The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1909-08-20
PERpLExING THE BOARD.
City Faces Dilemma in Drain
age Problem.

has installed a water system without
sewerage has returned to disturb the
peace and quiet of our city fathers.
Union City has surface which is all
but rolling or hilly and therefore very
little water fall.
We have, however, few gullies which
receive the drainage. The largest one
of these is on Division street, running
| through to Harrison street, passing
close to the Union City Steam Laundry.
Into this big ditch great deal of drain
age is turned.
Some years ago the street committee
undertook a general system of thing.
As rapidly as possible everyone who
needed to drain the water into the big
bitches was supplied with tile drainage.
Later a system of street improvement
was inaugurated and great deal of the
tile had to be removed. An ordinance
was then passed that no more drainage
tile be put in at the expense of the city.
Matters had rested comparatively easy
until recently. But some of the citizens
are now complaining that the drainage
from sinks and bath tubs is allowed to
stand in the little cutters or bitches
adjoining their premises while their
neighbors are enjoying the luxury OF
tile drainage on the opposite side or
somewhere near them on the same
street. This complaint was made in
very emphatic manner at the meeting
of the board last Tuesday night by Mr..
and Mrs. D. E. Penick and Mr. and
Mrs. Chas, Naylor between TRY street
and the big ditch and by Mr. j. w
Garner between Morgan and Try, all re-
siding on Exchange street A number
of other citizens were also present at the
Mr.. Adams stated that the
of affairs was bad enough,
but that the city had no remedy. The
ordinance prohibiting an extension of
tile drainage made it impossible to grant
the petition for tile. Remarks adj
dressed to the subject were made by
several members, and to get the matter
before the board motion was made for
the city to furnish and lay tile for Mr..
Penick and Mr.. Naylor, with the result
that the motion was finally lost.
The trouble with the system is that
citizens are allowed to drain the waste
from bath tubs into these bitches. That
is the objection to the system, and there
can be no remedy for the evil except
sewerage unless the use of bath tubs is
prohibited. Of course the street COM
mittee can keep the bitches clean, but
that is all they can do unless the no-tile
ordinance is repealed.
Tile drainage is considered failure,
therefore, the problem that Union City
must solve is whether she will deny the
comfort of bath tubs and closets or take
up the question of sewerage, the most
and at the same time the
most troublesome, laborious and vexing
ever undertaken by any city or town.
Because of the extent of such an under
taking and of the complications con-
tinually arising in putting in sewerage
numbers of large cities are to-day with
out a complete system of sewerage. 1t
is only very recently that New Orleans
has undertaken to complete her sewerage
system. Memphis years ago was
deluged and devasted by yellow fever on
account of an imperfect sewerage system.
There are sewers, but there are many
Of them which are very far short of a
perfect system. 1t is big undertaking
and no mayor or alderman wants to
direct the job unless 1t is backed by
finances and the support of large ma
iority of his fellow-citizens. There are
many citizens in Union City who are
anxious for sewerage, but who have
given the matter very little thought.
A year or two ago Mayor Walker made
some investigations and calculations and
called a public meeting to inform the
people of his findings. Comparatively
very few of the citizens were there, and
those who did come were totally UMPIRE
pared to discuss the matter. As rule
people take very little interest in the
affairs of the city, and few of
them know anything at all about is fl
nancial or physical condition. The
writer was a regular attendant at the
board meetings, for several years, and
that is why we make these remarks.
If town wants to undertake sewerage
it must first get acquainted with its
its resources and its ability to