The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-02-06
Citizens Nay Have to Pay Small Fortune
to BIackmailers, Crafters, Boodlers
and Protected Thieves

When the exclusive announcement
was made in The Press Saturday
evening that the water commission
would recommend the adoption of an
entirely new system of water service
to cost nearly half a million, the
story was received with incredulity.
1t did not seem possible that a
commission of supposedly impartial
experts would conform to the ideas
of the water meter gang in an at
tempt to foist on the overburdened
middle classes expensive water
meters which, in round numbers,
would aggregate over half the cost
of the new water system proposed.
Yet such proved to be the case.
The Spokane Press was the first
paper to give the news Of what the
report would be- That news was
authentic and accurate, yet the sur
prise was just as great when the
full details were given in the report
read in the city council chamber adj
vocating excessive expenditures.
Briefly, the commission, after set
ting aside the plans of city Engineer
system which is to cost S340,572.75
with the use of wooden MAINS and
$449,112.75 II steel mains are used.
Water meters are to be installed
and n 2O,O0O,00O gallon reservoir built
at cost OF $4,000 on the Stage
orchard site at an altitude of 2162
feet southeast of the city, which
would give an estimated pressure
over the business district of more
than 100 pounds.
The plan contemplates many new
mains ranging from II inches to SO
inches in size and the use of the
auxiliary pumping station at Fifth
avenue and Pine street to supply the
Cook and Cannon hill standpipes.
The city is to be districted into
three zones and the million gallon
standpipe on Lidgerwood hill is to
be abandoned.
The report Is made by Otto Wele.
Professor Waller of the Washington
Agricultural college and III. w. Scott,
assistant engineer of Seattle.
These experts turned In bills to
the city council for their pay and
expenses as follows;
II. w. Scott, $S5S10; o. I. Waller,
$S25.10; Otto A. Weile, $774,b0. OF
this sum each engineer was to re-
ceive a fee of $3.50, and the rest was
for expense. The engineers worked
a month on their report.
At the council meeting City Engi-
neer Gill asked pertinent questions
regarding the plans and aroused the
ire of Professor Waller when the
reason was asked why the Lidger-
wood Park standpipe must be ADAM
doned.
During a hot discussion Council
man Baldwin and Councilman Pear
son left the meeting and as there
was then no quorum present the re-
port was passed up to the next meet
ing.
The chief point of dispute was
whether the 18-inch main proposed
to replace the 10-inch main to the
North Side would adequately supply
the fast growing section of the city.
The lengthy plea of the water
commission for water meters reads
like letter from the Spokesman
Review editorial rooms, which are
now the headquarters Of the WATER
METER GANG.
On the surface the water meter
plea looked good, but the commission.
or the man who wrote 1t, carefully
abstained from giving the figures
showing the great cost OF supplying
water meters to the consumers of
Spokane, thereby falling to show the
individual burdens to be imposed In
order to give the water meter gang
the big profits.
But 10000 water meters. at n cost
of 1913 each, set in, will amount to
$2SO,000, more than a quarter of
million of dollars. This amount the
small property owner will pay ex-
elusive of his water rental. The
bulk of this will go into the pockets
Of the WATER METER GANG.
Add to this sum of $2So,o0O the