Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-03-13
WATER DEPARTMENT CASE.
why Counciimcn willis Favors the Appeal
view. of Water Commissioner Belts.

why Counciimcn willis Favors the Appeal |
Views of Water Commissioner Belts.
George A. Willis, who represents the
First ward in City Council, takes ex-
ception to some of the criticism which
has been heaped upon Council recently
for its attitude in the matter of the
litigation involving the right of the
Water Department to purchase land
for reservoir purposes. The attorneys
for Council gave notice of an appeal
to the Supreme Court, and, believing
that new reservoir is an absolute
necessity, there has been "a very large
expression OF opinion on the part OF
the people in favor of City Council
abandoning the appeal and permitting
the Water Department to proceed with
the work of building the reservoir.
Mr.. Willis says he is not influenced
in the stand he is taking by any other
member of Council. my position is
this" he said. 1.-The Water Depart
ment either has or has not the legal
rlgnt TO buy land for reservoir pur-
poses. ] think ii has too much power
and am in favor of contesting its right
| to make this move, in order to tiscer-
| tain whether the court of last resort
| says it has such right. | do not deny
| that new reservoir will be needed
very soon, but | do not believe that
the land which has been negotiated
for is the only suitable land that can
be obtained. If necessary we could
pipe the water from up the Brandy
wine, and that would save the pump
ing. | want to sec what the Supreme
Court has to say about the rights of
tho department in such matters. Let
the status of the department in this
regard be established by judicial
ruling and il the department has too
much power it will be up to the Legis-
lature To make such changes as may
he necessary.
IL having been learned that some OF
the members of Council are in favor
of abandoning the appeal provided the
Water Department will guarantee a
certain surplus to Council each year.
this matter was mentioned. MIR. Willis
said he understood such to be the case,
but he was not in favor of making any
compromise.
Some OF the Councilman who have
expressed themselves in favor of taking
the case to the Supreme Court have
made the contention that the Watei
Department could remedy the shortage
in high service reservoir capacity by
making an addition to Rodney stree
reservoir so as to utilize all of the de
Iartment's ground surrounding i
which is not now used for reservoi
' purposes. In order to ascertain how
lar such project would GO towart
ol,viating the difficulty which nov
,, confronJs the department in the higl
service matter, reporter Of Tn
! Gazette had talk with Presiden
: Belts of the department en- the subject
: Mr.. Belts said it would not he wise u
enlarge Rodney street reservoir, il
view of the fact that by utilizing al
Of the ground the department ha
there it could not make provision fl
y more than three days supply of water
> The present capacity of Rodney stree
J. reservoir is not quite one days supply
L Mr. Belts believes that to make tn
= addition which has been limited at
/ would he necessary to practically re
. build the present reservoir on accour
II of the extra pressure that would b
. put upon it, and the result would b
u equivalent to an entirely now reservoir
: which would, in all probability, answe
= the purpose for only few years, whe
= it would be necessary to make otht
II arrangements and probably at muc
!, greater cost than at present Neitht
y does he think that u new reserve
u could he built for less money there,
!" proportion to the size, than on I'll
> Weldin tract. He is also of the opiniC
that if the department could abandc
. the Rodney street reservoir the prorert
~ could be sold for enough to pay for Il
y Weldin tract. The other water con
L. missioners take the same view as M
Belts