The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-08
CEDAR RIVER WATER
Council Adopts a Plan OF Sc
curing Ii Now.
ALEAF FROM sPOKENE'S COOK.
Committee Report on the Subject Car
ries All Before It-Nater Revenue
Pledged for Loan.

y i
dereI hat the water rights u Cedar FINer
should b. secured fl the city without &c
Iav This action va taken IN pursuance
OF an exhaustive report from the JOINT
committee on FIRE and water ADVOCATING
immediate steps towards the CONSTRUCTION
Of the gravity system, and pointing CUT
from the experience Of Spokane. Tnetnoa
of doing II without increasing the city 3
men oa' was eF almost M 9n5nlnaoul that the cry
must take prompt action. and all attempts
al delay on the part of Alderman sweeney
were instantly voted down. The board OF
aldermen IN separate session followed up
rhis action By passing an ordinance ofaet
ing advertisements for bidz. and instruct
Cd the advisory board 10 take immediate
steps 70 secure the water rights
The committee > report begins ~ SAVING
that the subject has been under careful
consideration for several months, as upon
sne requirement Of permanent water
supply largely depends the future ~ the
municipality. The report says. with a
bonded debt reaching the maximum legal
limit, IL seemed hopeless 20 even speculate
upon n project which involved the expen D.
Sure OF nearly s.. 80. 60" The report goes
on TO say that the necessities Of tie case
made IL a public duty 20 exhaust every
resource 20 fad d solution Of tie problem
II then says:
Suffice II 70 say that Il r. our privilege
at this time 10 report and recommend a
plan by which the city OF Seattle can az
once proceed 70 acquire the Cedar river
supply. construct tho gravity system ana
within two years deliver the pure mount
ain water into the city distributing mains.
This result can be accomplished with
out increase Of the city debt. by a simple
process OF pledging for about fifteen years
fixed percentage OF the current water re-
ceipts for the liquidation OF the ooliga-
tions Incurred"
The report then tells how Spokane's OK
psrence furnished a key 70 the solution
Of the dif1culty. About two years ago that
city raised 10000 by issuing bonds for the
extension OF the water works, let a con-
tract for the work and made partial pay
rnents. Then large part OF the proceeds
OF the bond sale was locked UP by bank
failures and after the contractor had con-
tinued work until he held warrants for
SIS, 15foi. to redeem which the city had
no funds. he then was forced 10 suspend
work. The city had reached it's debs lin
1t and IL was found that the cost would
exceed the estimate. An offer was then
made to the city 10 advance the $4,000
stu needed, provided that "a per cent. OF
the water revenue and any money recov-
cred from the insalvent banks was set
apart for its repayment. This offer was
accepted and an ordinance passed. a copy
of which accompanies tho report
The Spokane Contract.
In consideration OF the advance Of not
over $500. 600. the city bound Itself:
ta) To repay with interest all moneys
advanced from the revenues received from
its water works system.
th) To set aside after July I. 1S95. sixty
tHD per centum OF all revenues acquired
from the present or any other water works
system OF the city into a special fund 70
~. 20 no
used for no other purpose except the re-
payment Of said money advanced. with
interest. CWater used for municipal pur-
poses not 20 be- accouatsll
le) To deliver 20 the parties making the
advance. warrants of a prescribed form.
IN denominations OF Si,000 each. % the
amount Of said advance bearing interest
~ eight to per cent per annum. payable
semi-annually. interest and principal pay
able from the special water works fund.
(d) Not 70 sell. lease or dispose Of Tho
water works system until the obligations
above described are paid In full or In case
OF sale or disposal 30 pay from moneys
20 derived all obligations then unpaid.
tel Not 70 reduce the rates or charge Tor
water so that sixty tsol per centum OF the
gross revenues shall amount 20 less than
at present. until such obligations have
been discharged.
90 To apply 50 the payment OF said obi
cations all moneys recovered from
amounts previously appropriated for the
extension Of the water works system.
This ordinance was passed on June Z,
1seo, and after being vetoed by the mayor
and attacked IN test suit and declared in
valid by tho superior court. was declared
valid by the supreme court on August %
A copy OF the decision IS presented with
the report. which continues
Tho point az the decision IS thar the
transaction Is no more the mourning 81 an
Indebtedness on tho part of tho city than
IL the issue or warrants payable out Of p
special fund created by an assessment up-
or property 10 - benefited bv local in
movement This point has becu IRE
duontly adiudicated upon and IN this re
spect tho decision is simply Ia line with
Congratulated precedents."
The Way Opened FOR seattle.
Spokane has entered into the contract.
the money has been advanced for the no
demption or the outstanding Warrants
and they have been Paid and work has
been resumed The report proceeds
Through the open door found nv our
sister city the way Is clear for Seattle to
take an advance step and acquire the cod.
~ river water supply. Under thts decision
We can create q special fund which VIII
10 abundant security for the repayment
cf an advance Of funds sufficient 20 ac-
ouire the water supply. construct the en-
tire gravity system and dispense with the
expensive pumping plants.
''Nour committee does not consider any
argument necessary - prove the desirable
fty or abandoning Lake Washington and
securing Cedar river as source az SUNNY.
il is sufficient - state THAT the proertsrtt, O..
a. the city win foree such an abandon
raeut for sanitary reasons sooner or later.
and thar IN Cedar river lies the opip home
of the city Cor s. pure. adequate econou,i-
cal and permanent water supply While
the condemnation powers 81 the cite are
ample and sufficient for all emergencies.
~ IS we'll 10 take notice that we have
reached stage ~ this problem where
DELAYS are expensive if not dangerous
The SURVEYS. plans ara estimates ma e
hy Benesette Williams iu $50 % l>gI. AZ 4
cost % about 81 oa3. are recalled and II rs
stated that later Investigation and
studies have Conarmea the wisdom ard
applicability of the Reueraf plan then
adopted ant mo city ire now - a crsftsor,
20 enter unon the work without a~lev ~
great preliminary expense aa4 with fufi
Information it theo Eoes an go recon-
mend that an ordinance BE- passed watch
shall
How the Work Nav Re Done
'tal. order the Improvement sne rxter
son ~ Tire city water works ls- the con.
structioG and addition thereto o. et5u-l,
system from cedar river ara stlthtr1rs
the hoard ~ pslelsr works 20 p~seress ~,
soon as 5Asg~ tte fo call fer ts4 ana ls1
a CONTRACT for such improvement ara ev
tensions. s-in;.'Rftrr that paersse1f vlfs e
Well.