People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1899-01-27
THE WATER QUESTION
The Council Gives a Broad Hint to
the Commercial Club.

Ine inactivity or the Commercial
club and the rapidly approaching
time when the city will he without
water and light and at the mercy OF
heartleSS corporations, caused tile
city council TO meet in special Sess on
Wednesday night and passed a resOlu-
tlon urging the citizens 20 take the
necessary steps tU procure funds to
enable the city TO construct a system
/ of waterworks. The resolution is
mild hint to the Commercial club
that the council is ready, willing and
anxious to begin the work Of prOcur-
ing water system as soon aS the
movement reaches the proper stage
for the council to act. The preamble
and resolution in full are as follows:
WHEREAS, The city Of Wellington,
Kansas, aud the citizens thereof, are
desirous OF enlarging the water system
OF said city, and securing a better and
more advantageous water supply for
the necessity and convenience of its
Inhabitants; now therefore be it
''RESOLvED, by the council Of the
city Of Wellington, Kansas, in special
session assembled, That il is their
desire that the citizens of Wellington
take the necessary and active steps
toward securing the necessary funds
to enable it TO proceed Immediately
TO the construction Of a system of
waterwOrks which will, by January J,
1900, meet all the necessities and
requirements of every interest Of the
city, whether the same be private or
public"
The movement to petition for 4 per
cent bonds has apparently died down
for some reason. The required two
flfths OF the names of the taxpayers
were almost secured, when suddenly
the work stopped and nothing has
been done in regard to the matter
since the holidays. In the meanwhile
month has elapsed and that much
time has been lost.
I In niue months the city will be
without water and at the mercy OF a
corporation that has fought the city
bitterly and taken every possible ad-
vantage Of US it has been in its power
to exercise. In five months the gas
franchise expires and the question Of
how to light the city in the future
must be decided.
II the city is to throw off the yoke
of the waterworkS corporation, steps
to that end must be taken at once.
The question of water supply is vital
one to the future welfare of Yelling
ton. The Santa Fe railroad is hold
ing back contemplated Improvements
to the divisional facilities at this
point on account Of it. The Santa
Fe authorities are in correspondence,
and have been for some time, with
the owners of the waterwOrks plant,
desiring to know what the probabili-
ties are for securing water at this
point after January /, 1900. The road
is at present depending upon the
waterworks company for water. After
next December they will look to Wei.
lington for supply. What will the
city do? The Santa Fe at present has
In contemplation the enlargement of
the round house at this place, but is
holding back, waiting the permanent
solution of the water question.
These facts tend TO show the import
ance of the water question to We'll
lington. Wellington is slowly drift
ing to the crisis point What is
Wellington going to do?
The Commercial club is the recOg-
nized representative body Of men to
whom the citizens Of Wellington look
for hope, and trust the interests of
the city. The people seek the advice
of the Commercial club in matters OF
public concern, and are willing to
accept their advice and lend their
support to any movement fathered by
them for the betterment OF the city
and the interest of its Inhabitants.
The Commercial club is the only
organized body of business men whom
the people can look to to take the pre-.
liminary steps in proposition to
issue bonds, The people are ready to
vote on the bond proposition as soon
as it is submitted to them. II the
four per cent limit is too low, the
Commercial club should extend the
limit to five per cent, submit the
question to the people and allow it to
be settled. II the proposition fails,
the city will have to look for solu-
tion elsewhere, and the time which
is now being wasted will be needed.