San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-08-02
THE CRY is DELAY.
There is Nothing to be Gained ty
Further Delay.

Further Delay.
To the Daily LIGHT:
An evening paper, which is OPP
posing the sewer proposition, pub
lished on yesterday interviews
with Drs. Berry, BraunnageI, Nc
Daniel, Clavin and others, concern
ing sewers, and all of them admit
that sewerage is necessary and de-
sirable, but they bring forward va.
rious trivial objections, which are
without force and strength. DR..
Berry objects to the mourning of so
large a debt as 100000 at this
time for sewerage, and loses sight
of the salient fact, that the money
will be raised by the sale Of
forty year bonds, and that in
forty years, San Antonio will have
quadrupled her population and her
wealth, so as to be able to pay her
present indebtedness as well as the
100000 sewer bonds with perfect
ease. When would DIR. Berry be
willing to see the city construct a
system of sewerage? Must this
most important matter be thrust
aside and pigeon-holed until such
time as the city shall have paid off
all its liabilities? 1t is all for de-
lay and postponement on one
preteXt, or another. The very same
objections made to sewering the
city at present, will apply to all
other mprovements and would
transform San Antonio into
standstill and unprogressive town
for years to come. DR.. +. Bennett
says, 81 believe we should have
sewers, but am not prepared to say
just when" Just so. Postpone sew
ering the city till times become bet.
ter and the city is out of debt, is
the chorus to all the objections
urged to sewers, but all the Oppo-
nents Of the sewer proposition are
just like DR.. Bennett, mot prepared
to say when," it should be under
taken.
DR.. Spring favors sewers, but the
present proposition is too prema-
ture to suit him. Delay is the sole
cry Of those opposed to the sewer
proposition.
1t is quite easy to start trivial
objections to all schemes. AS DR..
Spring considers the present
proposition too premature" ! am
curious to know how long the
sewer proposition should be incu-
bated before being Matched out.
Mr.. Gray, the engineer, who pre-
pared the plan for sewering the
city, has been largely engaged in
the work and has ma
tional reputation for skill
in preparing plans for sew
erlng cities, and is regarded
as expert in that line. The even
ing paper alluded to as publishing
interviews with some of the doc
tors, represents the board of health
as inclined to complain that Mr..
Gray's plans were not submitted
to it for inspection and approval,
but there is no evidence that any
member of that board is proficient
in civil engineering or in the
methods Of sewerage. Mr.. Thos.
Franklin, a practical engineer of
ability, has examined Mr.. Gray's
plan and gives his opinion of it
in the Express of this morning,
and his opinion is entitled to great
wight. But what skill have doc
tors in engineering and making
out plans for sewers. Why then
should the plans, maps and pro-
files Of Mr.. Gray be submitted to
them for approval? If they want
ed to examine them, they had an
opportunity to do so, by going to
the city hall.
There is but one cry on the part
of those opposing sewers: the time
is unpropitious for sewering the
city, we must therefore delay it.
l doubt if there ever will be a
propitious time in the opinions Of
those now against sewers. b. A.
For Assault and Battery.