The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-07-14
COUNCIL GRANTS
WATER MEASURES
Continued from page u

mittee could devise some plan Of
financing the work. Schiller sale
he was not hostile 10 the water ex
tension, but wanted to know where
the money was coming from. Os
trander seconded his motion, which
led to a general debate, finally ter
minating in the action outlined
above.
In the final action adopting the
water expension plans the honors
were divided among the council
men from the different sections OF
the city. and all crawled upon the
bandwagon of popular demand in
the vote on the different motions
offered.
Councilman Nelson of the Fifth
ward set the wheel of progress in
motion when he offered a resolu-
ton that all measures for the bet,
terment of the water plant be car
ried out under the sole charge OF
the head of the water department.
This settled any probable conflict
between the engineering depart
ment and the water department,
some intimation of which had gone
abroad, and oiled the way for Com
missioner Reuterdahl to carry out
his plans as he had outlined. The
Nelson motion went through with
a loud chorus of ayes"
Then Mr. Funk. of the First
ward got busy and drove in the
spike that clinched the character of
the Improvement measures to be
undertaken by moving that Reuter-
dahl's plan No. 2. calling for the
expenditure of $50S,000, be adopt
ed. This also prevailed without
opposition.
Then Councilman Lambert of the
Third ward speedily adjusted the
question of finances, which had
agitated his colleague, Mr. Schiller,
the city council issue 100000 OF
water bonds, which amount he was
informed by the corporation coun-
sci were available without calling
a special election. This motion was
adopted.
Councilmen Dalke and Mohr OF
the Fourth ward Spokane for the
various relief measures.
A resolution by Ostrander was
read requiring the water depart
ment to prohibit sprinkling of ali
kinds in public parks or otherwise
while people on the high ground
had no water for domestic use.
Councilman Schiller fought this
resolution hard and insisted that
the men with the fine lawns in
Brownies addition or elsewhere had
a vested right through contract for
water for their lawns regardless of
what the fellows on the high
ground did.
Schiller asked Corporation Coun
sci Conner if the city could not oe
compelled under it's water contract
with a consumer to give water for
the lawns when it had accepted a
consumers money, and Conner re-
piled that it could Schiller insist
ed that the sprinkling regulations
were made by ordinance and could
not be amended by resolution
which seemed to be viewed as a
correct councilmanic point of Or
der"
On motion of Schiller it was
agreed that the city council leave
the matter of sprinkling regula-
tons entirely with the mayor, the
water commissioner and the board
of public works, and that the coun-
ell felt assured that they would
eQuitably arrange the hours.
The matter of the full financial
arrangements for the water extern
sion was referred to the finance
committee on the original motion
of Schiller. There is a difference
of $10S,000 between the bond issue
authorized by Lambert's motion
and the estimate of the work as
prepared by Reuterdahl, which the
committee on finance is expected
to provide for.
A delegation from Kenwood and
Lidgerwood people were present,
and through their spokesman, Mrs.
Mary Welsh, urged the council to
speedy action. Mrs. Welsh's plea
was greeted with applause, as she
is one of the few women who have
had the courage to go before the
city council in recent years in sup
port of a public measure of the
character of the water problem.
Some of the councilmen tried t.
cast the inference that the water
shotage on the north hill was not
as bad as made out, but Mrs.
Welsh had a ready answer for all
the doubling ones. Her ready re-
joinders at different intervals,
backed by the "amens' from other
women with her, was quite a di-
version for the large crowd present.
When Councilman Mohr said he
understood that the Kenwood in
dignation meeting at the home of
Mrs. Welsh last Monday night was
held on green lawn he replied:
Yes, but we are indebted for that
to God and not to the city coun-
Gil" Mir then laughed with the