The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-04-27
MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
NOT DOLLARS AND CENTS
City Must Have Sewerage and Drain
age System-PIan of rlayor and
Council Outlined.

"lf we have another typhoid epidemic
or two like we had last year. said Mayor
Fechter at the council meeting last We'd
nesday evening, "we might as well turn
the key i'll the door of the town and lock
it up from the outside world. The in
jury that the epidemic did the city can
scarcely be estimated" he continued.
1T is matter of life or DEATH" said
Alderman Sinclair, mot matter of dol
lars and cents. The city must have a
sewerage and drainage system. The
lives of the people must be protected"
The remarks quoted above were
prompted by discussion of the report
submitted to the council by Ernest Nc
Cullough and George +. Cotterell of
Seattle, the engineers engaged to make
estimates of the cost of complete sys-
TEN for the city. Their report was a
written one and was quite lengthy. The
substance of it was in these columns
last week. The report stated that a
complete system of sewerage and drain
age would cost about $4,000, which in
cludes all laterals and system ade
quate for a city of 10000 people. The
report of the engineers dwelt strong
" on the necessity of drainage, the lack
of which. they say. is largely response
BILE for the prevalence of fever i'll the
city. The trunk system, says the re-
part, can be constructed for about $751;
900.
At the conclusion of the reading of
the report Mayor Fechter addressed the
council. The report. he said, seemed
staggering as regards the cost and was a
disappointment to the council. But a
sewerage and drainage system was an
absolute necessity and some means must
be devised to at least construct the
trunk system the latcrals could be con-
strlcted later under the assessment
plan; the trunk system would drain the
city and relieve the present mhealth-
ful condition. The limit for which the
city can now be bonded, said the mayor
was about 100000. 1t could put in the
trunk system. he thought, by bonding
for 800 900 and the bonds could be sold
to the state for A per cent The dit
ference between the $4,000 andi about
$4,000. or $4,000. should be charged
up to the abutting property that the
trunk system of sewers WOULD serve
The trunk system would consists of 49,
inch pipes, while the laterals would be
s inches and il was only be. fairsG6r tSf
property to be benefited to pay fol
the S-inch sewer, as other property
owners would have to do when the
laterals are built. This could be col
lected under the assessment plan. II
would cost about $40 per lot and the
people could have ten years if they
wished in which to pay it. In regard tc
bonding for $4,000 the mayor said il
would only increase the rate of taxa
ton about one mill, or fraction over
on an assessed valuation in the city OF
practically Sl,S00.OOO.
The members of the council seemed tc
be in perfect accord with the sugges
tons of the mayor and as soon as the
necessary formalities can be complied
with the council will probably order q
special election for vote on the prop
osition to bond for $4,000 and construct
the trunk system. This seems to be
the only feasible plan that can be de
vised at this time. Everyone realizes
the necessity of sewerage and drainage
and should cooperate with and assist
the council in every way to provide the
city with the system.