The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-11-05
CITY SEWERAGE PLANT.
some Criticisms of Engineer Potter
and city officials.


To the Editor OF The Post
Houston, Texas, November S.-In the
issua Of The Post OF October ., 1900, 4
MI Mcintosh, acting for Engineer \. Pot
ter. makes statement. as he says, 30
remove wrong impression IN certain
quarters about the sewage plant now
being built for the city" and in doing 50
he unsparingly applies the paint brush
to cover a good deal OF ground to prove
quite the reverse OF his confident asser-
ton.
He starts out showing the object OF the
sewer proposition. That the last census
showed an increase In the population OF
Houston; that the actual amount Of water
in Buffalo bayou is quite apt TO deceive
any one who has not made an investigation
OF the stream. That 1t was these facts
which we're carefully examined into by
the United States government engineers
That the plans were submitted TO the war
department and there approved. Inat
CAPTAIN Richie says in reporting on the
general plans that II carried out. yes, il
carried out" Then he drifts on to say,
as soon as matters assumed such a deh-
mite shape that an intelligent estimate
could be made it became apparent that
the size Of the works as originally iu-
tended must be somewhat reduced; the
portion omitted to be added to from time
to time as IL was required, either by 4
bond issue or from the general fund
Well well: does not this confirm the
wrong impression?
What In thunder has all the foregoing
got to do with the situation? If anything
it at least serves TO show the public how
they have been pulled in. The admission
Is simply this: The original plan as pre-
nared on prepared). the public was giveT
10 understand, could be constructed for
$500, 900. and now we canddly tell You
that IL could not, for the reason, as We
unbushingly tell you, that when matters
assumed q definite shape so as we coult
form an intelligent estimate, OF course
then Ii became apparent We would hav'
to reduce; we uld not complete tn
infant as originally Intended for the none.
available Nothing can be palmer; W
positively told you that YOU could get tina
}, horse for 100000 and now we tell yo
no. but you can get horse FOR less tina
f, can not pull as we'll as the other one. bl
will nevertheless rull some anyhow, S
: also with the sewage proposition. Pain
the picture get tho people going an
}. then tell them what was originally II
4 tended and such as we presented TO tn
: secretary OF war would cost too much S
you must be satisfied with an abortion -
>. plant that will do for the present whe
!. you can issue more bonds YOU can hay
3 such as was originally intended.
= This leads back 10 the phase OF the SIT
uation wherein reference Is made "whe
IL an INTELLIGENT estimate could be formed
and suggests the pointed proposition; VIII
should Nave made this intelligent est
mate? The answer 70 which is Why, NJ
Potter. Of course. because the city is pa,
= ing him. He represented that he was a
engineer WAS competent TO do SO an
a did do so; made the statement to the cit
- or the streng h ~ which he was employe
Is But the statement OF October clear
proves that only when II became appa