The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-08-29
COMMITTEE
OF CITIZENS
VIII Meet This Evening to Consider the
Increased Water Supply.
OPINIONS OF DIFFERENT MEMBERS.
Representative Of the Herald" Secures
interviews Showing How the Mem
bers stand Upon This Import
ant Question.

The committee Of twenty-five appointed
by Chairman Burns as a result of the meet
ing Of the taxpayers on Thursday evening,
will meet in the Council chamber this even.
ing for the purpose of taking such action on
the question of increased water supply as in
their judgment may be deemed advisable
and necessary. Judging from the interviews
given below very few agree on a single pro-
position, except that we need more water.
On that question they are unanimous. some
favor erecting dam on this side, others
think the other side of the mountain is pre-
ferable, one or two want the leaks in the
present dam repaired, while others favor
leasing or buying the old plant Not one of
them, however sanction the action of the
seven members of Council in the unnecessary
haste in pushing the work
With these diversified opinions it will re-
quire some time for the committee to devolve
feasible and economical plan of giving the
borough an increased supply of water
The political complexion of the committee
has been freely commented upon, but it is
supposed that Chairman Burns was influenced
in making it practically solid Democratic be-
cause it was Democratic Council that passed
the resolution favorable to the erection of the
dam. There are 81 Democrats, Republicans
aud Mugwump on the committee
The resolution passed at the public meet
ing called for the appointment of twenty-five
property owners. According to the borough
tax duplicate there are but seventeen of the
number selected by Chairman Burns who own
property.
The committee will meet this evening in
the Borough Council chamber, at 7:3O o'clock.
the personnel Of the committee being as fol-
lows
FIRST WARD;-Frank McAndrew, Timothy
o 'Brien, Joseph Coughlin, John Berg, Zeph
Robbins
SECOND WARD John Burns, Michael
O'lIara, James O'Haren, r. F. Bradigan, r.
+. Miles.
THIRD WARD j. J. Franey, William II.
Glenn, 7. j. Higgins, William Kimmel, L. j.
Davies.
FOURTH WARD.-James Bell, Supt., r. J.
Mullahey, James O'Hearn, Patrick Connors
Morgan Davies
FIFTH WARD.-Patrick Mcclure, Christ.
Schmidt, Thomas Conville, James Hilbert,
William Britt
The deliberations of the committee and
the probable conclusion they will reach upon
the question of an increased water supply is
a subject of much interest to the people of
Shenandoah, and for the purpose of learning
the sentiments Of the members of the COM
mittee representative of the HERALD has
interviewed those whom it was possible to
reach and the result is briefly recorded be-
low:
The first gentleman interviewed was ex-
Councilman Timothy O'Brien, who always
takes an active interest in borough affairs
but was somewhat guarded in his remarks
and did not commit himself to n definite
plan to secure an additional water supply.
He said II think the contract was given
out IN an unfair manner. | think we ought
to have more water. So far as the committee
is concerned | would have been better pleased
had the chairman appointed some of the
large property owners and older residents of
the town"
John Berg was no more positive in his
comments and qualified his statement as fol.
lows: Providing the committee can give
sufficient assurances that the borough will
have an abundant supply of water for its
consumers, and that the erection of the
proposed storage reservoir will prove a
profitable undertaking, | shall heartily ad-
vocate its construction. We must and ought
to have more water"
Zeph, Robbins, of the firm of Robbins &
Son, lumber dealers, did not hesitate to con-
denim the manner in which the seven mem
bers of Council awarded the contract. He
said II think we should have more water.
| am free to confess, also, that the work
should have been given out by bids. The
building of the reservoir was given out with
too much haste and without due cOnsidera-
ton. 1t should have been discussed more
thoroughly by the authorities of the bor-
ough, and by the public as well"
School Director Joseph CouRhlin had no
comment TO make upon the manner in which
the work on the reservoir was awarded nor
rs to the advisability of building the pro-
posed dam, and confined himself to the fol-
lewing statement THE water supply of the
borough at present is inadequate. | should
think more water would benefit the borough
and its inhabitants"
Frank McAndreW made the positive state
ment that 'the new dam ought to be built.
We need more water. | am in favor, how
ever, of erecting the reservoir ON this side of
the mountain
Michael OHsra, of the firm of O'Hara
Bros, uudertakers, freely expressed his views
upon the question: and was of the opinion
that I'VE should either buy out the old water
company or erect an additional storage res
ervoir." He also said he was I'm favor o
having sufficient supply of water for tn,
! consumers Of the borough"
John Burns, who was chairman of th,
public meeting and who is also u member o
the committee, took the breath away from
the reporter by this statement Let III
have more water, but in a legitimate man
ner" He further said; II would be will
ing to pay my own expenses, as member o
the committee, TO have that body view tn,
site Of the proposed reservoir" Then Ii,
gave expert testimony by remarking thar
there was not the least danger of the dan
breaking and destroying the pumping sta
tiOn.
James f. o. Haren, the commercial agent
and who is a property owner in the SeconC
ward was strongly in favor of an additiona
water supply. He SAID 81 would no
suffer the Inconvenience of an insufficient
supply of water one day any more for tn,
sake of an expenditure of 5000 w,
| ought to and must haye more water. | an
in favor of legitimate way of securing il
or any other movement that will be TO TIN
interest Of the borough"
Il. f. Miles, the North Main street merch
ant, viewed the question from practica
hua ggta nd int nH 4 II