Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-11-12
PHOENIX BIG NIGHT
A Great Growth Within a
Very Short Time.
and Seger Tracts Taken ina
Public Wafer 9rks System is
Easily In Sight Now.

/ More was done for Phoenix at last
nights session of the city council than
/ had been accomplished at all the ses-
sions of the council within the last ten
years. The area of the town was in
| creased by more than twenty per cent
and the taxable value by nearly ten
per cent. Murphy's addition was ad-
mitted by a unanimous vote and all
that tract north of the city included in
the Bennett and Seger tracts was taken
in. What was more sensational and of
rather more Importance, the council
gave way to the people and consented
to order bond election. This consent
was not given in precisely the way
mass meeting of citizens requested some
weeks ago, but nobody was inclined
last night to find fault with the council
for having taken another route to the
through u violent storm A communi-
cation was received from Messrs. Wal
ter Talbot, Joseph Thalheimer and B.
/ Heyman,- who had been appointed to the
act. In their communication the gen
tlemen said that they believed the
responsibility imposed upon them by
the appointment had better be placed
upon a committee selected by the tax
payers OF the city.
Thereupon Mayor Ganz introduced
the following resolution:
Whereas, A majority of the COM
mittee appointed at the last meeting
to assist the council in determining the
amount of bonds required for the peo-
pie to vote for a system of sewerage
and water works. have refused to serve
for reasons given and in order to bring
their differences to an early conclusion,
it is hereby
Resolved, That the taxpayers of this
city are requested to assemble them
selves together for the purpose of ap-
pointing a committee, as many in their
judgment as may be required to make
an estimate for the amount of bonds
necessary to construct a system of
water works and sewerage for the en-
tire city and that this council will order
an election for such purpose on receipt
of such estimates
In presenting the resolution the
mayor said that in following any other
course than was now proposed he had
acted for what he believed to be the
best interests of the city He had never
contemplated an extension of the fran
chise of the water company. Its faciIi-
ties were so utterly inadequate that in
the case of an extension of the city linn
its, if the water company were
to serve the new territory, it would be
required to practically put in a new
system of mains. The mayor further
said he believed that the sum of $780,
GOO proposed for the public system was
too small and he had therefore de-
sired a complete estimate in order that
the council might be guided in ordering
a bond election. He was ready and
willing to order an election for any
amount that might be found necessary,
even to the extent of a half million,
and would work earnestly for the sue
cess of the proposition. Mayor CAM
said he was now willing to trust this
thing to the taxpayers and be guided by
their conclusions.
In reply, Councilman Fickas made the
most remarkable speech ever heard in
the council chamber. 1t was defiance
of the community as represented at the
citizens meeting of Wednesday night.
which he described as having been
made up of the sweepings of livery
stables and the flu1keys of hotels, a
wild and irresponsible mob. The al
lusion of Phoenix newspapers to the
manner in which the taxpayers of Den
YER and Omaha had influenced munich
pal legislation by dangling ropes before
hesitating councilmen, Mr.. Fickas said
was entirely lost on him. He was op-
posed to Mr.. CAMS resolution on prin-
ciple. The council, he said, had been
elected to perform certain duties, one of
which was to ascertain what the pro-
posed water works would cost before
submitting a bond proposition. 1t was
the councils business to work this
thing out and there was no authority
for delegating it to any outside COM
mittee. Then the speaker reattacked
the community. The taxpayers meet
ing at which this proposed committee
would be chosen, he said, would be an
other mob like that of Wednesday
night. In the course of his address
Councilman Fickas eXcoriated City
, Ire asurer Lount, Councilman Sanders,
ex-Mayor Adams and Major ]. W.
Evans. He disparaged the judgment,