Arizona republican., 1907-07-24
SPECIAL MEETING
OF CITY COUNCIL
Waterworks Commission Dissolved,
And Ordinance Passed Providing a
New Method of Collecting Delinquent
Taxes.

There was a special session of the
city council last night at which several
ordinances We're passed, some of them
formal and one changing the existing
organization i'm respect of waterworks
construction. The one last referred to
is No. 400. repeating ordinance No. $40
creating the waterworks commission,
and defining its powers and duties.
The commission is therefore wiped off
the earth. The reason for it is that
conditions have changed consider
ably since the commission was created.
Instead of building "a new plant. an
old one has been bought. The improve
ments to be made il may be found may
be more cheaply and equally as well
done as under commission, either
by letting contracts, or by gradual eX-
tension of the system by the regular
organized city force in charge of the
water works, with the hiring of extra
men. The commission now has a bill
before the council of some hundreds of
dollars, no doubt honestly earned, and
in accordance with the former coun-
ellis instructions. but which labor goes
for little now that the plan of opera
tions has been changed. The council
will in the end be credited or blamed
for whatever is done and Ii could not
see wherein there was need of an in
tervening commission. when the work
to be done is merely the extending of
the present plant.
Ordinance No. 403 was passed. pro-
viding a waterworks construction fund
in which shall be kept the proceeds of
the sale of Water works bonds until
such time as the money is used for the
collection of delinquent taxes. This
was done reluctantly by the council.
but il had to be done to comply with
n territorial law passed by the last leg
islature which it is believed by many
Is "A bad law However. II is the law,
and must be followyd. II provides the
same process for collection of taxes
that Is provided for the county gov
ernments, only IL is better in that
certain of the expenses have been
clipped off The old sale for taxes at
the court house door has been done
away with. and delinquents will after
due notice be proceeded against in the
courts by a special attorney to be EN-
ployed by the county If the owners
Of the property do not settle before
when judgment is rendered. execution
will be made and the property will be
sold and it is claimed instead OF the
tax deed a good title to the property
viii be turned over to the buyer. But
the special attorney and other spec
ial fees provided for will add consid-
cradle expense. which in the city ord
nance has been avoided by making
the tax collector, city attorney and an
aa1
these services for their regular re-
| Enumeration.
The bond of George Hagerman was
approved. making him the only plumb
er to date who has complied with the
new waterworks law requiring plumb
| ers to give a special bond before thev
can make repairs on the water works
system.
Another little move was made to
| hold up the hands Of the water de-
| partment which is trying to regulate
the use of water i'm an equitable way.
extend no special favors and yet give
no unnecessary Noffense. 1t IS evident
| from the amount of water necessary
to pump at night to keep the pipes
! full, that there are vet quite a number
| Of good citizens who lay awake nights
| {" steal water. or turn the hydrants on
the lawn and go to bed. few hy-
drants have been turned off for this
offense, but there are vet a number
who have not been caught. even
| though suspected. There is no de-
sire to offend anybody. but it should
be understood that ii costs money to
pump this extra water. that In many
| cases Is not needed at all. The hours
for irrigating have been doubled over
| those under the old management. and
| 1t is felt that that should be liberal
enough, and that lot owners can get
all the water they need during these
hours. The police and zanJeros are
therefore instructed to report to the
council and the water department. any
offenses they may notice. so Mr..
Goodman should note that hereafter
he had better watch out. for the whole
city force is a bogie man when on duty
and some one of him is liable to catch
them.