ON account of the scarcity of the article.
This he considered a reckless expenditure
of money unless water is got with which |
L. flush the splendid sewer system of the |
city. Col Smith touched on the financial
situation and favored an aggressive policy.
Col. Il. VI. WYnne was the next speaker |
He was unquaitcdly in favor of the cree
tiOu OF the new system, and thought il the |
duty Of the city council to expend money |
for this purpose, and to thus secure TO the |
city good health. He knew nothing of either |
of the proposed localities, but only favored |
the erection OF a waterwOrkS system that |
would insure to the sickly children and |
mothers of the city a fun supply of good, |
pure. wholesome water. Col. W Snne was !
mostly interested in the waterworiis. but |
was also opposed to the cutting down of |
city officials indiscrimiuately He favored |
j. TO 4 certain extent. He said |
that the present law-abiding con !
dition of the city of Fort Worth |
was in 4 large measure due to Chief Mad /,
dCX and his efficient force. and if Il cutting |
down would impair their efficiency, he |
would oppose it. He proposed that in |
stead of passing the resolution that COM
mittee be appointed TO investigate the |
charges of reckless expenditure of money |
and to abide by their decision IN the matter |
Capt. B. B Paddock, who has Just az
rived from New York. was in the audience |
and was called upon. lie came forward |
and was greeted with applause. lie !
thanked the audience for applause. and |
said if it was intended for welcome back
he appreciated il doubly. He would |
speak. he said, on both sides !
of the subject in hand and |
would probably disappOint some of those |
who had called upon him. He proposed |
both TO serve and to uphold the city council
in its work of the past few months. The |
captain then proceeded to demur to what
he denominated as extravaganza in the
municipal affairs in the way of creating
offices at will and putting in officials
on good fat salaries and having other men
10 do the work, naming several instances. |
lie touched on the condition Of the streets |
in some portions Of the city. and made some |
suggestions to the street commissioner |
about disuosing of tho rank crop of cookie
burs and other varieties of weeds that grow |
in Such luXuriauce along some of the Driuci. |