The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1903-05-19
IMPROVE EAST MAIN STREET
City Council Passes Resolutions to Have the
East End of Main Street GravsIIed this

East End of Main Street GraveIled this
| Summer
| The city council of Lewiston met last
evening and passed resolution provid.
ing for the improvement of Main street
between the court house and Twentieth
street. This will be a continuation of
this winters work on Main street which
extends to the court house corner. The
work will be similar to that performed on
the lower Main street and all costs will
be charged up to property owners on
that part of the street benefited. June
rs was set aside as the day on which
property owners could meet the council
and register their kicks.
| Alderman Frost introduced resolution
providing for the reduction of the water
rents nine per cent, stating as he did so
that at the time of the purchase of the
water plant the city authorities had
promised the consumers that water rates
would be lowered, that the city had now
owned the plant 10 months and 1t was
time for them to redeem their pledge.
! Alderman Colby then requested a re-
| port from the water superintendent and
collector as to the amount of disburse-
| ments and proceeds in order that the
council might be able to decide correctly
how much the water rents could safely
be lowered but this the officers could not
do until they could balance their books.
An argument was then participated in
expressing different views in regard to
the payment of the interest on the $780,
600 bonds used to build the new system.
Alderman Colby took the position that
the new system was only benefitting
those districts that were unable to secure
water from the old system. That it was
not right for the consumer under the
present system to have to pay the in
terest on the new bonds when they were
not benefited except perhaps in securing
fire pressure OH the hill and lowering
insurance rates. He favored running the
present tax for that purpose and lower
ing the water rates proportionally.
Alderman Frost agreed with this position.
Mayor Skinner and Alderman Cole
stated that they believed that the water
system should be self sustaining and the
tax reduced from its present rate.
The resolutions were laid on the table
until such time as the water department
officers can furnish the reports asked by
Colby.
Upon motion of Alderman Colby the
street commissioner was instructed to
put in three drinking hydrents for the
benefit of the public at important places
| along Main street, also a watering
trough for horses. 1t was found that
$1,000 had been taken out of the water
| rent fund and placed in water works fund
showing a large earning for the plant.
The council favored fiat water rate
and ii was the general opinion of the
members that a system OF meters would
encourage economy i'll the use of water
| The question of closing streets for the
Redman's carnival was referred to the
street commissioner. ]. o. Maxon,
assistant city engineer, reported-that he
had resurveyed the cemetery and found
the True survey would not connect on the
north side by distance of so feet. He
also reported that he had taken the
levels Of the streets of the city and found
that sewer line can be run from the
east line of the city to the point where
the present sewer empties on a ten per
cent grade without digging more than
in the Scho6eld addition has been made
by the city surveyor.