The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-02-20
VOTERS TURN
IT DOWN
DON'T WANT THE WATER PLANT
Fourth Election for Municipal Owner.
ship Of Water Falls
to Carry.
For bonds, 80.
A0ainof honda q,

| hkuibes bOuort o't.
This was the result Of the election
last Monday to decide the question as
to whether the city should buy the
present water plant and pay $40, 900
for 1t. besides $40, 900 additional to
improve the system
Four different propositions have
been submitted to the freehold vot.
ers of this city for municipal owner
ship OF water. Two elections we're
held nearly three years ago to bring
in water from the Tucker spring, be.
sides buying the present system IL
terms could be agreed upon. IL takes
two-thirds majority to carry a bond.
Ing proposition, and although there
was substantial majority In favor OF
the project, 1t lacked the necessary
two-thirds vote and failed to carry.
In the meantime the water company
has improved their system, yet there
Is a general feeling that the city
should own it's own water system and
that more adequate supply should
be brought in, as the rspidsgrowtbso
the city will soon compel the bringing
In OF more wa'er. While tests made
OF the present system fail to find tha
water unwholesome, yet the building
up of the city 10 constant menace to
the future purity OF the water, al.
though 1t may never be.contaminated.
j he hill Is probably the worst off,
the upper spring being too low to
permit of sufficient pressure 10 give
good service, especially for irligating
purposes, and the supply 10 also In.
sufficient for all purposes.
The third election was called last
summer to bring In the water from
the Tucker spring, owned by the city,
with the provision to buy the present
system IL terms could be agreed upon.
This failed to carry. A mass meeting
was then held, at which about fifty or
silky were present, and the counci.
came In for good deal OF censure
because 1t would not pay $40, 0U0 for
the present system, In addition to
bringing In the Tucker spring water.
A resolution was passed at that meet
ing, without dissenting voice, stat
ing that "it was the unanimous sen.
timent Of the meeting that the city
council should not issue bonds in
sum any more than sufficient to pur
chase the present system, stated to be
$40, 600, and whatever additional sum
is necessary to improve and repair
it, A copy of this resolution was
mailed to each member Of the coun-
oil. An article also appeared In
Portland paper stating that the coun.
Gil had made big blunder In calling
an election contrary to the wishes OF
majority of the citizens and had
gotten itself into bad odor with the
citizens for this reason.
While the council acted In good
faith in its previous actions, accord
Ing to what 1t supposed TO be popular
sentiment, realizing that 1t might be
mistaken, called this last election, to
give the people the opportunity to
carry out the provisions Of the
ing. The result indicates that the
people do not want the present sys-
tenn, In spite OF the Unanimous sen.
timsnt' Of the mass meeting.
This will settle the matter for the
present, or until the city is forced to
have more water, which will depend
upon the growth of the city and the
continued purity Of the present sys-
tenn. The new sewer which has heen
ordered will drain the city lots
around the lower spring and every
precaution will be taken to protect
the system until larger supply of
water will be necessary to supply the
city.
Competent engineers have stated
that there Ia sufficient water In the
Tucker spring to supply 10, 900 inhab-
itants, notwith standing the fact that
a rep 1t was made at the mass meet
ing quoted above that there was no
more water In that spring than In the
present system, and that IL could not
be brought into the city with sufii-
Client pressure to be of service to the
hill residents. It may be that the
city will be compelled to 60 to Mount
Defiance for water In the future.
However, the four elections have fail
ed to find out the will OF theypeople
and there is small probability that
any other action will be taken by
the city officials until the people agree
upon what they want.
1t is also unfair to the present COM
pany to agitate the matter further SO
luug rs the present system is to be
Used by the city aud so long as 1t can
be made to answer the needs of the
community. The company is ready
to make improvements In the system,
which will cost considerable money,
and which they have not cared to do
while there was prospect OF the sys.
tenn passinp out Of their hands.