The record-union., 1895-01-28
THE OLD PUMP BUSINESS AGAIN.

Pure air and water and good light are
rights of community. Sacramento has
expensive artificial lights, muddy. i'm
pure water, and her atmosphere is not all
it should be, simply because her sewer
age is inadequate and antlquated, and has
not kept pace with her expansion and the
demands upon the system.
The people are agreed that in these di-
rections there must be change, and the
first is as to water. Until clear, pure
water is secured and delivered it is use
less to ask the people to expend money
in the other directions.
So believing, and convinced that but
the people by a most decisive vote in
1898 directed that clear water supply,
specified in the vote, should be con-
tracted for. Attention was then given to
sewerage plans; specifications of planned
systems were asked for, premiums paid
and one plan among many submitted,
nomic for this city.
Now come official propositions to put
both aside and devote community energy
and money to the perpetuation of the
uneconomic and disgraceful water sys-
tenn. The legislative body of the city
has contemptuously disobeyed the
mandate of the people as to clear
water, an emphatic condemnation of
the present system, and dehantly re-
fusing to contract as the electors ordered,
has landed the city in the midst of a most
portentious law suit Tor damages.
The sewerage improvement hangs by
the eyelids OF a Mayors Veto and it had
as well remain there until clear water is
secured, for the people will kill any
sewerage proposition at the polls until
their mandate regarding clear, clean
water is obeyed; and the people are right.
Public opinion emphaticaIly expressed
leaves no doubt in any observant judg-
ment, as to what the people Of Sacra-
mento think on that point.
In the meantime we are confronted
with the official proposition to reinforce
the present disgraceful and uneconomic
water system at heavy cost, with new
pumps. If ever these are procured. we
venture the forecast that Sacrameuto's
people will not realize their clear water
hopes until the new pumps have been
worn out, and then another body OF Off
cials may possibly be in the saddle who
viii make the same move that is now at
tempted, namely, to buy more pumps
There is something evidently very faS-
cinatiug to some one about mud pump
ing. We pump mud in and we pump it
out again, and the only people who enjoy
life in the process are those who have
pumps for sale and those who lead the
officials to believe in the necessity for the
purchase Of them. The truth is, and it is
it, that mechanical skill can make the
pumping plant we have answer until the
clear water outfit can be put in. The old
story about the imminence OF break
down at the Water Works is on wheels
again. But that possibility is not greater
now than it was two years ago, when the
RECoRD-UNIoN pointed out the trouble,
nor than it will be year hence, if rea-
sonable care is taken and reasonable re-
pairs are made.
An engineer of the Water Works who
favored clear water nearly year and
half ago, when the water campaign was
on, said through tho RECORD UNION that
the Water Works were in a bad way, uu-
economic aud needed attention, and for
his truthfulness he was instantly bounced
out OF his position ''for giving the city a
black eye" Now come the officials and
call into the witness box the successor of
that engineer, and pat him upon the back
Tor saying the same thing. 1t is rather
suggestive that this last witness was once
Trustee, and was then noted as an ard
ent new pump man.
The RECORD UNION enters protest in
behalf of the people against any scheme
TO put in a lot OF new permanent pumps
to hoist in the sewage OF the valley from
the river aud the mud from the mount