The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1903-07-04
ITS CHALLENGE.

no i'll feeling toward any of the gent
lemen connected with that concern.
But it is the service and quality of
the water to which we have objected,
and against which the people of the
town object. IL the old company has
failed to fully appreciate the feelings
of the people on this matter, and re-
fused or neglected To make an effort
to remedy the conditions which have
caused the opposition to them it is
their own fault The result of the
canvas of the town for contracts to
take water from the new company
ought to cnovince them now of the
public feeling. The Press has for
the past two years called attention
To the growing dissatisfaction over
the water service and the company
ignored the matter. The company
now begins TO realize the fact that a
new system Is to be constructed. aud
when forced to the point of doing
something. offers To duplicate any
price made by the new company; but
the question of price 10 not 80 much
TO the people "a that of fire protec-
tiOn and pure water. In a recent cir
oular letter the, old company challeng
- the people to name one fire where
1t did not furnish water and power
greatly in excess of tho requirements
of its franchise The state Law Is
superior to any franchise and requires
a fire service to the full capacity OF
y water company. Vow let Us see If
the old company has complied with
this When Vim Wells house burned.
the water from the hose would not
reach the top OF the roof Of adjoiu
ing one story property aud the man
ager of the alter company remarked
TO the writer that ''if the town had
been paying for water he would have
saved the building" Does that look
like the boosted service referred to in
their circular? When the Richie
house burned, it was at least twenty
five minutes after the alarm had been
given before the firemen got water, al
though they were on the ground wait
ing and watching the property go up
IN smoke. \ human life was almost
lost in this fire Did the company
do its duty then? The town was pay
ing it for fire protection at that time
and it dld not have any excuse More
recently, we might mention the fire
that destroyed the warehouse Of the
Idaho Mercantile company. What
was the matter then? The company
claims that the firemen did not have
their appliances, but the water was
turned on at the hydrant long before
the company put on sufficient press
ore to throw it over the box cars
standing near the fire. The fire that
damaged Father Becksr's property is
the only one in the past two years at
which pressure was promptly fur
nished- We believe the people we'll
remember these things even though
they are denied by the old company.
Their circular letter il intended to
deceive the people and il along the
past lines of the company, based on
the theory that the people are no
quite 30 smart az it; but We will put
the people Of Occur d'Alene upt
against any other Community, or the
managers of the water company, for
Intelligence. They cannot longer be
deceived and We will say again that if
the old company had realized two
years ago that its policy could not
win, and shown a disposition to treat
the people right, it would not now be
facing the loss Of it4 profitable bust
ness. 1t imagined that IL had a mo
nopoly Of the water supply Of the
town and bid defiance TO the appeals
nf the people, in fact treated them as
serfs. What could il expect in re-
turn?
We make no denial Of its charges
that we are writing paid editorials
It is fact tina We are doing 40, and
our pay is coming from the people in
the shap Of moral support and pat
rOnage. They are paying the Press
in this way for its courage 10 stand
up and fight for their interests; to
advocate pure water and fire protec
ton; to stand by the bsat interests of
the town. Their support and encOur-
Agement is pay enough for the Press.
az we are about to 500 the power of
the people prevail. We will have
pure water, fire protection and free
street lights, in spite Of the old com.
pany. which was blind TO its own
interests. The challenge" Of the
old company il very appropriately in
closed in deep black border
L