The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-06-07
MOVEMENT STARTED LOOKING
TOWARD LOWER WATER RATES
PROPOSITION Started to Either Buy
Out Water Company or m.
stall New System.

| Notwithstanding they had to go
in the midst Of a drenching rain,
about fifty of the city's heaviest
property owners were present at the
mass meeting called Friday evening
to consider the question Of water
rates. George s. Vance was Sc
lected to preside over the meeting,
and J. d. Medill acted as secretary
The object of calling the meeting
was set forth and briefly commented
upon in number of speeches, and
the following resolutions were
offered:
Resolved, That the taxpayers of
the city Of North Yakima in mass
meeting assembled, viewing with
alarm the results affecting this city
and inhabitants by the operations of
certain ordinances now on the record
book concerning the supplying of
water and light to said city and it's
inhaL.,ants by the Northwest Light
and Water Co., and believing that
any extensions of time or further
privileges granted to said company
will be inimical to the best inter-
ests of the city and its inhabitants,
do hereby most respectfully remon-
strate against the granting of any
extensions of time to said company
for the completion of their works or
on any account. and do hereby call
upon the city council to demand
strict enforcement of all conditions
and covenants in said ordinances
contained that may in any manner
serve to protect the imperilled inter-
ests of the city and it's taxpayers"
This called Mayor Fechter to his
feet, and in long speech he as
snred the complainants against pre-
vailing conditions and rates that, all
things being considered, the rates
under the meter system of charges.
which many of the speakers thought
unjust, were no higher than under
the old fiat rate system. The mat
ter of water rates. he said, had been
gone into very thoroughly by the city
council, and that he believed Mr..
Strahorn had fulfilled his promise to
give the city OF North Yakima lower
average water rates than any city in
the northwest had. He believed In
y,
and thought his voluntary granting
of the request of the people for a
closed pipe line from the intake of
| me water system to the reservoir on
Mob Hin, and other concessions that
he had freely made, were entitled to
consideration by the people Of the
city. The delays that the people
were complaining of were caused by
Inc Sah
had absolute Y no control He
spoke of the heavy investment Mr..
Strahorn was making here, and
! thought that the granting of me pc
tition embodied in the above resolu-
j ton would be an unwarranted in
! justice to the man who was seeking
| to render such great service to the
At this point George Donald sug-
gested that in all probability Mr..
Strahorn expected to get back his
money invested. Mr.. Fechter ad-
mitted that was in all probability
true, but said that from his ac-
quaintance with the water question
he was certain that the water com
pany would not get back as large
returns on their investments under
the meter system of charges as they
would have under the old fiat rate
system.
Mr.. Donald then asked the mayor
what he thought about the city own
ing its own system of waterworks.
Mr.. fletcher replied that 1t would be
good thing If it were possible, but
at this time 1t was not. The expen-
diture of 100000 more, he stated,
would leave the city bonded up to its
full legal limit. This brought on a
discussion Of the possibilities of get
ting municipal ownership, in which
A. b. Weed, Judge Preble and others
too part.
Mr.. Weed spoke in regard to the
object OF calling the meeting. He
said that 1t was for the purpose OF
learning II the citizens were favor
able to the purchase of the water
works. He offered q motion to
the effect that the chairman appoint
committee Of seven responsible
citizens to investigate the possibility
of the city's acquiring by purchase
the present water system, or II this
could not be advantageously done,
install new system.
! Richard Strobach moved to amend
by including in the proposed pur-
chase the electric light plant. The
amendment. was lost. but the original
motion was carried. and the chair APP
pointed as the committee Alex Mil
Ter. ID. Il. Lesh. George Donald. r. A.
Davis, A. b. Weed. J. p. McCafferty
and H. II. Lombard. Before the
meeting adjourned 1t was decided
that the committee was to go into
the situation thoroughly. and as soon
as they had definite knowledge to
work on, to submit a report, either
at a called public meeting or through
the press. 1t will probably be ten
days or two weeks before this COM
mittee is ready to report.