Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1907-12-09

III any one, WlCnln the present sew
err system, doubts that he is paying
enough for the sewer system laid in
F. the adjacent alley next his abutting
property, let him carefully read over
the costs in few of the other towns
and cities in the state and in Wash
ington. 1t will be remembered that
$4,000 bonls were voted to install
about $4,000 feet of sewer. Every
citizen within the sewer district own
ing property therein, is assessed his
proportion of the $4,000, although
it is said all of it will not be needed
and the balance will be refunded.
With $4,000 feet to construct and
$4,000 required, means nearly two
dollars per running foot for the con
structing of the entire system. The
Z city clerk of Idaho Falls informs us
that 81 per running foot will cover
the expense in his city.
In Boise the assessment for sew
ers are levied upon the square foot
area of all abutting property. This
has varied from 6 to mills pei
square foot. In other words a lot
EO NV I'm costs frOn, coo - en-
This, states the city clerk of Boise,
includes the cost of the entire sys-
tenn; of engineering expenses, man
holes, flush tanks, main sewer, etc,
as well as the actual cost of the pipe
adjacent to each property owner"
Is it probable any property own
er within the present sewer district
will be asked to pay only $40 for his
so by 10 foot lot? Any one who
ever resided at Idaho Falls or Boise
knows digging in Occur d'Alene is
a comparative snap, not a rock en-.
countered in the entire system and
the dirt the most easily removed in
the world. 1t can all be spaded.
Let us come a little nearer home.
ColtaX Washington, has a sewer sys-
TEN. Much of the town sets ON rocks
considerable blasting is encountered
in installing a system there. The
soil is much more difficult to remove
than in Occur d'Alene and our city
is as level as a floor compared with
Colfax. Still the city clerk informs
us that when the system was install
led in 1896, it cost $3.50 per so
foot lot" In 1904, a new district
was added which cost $25 per so foot
lot"
A citizen residing in Colfax, is as
sessed on his so foot lot at the rate
of so cents a running foot or s25 a
lot. He has rocks, Palouse hills, and
hard soil to pay for. In Occur d.
Alene on the same sized lot he is as.
sessed from SIS to 500 or three to
four times as much without rocks
on Palouse hill or hard soil.
We learned that Caldwell, Idaho,
has installed or rather is installing a
sewer system We are in formed by
the city clerk of that place that the
system is about 1900 feet long
not as large a contract as Occur d.
Alene and every thing being eQaul
should cost more. The cost of this
entire system, including the main
the pipes, man holes, covers. flushing
inlets, excavation, fitting. and pipe
laying was 993-considerably
less than 81 a running foot. In Occur
Alene it is nearly 81 a running
foot The clerk informs us that the
work was done by spading, that sand
was constantly encountered and
Throughout nearly the whole work
the water had to be pumped from the
trenches" The soil in Caldwell re
sembles that in Occur d'Alene in-so-
lar as there is much sand encounter
ed but in our city pumps were not
kept running night and day BY the
contractor in order to permit the men
10 work at all. In Caldwell the eiti-
zens pay less than one half as much
per lot as in Occur d'Alene. In Cald-
we'll at this rate $4,000 foot sewer
system would cost $3.50 but in
Occur d'Alene 1T costs sS0.0oo.
Coming direct to the property as
sessment per running foot in front
oil the lots and we have cost of 50
per running foot as against 81 and
less in other cities in Washington
and Idaho.
These facts were ascertained by
ahe Press from the officials Of tho