The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1900-07-14
CALDWELL'S DUTY.

L
Caldwell intend making this their
permanent home, it is important
that they should seriously consider
some OF the duties they owe to
themselves, and among the first Of
these duties is the doing of things
within their power that make for
permanency. The things that
more than anything else attach one
to a place are parks, orchards,
lawns, gardens and shady avenues.
Elegant buildings are attractive
only when set in beautiful surround
lngs and they are the despair rather
than the hope of most mortals.
But everybody may have orchards
and shade trees, flowers and green
grass if only the community be
united in securing an ample and re-
liable water supply. This is the
first and indispensable necessity in
all arid localities. You can't make
a home town, you can't have a sat
1stactory home, unless you have
water in certainty and abundance,
and at moderate cost. Caldwell
is lacking in each and everyone of
these essentials. Not because of
any uncertainty in respect to origi-
nal supply; not because of any nat
ural shortage; not because Of any
extraordinary expense connected
with the diversion of water and
putting into the town, but simply
because of fundamentally bad man
agement. Let us examine a few
points. With superabundance of
water in the Boise river, and canals
already constructed for its diversion,
there is not a man in town who
knows of assurances that his trees
and grasses and flowers will. sur
vive through the summer without
resort to we'll and watering pot.
Under existing conditions and
based on present water rates, the
cost of water for town purposes
amounts to about SIS per acre, and
you have to pay it whether you get
any water or not. At this rate, if
the city had so acres Of public park,
the water bill would be upwards of
$1,000 annually. Is there any rem-
edy? Certainly! All that needs
be done is for Caldwell to stand
unitedly for the Pioneer Irrigation
District. When the system of wa
ter distribution contemplated by the
district is put into operation, the
town supply will be at once certain,
abundant and cheap. The town
people or the municipality can pay
ten times as much per inch for wa
ter as it will cost the farmers and
then get it for half the present cost.
But it will not long be necessary tC
paw such rates. We believe that
in the first year, the water rate
will be cut down to less than one
half the present cost per lot, and II
a few wears it will not exceed one
fourth the present rate. And to1
general public uses such as side
; walk cutters, parks, spr1nkllng etc
: the rate, allowing double the cos1
to farmers, will be so low as scarce
" to be felt. Speaking of sidewalk
cutters, we would like to dlrec
your attention to Salt Lake City
There on the main business streets
an excellent system Of surface sewer
age is in operation, and it is some
thing that observing visitors always
comment upon most frvorably
We can have it here. Then there
should be streams of water running
along the sidewalks on each side o
every residence street and row
of shade trees planted on thel
edges, In addition to this, w
must have two or three publl
parks, and, by the way we under
stand Mayor Isham now has tn
| matter of parks under consideration
The council and the people shoul'