The record-union., 1899-05-29
THE WATER QUESTION PRE-EMI-
NENT

The City Trustees have rejected, with
some asperity of feeling, the PROPOSE,
ton Of the Chamber of Commerce for a
Citizens Commission of Inquiry to ex-
anime into the water supply question.
especially to inquire into the subterra-
mean supply on the east of the city
and at the threshold of the town. The
response given was that the Board of
Trustees is competent to make the in
quiry and, that it is its bounden duty
to attend to all such municipal affairs.
Which is to say, Mind your own busi-
ness
The Chamber has taken this rebuff in
good part, accepting, evidently, the
statement of the Trustees as equivalent
70 a pledge to make the investigation
into the clearwater system from deep
driven cased wells on the east
There is no other Interpretation to
tits pledged to action now, in the way
Of thorough investigation, which it can
not, with honor, avoid. 1t will be bad
day for the board if it makes cover of
its excuse, however. flor further delay.
It has resolved already that certain
time is necessary to prosecute inquiry
into the sewer and sewage disposal
questions. 1t is fortified in that delay
by the report of an expert engineer. in
whom it has confidence, and whose
treatment of the subject is clearly i'm
partial, cold and without shadow of
prejudice or bias. That preliminary re-
port of the engineer establishes the fact
that the water supply question is mex
tr4cably interviewer With the sewer
system. Try as he might, the engineer
could not disassociate them.
1t is conceded that all the things in
the way Of municipal Improvement pro-
jected by the board are essential, are
wanted by the people, and will be vot-
ed upon favorably by the people under
right conditions. 1t is also to be taken
into account by the Trustees that i'm
portant as are the new sewers the
new water main, the High School
building and the like, more important
and overshadowing them all, preceding
and leading them all, is the clear, pure
water question.
We want no new water mains
through which tolsend domestic water
supply that the people will not ap-
prove. No new High School building
should be erected except we have clear,
pure water TO supply it, No new sewer
system question can possibly be dis
severed from the new water system.
There should be investigation, there
fore, of all proposed water supplies at
once. The Record Union expresses
what it knows to be the sentiment of
seven-tenths of all the people when it
declares that they want all PROPOSE
tions now fairly, fully and finally in
yestigated and the very best to be re-
solved upon and submitted to them
for their expression of opinion
The board comedies that it can have
thorough exploitation of the sewer and
sewage questions at once. They are
already under searching inquiry. 1t
will take no longer nay, not nearly as
long, to fathom the water question.
The public mind in Sacramento has
been making inquiries and arriving at
conclusions on the subject for very
many years. 1t is now ready to declare
definitely The beard can just as easily
enter upon and close up investigation
into the east side well supply PROPOSE
ton as it can the sewer proposition.
Nay 1t can do so more easily, and at
comparatively trihing cost, because so
much investigation has been made and
data gathered already concerning it, Of
fetal and otherwise
What must be avoided is any more
delay in opening the official inquiry.
Because the bond proposition, as a
whole, cannot be submitted now or
within a few months is no reason for
postponing official investigation into the
east side water supply. Common pru-
dence and good business sense COM
mand that time shall be saved and that
the investigation be at once entered
upon to which the board is now conn