San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-02-23


and see If the work cannot be
pushed to completion.
The question that seems to en-
gross the attention OF these gentle
men Is the contention with the
street car company over the right
OF the city to use the middle or the
sides Of the streets.
How far these gentlemen can go
toward solving a question that
has been left to the courts remains
to be seen. 1t would seem that a
wiser plan would be to confine the
action of this committee to such
measures as are in the control of
the city council.
The statement which MIR. Gray
is credited with making that in
consequence of the fact that the
sewer money threatens to give out
before the work is completed and
that the system must be cut down
Is, In the minds of most of our citi-
zens the most alarming Of all con.
nected with this work.
The prospect of an incompleted
system of sewers on our hands,
and our money all gone, deserves
looking into. All this work has
been let by contract, and the ex-
act amount specified; then, what
has become Of the money?
The entire expense of the sewers
was carefully calculated, and in
order to exhaust the fund, it was
necessary to attach the sewer farm
project. We could afford to pay
Mr.. Gray a princely salary, and
employ a corps OF engineers and
inspectors and all that, and still
have money left to throw to the
birds.
Perhaps our shrewd city hall
financiers have made as bad a cal
culation on the sewer business as
they have on the running expen-
ses Of the city. This needs looking
into.
The sewer farm enterprise is a
folly that will prove more useless
and as expensive as the new coun-
ty courthouse. The sewer farm
project for the disposal of the sewer
water was ill-considered.
The engineers fell in with the idea
without proper consideration, be-
cause it was popular idea and
there were plenty of people who
saw speculation in the project
The engineers gave it as their
opirion that the river was INSULT
Gent in volume to carry off the
sewers this opinion was taken for
granted.
Visions of q profitable farming
scheme dazzled the eyes of city
officials, and it was even argued
that the farm would be source Of
revenue to the city.
Maybe we can run farm, even
If we find it hard work to run a
city government, but IL is doubt
full. Our city dads are all fine bust
ness men and maybe they can
WELD the hoe!
Now the sewer farm project de-
serves careful investigation. Is it
necessary? Is it practicable? Will
it prove permanent relief to the
system?,,Are questions of the great.
ests.importance.
To find out il it is necessary, the
river should be studied. Today
every sewer that can reach the
river or bitches pours a great
volume of sewerage into the river
in the very center Of the city,
where the flow is impeded by
dams and other Instructions. To
relieve the city of this noxious
character of sewerage is the main
object Of the sewers.
If today thousand private and
public sewers are pouring their
filth into the river, what reason is
there In not emptying the sewer
!. system into the river below the
p1pulated portion of the CITY and
letit go-to the sea.
Can anyone beyond our city pre-
vent it-would anyone be more
harmed than they are today? In
fact would not the pouring Of the
sewerage in its innoxious state into
the river be help to the volume
OF the river?
\ The people who have talked Of
enioinipp the CITY from emptyinP