The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-07-29
ITS UP TO
THE VOTERS
TO PROVIDE GOOD WATER SUPPLY
Vote For the Bonds and Provide q
Supply Of Pure Water for
Domestic Use.

The question of the city owning Its
own water system Is now up to the
people, who will decide by their votes
whether they want 1t or whether they
are content to let matters remain as
they are. The city mas owned q
spring for four years, which 10 paid
for, and contains enough water for
TO- 900 people, according to the meas
urements of the water, and accepted
estimates of the amount of water re-
quired for that large city. 1t issno
guess work. 1t Is only..a question of
mathematics, which anyone can figure
out for himself. For the present
population there will be 400 gallons
per day for every man, woman and
child within reach of the system.
Counting FIVE for each family, 1t will
mean 1000 gallons day for each
family. The talk that is made by
the opposition that there ia not suffi-
cient water, is not within the facts.
The quality of the waite In the
spring owned by the city Ia unques-
toned, and the spring Is In such
location that the water cannot be
contaminated. The situation Of the
springs owned by the private COM
pany 10 just the reverse, and the
water will continue to grow worse as
the population increases, as predicted
by DR.. Yenney two years ago when he
was called to Hood River to investi-
gate the water supply here for the
State Board of Health. At that time
the presence of worms which were
found coming from many faucets,
after the water had been screened,
caused much uneasiness, and the
water was examined at that time.
The worms found we're insects that
had fallen into the spring and came
down through the mains.
The spring was then walled up and
the trouble from that source mostly
disappeared.
An examination of the water this
spring disclosed the fact that there 10
leakage from vaults or cess pools
into the water supply, bringing with
1t colon bacilli. Typhoid germs come
from the same eouroe, although none
have yet been found in the water, but
may come at any time. 1t is time
that action was taken looking to
different water supply. The present
company have shown no disposition
to furnish better supply of water
until the Common Council called this
election, but have ridiculed che re
ports of the State Board of Health,
have received private reports on the
purity of the water which are at such
variance with the reports received By
the city heeith department that the
honesty of some one 10 In question.
The argument 10 used that small
ooterie of men who are trying to do
up the owners OF the water system,
through venom and spite, are the
only ones who are forcing the bond
issue. Every election which has been
had on the question has showed a
majority in favor of the city owning
it's own plant, and this without an
unfair argument being used against
the present company.
An effort was made by previous
council to agree upon price for the
present water system, and s35, 600 was
offered. Mr. Davidson said at that
time that he would take $i0,0 900 and
no less. In face of the report of the
State Board OF Health as to the fu-
ture of the spring, the CITY authori-
ties felt that they could not offer too
big price for water system which
would have to be abandoned at some
date more or less distant, and nego-
tiations were broken off. The system
of mains was of such fimsy oharao-
ter that they would have to be re-
placed, and the business section was
afterwards changed from wooden to
iron mains. While the charge 10
made that a clique 10 trying to "do
up" the present company, would 1t
be fair ask the Taxpayers to vote q
bonus to the present company for
which no return can be made? Why
should the company receive price
for something which the city cannot
user Since the time referred to
water company has not actually
set price upon its water plant. MIR.
Davidson stated to the council that
he was willing to sell, but does not
name price.
The charges OF graft, spite and
other insinuations which have been
freely made on the street against a
few of the advocates of the bonds, are
J too ridiculous to be given considera-
tion. We do not propose to discuss
them, and we believe that such state
} ments have gained more votes for the
J bonds than they have lost.