Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-06-27
THE WATER QUESTION.
Soon to Come Up for Citizens to
Ballot On.

Q1SlOIY OF CulS CITY HAS tuCiG DSSu
so important an issue before the
people OF Corvallis as at present.
For a town of this size to under
take the installation of $75, 900
water system is no light affair,
especially in the face OF the fact
that we are already in debt more
than $2o, 600.
AS a city we are already in
debt something like $40, 900
more thanis allowed by our chart
er. Should the bond issue for a
water system carry Corvallis
citizens will be pledged to pay q
debt Of nearly 500, 900. True,
there is long time allowed in
which to pay this, but it must be
paid just the same. There is no
design in this article to place the.
proposition before the people in.
afalse light.
That the city is in need of wa
ter there is no ques ton, nor does
any person attempt to deny the
truth of this statement. The
question for the voter to decide
is, all things considered, the wis
dom of putting in the present
system as proposed in Mr.. Mil
ler's estimate. Men who should
be authority as good as any in
this community declare it is not
wise to lay wooden mains with
in the city. They say that for
the main pipe line, where water
runs swiftly, it may answer fair
ly we'll, but that where it simply
lies in wooden pipe there is bound
to be an accumulation of sort
OF slime that is a menace to
health. 1t is also claimed that
where wooden pipe is asphalt
coated inside and outside, it soon
ssdry rots" in the center and will
not last. The statement is made
that wood pipe mot coated with
anything will out last a coated
pipe, as the fibre becomes thor
oughly wet through and there is
no danger of dry rot.
Without any desire to rehecl
upon Mr.. Miller in his estimate
of the cost or Completeness Of the
system it may be pointed out
that fewitems of cost are miss.
ing One of these items is the
probable cost of right of way.
When asked, during the mas:
meeting of last week, what the
right of way was likely. to cost,
Mr.. Miller is quoted as saying ht
could not tell, but did not think
it would cost much. 1t. is re
ported that he facetiously addet
that it would cost about cent !:
mile. Of course, if he mad,
this statement, he certainly di.
not expect to be taken seriously
AS matter of fact, it is bu
natural to presume that this righ
of way will cost something. w
are informed that some of th
farmers along the main pipe lin
will give the right of way in ex
change for water privileges. Blu
there are water rights located nea
the source of our proposed system
and those who control these tight
are not likely to give them away
It is but natural that the owner
of these rights place a value IF
on them or else they would nc
have gone to the trouble neces
sary for their acquisition. Hence
one cannot figure that we shoul
obtain them for nothing.
True, litigation might wi
these rights for this city, but thi
would cost and out of the prt
posed bond issue of VS., 900 ther
remains neither surplus for carry
ing on suits nor to meet any ex
gencies that may arise. To lncu
further debt is not desirab
within itself, nor is there autho
ity for so doing.
In the light of past repor
printed in the papers of this ci,
regarding the general heaithfu
ness of Corvallis one can scare
ly, with truth, declare that OF
water as it is today and as it b;
been for years, has suddenly b.
come menace to public healtl
None are found bold enough
declare that the town has not ou
grown its present water system
some sections of the city a
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