Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1900-02-21
A Correspondent Reviews the
Water-Pavement Agi-
tati0n.
A Niger In THE WOOD PILE.
Petition Calls for Oaly q Small Section o.
Pavemeat on Z LosS Street, and
then Mud.

| A spirited contention has been waged
in this city for some time. The public
has been confused, and action by the city
council on very important matters lie.
layed by the influence that has confused
the public in relation to city govern.
ment
The question of pavemcnts has been
used for the purpose Of defeating the pur.
chase of the city water works. The
power behind this influence Is would
be monopoly Of the future public utili-
ties of the city Of Lewiston.
The monopolists who would defeat the
public ownership Of the Lewiston water
system have IN view the future control
OF this utility. All of the subterfr yes
which have acted to delay, and ultimately
defeat, this purchase have been inspired
by the agencies OF this monopoly. All
OF the public charges that the council
would have purchased the old plant for
high price regardless of cost were OF this
class of opposition. All the assertions
that the people would not vote to "pur.
chase or construct" water system IL an
same selfish agencies.
Since the council granted an extension
of the city street railway franchise this
noisy arraignment of the council has
broken out afresh in the same old place.
The monopoly now wants street pave
ments awfully bad. A street pavement
would make good road bed for street
raj way. But that is not the chief i'm.
portance attached to the matter The
| fight il made good and strong will kill
the water agitation. The public is now
| confused II the people can be made to
believe there was job TO be furthcred In
the water purchase project the people
will never see the real nigger in the
public wood pile
There is no reason why the pavainents
should not be built and the public water
| system established at the same time.
The trouble is the innocent club OF pave.
ment is made a Jaw bone to kill the
water purchase scheme. The play is
made good and strong so the people will
be confusel. 1t is significant that the
| renewal of the street railway franchise
gave so much wind to the bellows that
/; furnishes the wind for the monopoly
that is supposed to revive the embers
that shoulder into a hot public senti-
inent, No reasonable citizen will be
confused longer by this kettle-drum
argument that the council desires to buy
the present water system at price be-
yond its value. The proposition was to
lcall an election to give the public an op.
| portunity to vote whether the council
should purchase or construct water
system, whichever should be determined
to be the mos. economical, after thorough
examination by competent experts.
The confusionists would have the pub
lie believe the property owners have peti.
toned to have a large portion Of the
streets paved. The fact is the council has
been asked in an indefinite way 10 pave
Main street from First street to Fifth
This is not even the worst section of that
one street, and it is only short section
and a section that can be avoided by the
travelling public. East Main street from
the Raymond House TO the city limits
including the worst mudholes, could moi
be remedied by action on the only peti
ton presented to the council. This east
ern portion Of the street cannot bs
avoided, as there are no side streets TO b,
Travelled. While practical system o
pavement would be blessing to Lewis
} ton, bit of patchwork on Main stree
| ITOu run W TtfNt Wputu HOl
benefit the public at large. The wis'
thing for the council to do would be I,
give us paved thvroughfare to and frou
, the business portion of the city to th'
|, city limits or some other point, and no
give us a short section OF pavement an,
leave a jumpoff in the center of the cit,
where the mud is bad now and would ge
r worse or. II not, appear worse after
plunge from the end of a pavement.
The cry for pavement for one-teuth c
Main street, with no provision for furthe
e Improvements. is folly. The cry shoul
n lose force as confusing element, 70
, which il is alone intended.
The public demands both pavement
l and public water. The present howl
e raised to trap the city into the contrs
r versy over the old Mill ditch which
a aggravating some of the Main stree
property owners. If the city should ord,
payements on that section the ditc
would, in a measure, become a publ
menace. Then the city would be calle
upon to take up the old condemnatio
Ie fight The conflict Of rights of the ditto
owners and the land owners should be d
|, termined by private equities and not
city condemnation proceedings. IT
is ditch is menace to the holders of Il
n street railway franchise. That ecntel
! tion is a private affair that sonlebod
" would like to shift to public burden