The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-06-02


. tariff revision are alike in one =
. important element. They both =
= may be made good for the rich =
. and hardship for everybody =
. else. Tariff revision is inter =
= esting the whole country right =
. now, but 1t Is no more i'm =
= portant to the whole country =
. than is water rule revision to =
= the citizens of Spokane. =
. 80 go . = . . 49, 80
The agitation for restricted use
of water appears to come from
owners of large grounds and lawns.
The small home owner is asking
nothing more than the water he
actually needs. In varying degrees
he probably uses more than he ac-
tually needs, but the proportion in
which he thus transgresses is GER
tain to be far below that of the
man with square yards of property
he desires to beautify where the
workingman has inches. The inch
es, by the way; are exactly as preci-
GUS to their owner and as import
ant, relatively, to the city, as the
square yards of the other mana
fact frequently lost sight of in
councilmanic consideration.
The big property owner appears
to want water restriction, but, it's
the other fellow ne wants re-
stricted.
The most fragrant transgressions
of fair play and civic patriotism in
the matter of water use have come
from the big property owner. The
laboring man who applied for per-
mission to make two taps on sur
face pipe, paid for two, and was
caught using II, has not yet been
discovered. The wealthy man who
did so has, and his justification
was that his grounds constituted
such an advertisement and recon-
mendation for the city that no OBJ
lection should be raised by the
authorities.
Right here Is the very attitude
that the workingman has to meet
in fair play fight for water. He
lacks the pull and also the faculty
of making personal visits to the
city hall and having everything fix
ed up as he wants 1t in quiet CON
ference where everybody present is
willing to obiige.
The Press proposes to keep an
eye ON this water business with
especial reference to the needs of
the small property owner and the
justice of his case. The other fell
low is equally entitled to justice
and If he would be satisfied with
that there would be no great diff.
ficulty in solving the problem to
the satisfaction of all, or as nearly
satisfactory as can be arranged un-
der the mismanagement and neg
lect that has burdened the water
department for long time and
still burdens it.
The matter of installing water
meters has been carefully launched
and that subject will bear a great
deal of investigation. One of the
questions to be asked is whether
the tenant will be required to pay
for the water meters as is now
done in demanding meter gas and
electric light deposits. Also how
much will the-meters increase the
cost of water? Will the rate be
apportioned to allow the family as
much water as it needs at the same
price as now charged on the fiat
rate? The cost of water is high
enough at present, with water with
in easy reach of the city and a riv-
er flowing through 1t to furnish
water for washing streets, fire pro-
lection and other than for drink
ing purposes.
With these conditions Spokane
rightfully should have the cheapest
and the best water of any city in
the country and at the lowest
price. Possibility of water fam
inc ought to be thing undreamed
Of There is no excuse for such a
thing but carelessness and incom-
potency. The people are willing to
furnish the money and have fur
nished 1t in the past. And 1t will
likely be wasted in the future as in
the past unless city officials are
held to as strict accounting for
failing to make good as they would
be We're they working for private
corporation.
There Is no reason why the
water supply should not be as well
handled for the city as for a pri-
vate corporation. but the present
policy of the department Is deliber-
ately or accidentally designed to