The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-08-22


Shenandoah Water Supply.
The question of increased water
supply, in SO far rs it relates to the
borough water works, has been sub
ject of much discussion for the past
two or three years, both by the mem
bers of the Borough Council and the
people of Shenandoah generally.
The latter because of the inadequate
supply during the season of drouths,
have experienced much Inconvenience
and no little annoyance, resulting in
many consumers changing their con
nections from the borough to the old
water company line.
The Borough Council has wrestled
with the question periodically for the
past three years, and during that
time several propositions have been
submitted by the members of that
august body At the last regular
meeting of Council, however, definite
action was taken when the water
committee submitted a recommends
ton for the erection of storage
reservoir at the pumping station,
with "A capacity of 3O,0O0,OOO gallons
of water" This recommendation was
adopted by Council with seven mem
bers voting in the Affirmative and
four in the negative. The dam is
ESTIMATED to cost $4,000, and the
work is to be done on force account, '
the contractor to receiye 10 per cent
of the total cost of construction.
The HERALD has published the
committees recommendation in full,
Nyether with a detailed report of the
Proceedings of Council, and since
then the taxpayers generally have
commented freely upon the subject.
To say that those members of Coun-
ell who favored the project are being
censured is putting it mildly. The
feeling among the taxpayers gener
ally is such that there is every prob
ability that an Indignation meeting
will be called to protest against what
is generally considered useless eN
pchhliult VI l''l''ll' li'iltN'
The advocates of the project esti-
mate the cost of the dam to be SIG
900, but past experience in such mat
ters justities the prediction that the
total cost will reach nearer $4,000
than the figures fixed by Chairman
Bell, of the water committee. The
latter gentleman, if the proposed
reservoir is ever built, will realize
that his knowledge in this respect is
limited
1t is true that Shenandoah has one
of the most valuable water plants in
the state, and it is equally true that
Iini.g'2ys ,snaS7ri,s in its management and
a more adequate water supply are alb
solutely necessary. There are mem
bers of Council, however, who do not
seem to grasp the situation. The
resolutions presented by Councilman
James met with little consideration
at the hands of the majority although
the resolutions were based upon
broader plane than those presented
by Chairman Bell
When the erection of the borough
plant was first under consideration
the HERALD strongly advocated the
purchase of the old plant, not Mt the
figures asked by the old water COM
pany, but at n reasonable and just
appraisement by II disinterested
board. Unfortunately for the borough
and the old company the feeling be
tween the two reached such n state
that a compromise was out of the
question. Since then, however, many
of those who labored Zealously and
without ompensatiOn-an and some
times with abuse for the success of
the borough plant, now realize that
it would have been to the best inter
ests Of the borough to be in control of
both plants, combining the pumping
facilities of the borough plant with
the We+er shed and reservoir facilities
0f the old company. Many argu-
ments can be advanced in favor of
this proposition, which is in line with
the James resolution presented to
Council and which was so ignOmini-
ously fired in the waste basket by the
majority members of Council. The
resolution further recites that n com
mittee of citizens, in conjunction with
a similar committee appointed by
Council, ascertain the amount for
which the old plant can be bought or
leased, thus placing its lease or pur-
chase in the hands of those who are
directly interested and who would
necessarily act for the best interests of
the taxpayers This, of course, did
not meet with the views of the men
who have combined to push through
the project OF building dam, and