The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-24

in install a filtration plant.
It also shows that, in the opinion OF
the committee, it would be unwise to-;
postpone action indefinitely, in view. G.
the water must be put in sooner OF
later, and hence, the sooner the better.
It does not appear from the statement
of the committee that it is necessary
| to increase the ak levy, since the in
terest on the filtration bonds may be
| taken care Of by the waterworks SUR
| plus.
The Committees Statement. "
The pure water question has been balhafa
| the public for ten years When the reser-
voir at Columbia Heights was built 1t was
with the expectation that Minneapolis
would one day have publication works.
The engineer contemplated it and made
| room for 1t. Mr.. Hazen says that today
Minneapolis has Mr.. Cappelen to thank
for the fact that his foresight makes 1t
| possible to connect filtration plant with
the water supply economically and easily
| The question of purifying the river wa
ter has never been absent from the public
mind, the fact that it must at some time
| be done has never been lost sight Of. The
actual work Of doing it has waited on
the questions Of haw and when?
| The council a year ago took up the
question Of how and appointed an expert
/
Rinker, former City Engineer Cappelen
and Allen Hazen, water expert of New
York city. They have made a report
which makes it clear:
First-That the mississippi is the proper
Esource Of supply.
II Second-That filtration is the only
t proper and efficient means of publication.
4 They recommended a said filtration
plant which, with the additional reservoir
land additional pipes deemed necessary,
would cost $1,276,0 900. A mechanical litter,
which, the commission says, would with
proper handling, be- nearly as efficient.
can, with the same additions, be built for
1902, 0oO but would be more expensive to
| operate by about $4,000 a year, after all
lowing for deterioration of plant on the
additional amount invested, The actual
difference in cost of operation at our
present consumption being s26, 600 year.
Acting upon this report, the council at
the last election, submitted to the people
the question of voting $1,0O0,00O bonds for
a filtration plant. The vote on these bonds
was 21,097 for and S,541 against. More
than two-thirds Of the people who voted
] ON the proposition voted for It.
| It was not the stastutory two thirds
of all those voting, and the council could
not sell the bonds without authority from
| the legislature.
Now the question is up to the public.
A great many of our people believe that
the legislature should validate this issue
Of bonds and that the council should begin
the work of building filtration plant.
\ Others believe that the matter should
again be postponed, and they give thesa
reasons:
Tho Objections Considered.
First-That since we have quit pumping
from the lower station, our health reports
show that the water Is pure.
Second-That it is not known whether
we want a filtration plant, as some great
and very economical device for purifying
water may be suddenly discovered which
would make such large investment un.
necessary.
/ Third-That the city cannot add to its
bonded debt at the present time.
In reply to these objections, it should
be urged:
Ffrst-That our ascendency in health
statistics IS in spite Of and not because Of
our water supply, that while typhoid IL
the most clearly traceable result OF impure
water, 1t Is not the only offender, and we
should base our calculations for a pure
water supply on the hardest conditions
to be met, and not the easiest.
Secondhand no new or great discover
les have recently been made in the mat
} ter OF purifying water. Sand filtration.
which Is an imitation Of natures method.
has been used for seventy-f1ve years. Me-
chantcal filtration, which is a chemical
method. has been known in primitive
way for centuries. The improvements In
either have not been in principle, but IN
details Of construction Of plants and an
plfcation of methods. We shall not gain
anything by waiting, at least, nothing
comparable with the chances of an emf
demic of disease in our city.
:. Th1rd-The city can afford to spend a
$ million dollars for a filtration plant, IL 1t
needs filtration plant at ALL It cannot
afford to weigh dollars against deaths.
The Interest upon the filtration bonds VIII
be paid out of the waterworks surplus.
and not raise the tax levy one dollar The
: principal of the bonds may or may not
be included in the funded debt. The
present bonds of the waterworks are not
included by bond buyers
g Taking al these facts into considers.
tlon we believe that the city should pro
coed to build a filtration plant and that
: to that end the legislature should validate
the vote on the bonds at the last election.
: We believe the council can be trusted "a
issue these bonds only as fast as they are
! needed, and to issue no more of them than
, will, with the surplus of the waterworka
: complete the plants. =
"A. e. Merrill,
President of the Council S.
F. L. Schoonmaker,
c. B. Holmes, ].
E. w. Clark,
II. G. McIaskey,
w. E. Satterlee.
Council Committee on Waterwork.
Minneapolis, Feb. "a, 1906.
1900 TOTS IN FIRE PERIL.
a New York. Feb. A-Ftre which stared Il
r the New York juvenile asylum today snresd
SO rapidly that It was soon beyond control Of