The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-09
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
The Lake Levels.
To the Editor of The Journal,

AT the meeting of the committee yes
terday afternoon to repeal the Powers Or
d1nance. that took from the board Of park
commissioners the right to control the
level of the water in Lake Of the Isles
and Lake Calhoun, this committee voted
to retain this power in the council.
Those speakers who favored the coun-
ellis exercising this paramount power
over the park board also went so far,
with one exception. as to favor the abol-
ishment of the park board altogether,
and the most enthusiastic supporters Of
high water in the lakes, with the excep
tion Of Mr.. Myers, admitted it was a
damage to the residents around Lake of
the Isles, and also to the boulevard. But
those who favored high water all live on
high ground and only one Of them is a
riparian owner, and the rest of them live
at great distance at Lake Harriet,
Lake Amelia and Ninnehaha falls with
the exception Of DR.. Pemberthy and Mr..
Myers, who live on the high bluff at Cal
houn. Why should these people, whose
lands are not invaded and flooded by
high water, take such an interest as to
come up from South Minneapolis and
from Minnehaha to persuade the city
councils committee to- food the low lands
at Lake of the Isles? Why should the
people at Lake Harriet want to flood and
inundate the residents at Lake Of the
Isles? The park board has had control
of the lake levels since 1886, and has ex-
pended thousands of dollars in improve
ments around these two lakes. The only
excuse now for taking this right from
the park board is that some two years
ago boy sailing a .skiff on Lake Calhoun
touched bottom with his centerboard on
a sand bar, and from that time to the
present, all park Improvements have
been at a discount. ~ .. ...:. -
Alderman Powers was besieged by, the
owners Of 4rowboats;., ssailboats, tceboats
| Calhoun to raise the dam or outlet at
Lake Calhoun two feet, and take the con-
| troll of this outlet from the park board.
A resolution was passed by the city
council changing the height Of the water
| in Calhoun twenty-four inches, and eigh-
teen inches in Lake. of the Isles. In con-
sequence of this change the water has in
vaded the low grounds at Lake of the
Isles and Calhoun and in places flooded
the boulevards so that they are impassa:
BILE except by fording the flooded low
places or by portage. The high water
has also filled the cellars Of the residents
! in the low grounds.
| If the city council is to have the con.
troll over the level Of the water in these
lakes, it should also have control of the
boulevards and improvements abou
board to spend the taxpayers money or
improvements about these lakes one sea
son for the city council in the jealous eX
hibition Of it's paramount power to de
stroy the next year. If these two mum
cipal bodies cannot agree, then all expen
ditures in the way of park improveme
around these lakes should cease, unit
this fight between these two co-ordinat
bodies has been determined. Two mem
bers of the city council are members o
the park board and were on this council
committee, and one of them, in his capa
city as a member of the council, vote
against the park board, and when acting
as member Of the park board suppos
he would naturally vote against the in
terest of the council. Such is the in
consistency of the law in having tn
same man holding two offices of a publ
nature and legislative in character at tn
same times and this inconsistency is tn
more noticeable when one Of these -corpo
} rate bodies claims d paramount poWe
over the other. 1t puts the official in tn
position of a man fighting his left han
with his right hand.
Alderman Powers held this DR.. Jeky
, and Mr.. Hyde position when he fathere
this vicious and wicked ordinance tha
has done so much damage to the owner
, of lake property. S..''
Either the city council should contrt
both the improvements and the lax
level or the park board; and the mem
bers of one of these bodies should not b
members Of the other or hold two publ
offices at the same time This law shoul
be amended. Then this petty, pueril
jealousy would not exist. When th1
question comes up next Friday in tn
: council it is expected that the good sens
: / of it's members will dictate its repeal an
so save the city from actionable dam
ages. H. H. Wadsworth.