El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-10
People

of the highest 'tscrapers" this town Will
ever see. 1t would be a question of keep
ing the pressure down. not bringing it
up as is the case at the present time
The argument is right thai says, the
question OF cost becomes entirely sec
ondary and no matter whether the solu-
tiOn Involves the expenditure of a half
million dollars or ten million dollars, the
expenditure must be made if we would
save lives that no money can replace and
many millions of business and prop
erty."
Sacramento Mountain Water.
To bring the Sacramento mountain
water to Ell PasO would, of course, cost
some money; il would mean the con-
struction of pipe lines for a distance OF
about 70 miles; the approximate cost is
difficult 10 state Off-hand. but would
probably be in the neighbOrhood of $40
900 per mile, or a total cost of about
three million dollars. This does not in
clude the acquisition OF the water rights,
the price OF which would have to be as
certained; but as this scheme would not
interfere with the generation of electric
power at the upper terminal it would
likely be reasonable.
1t may be worthy of mention here
that there is already in existence a pipe
line carrying water from the same
source in the Sacrasnentos 10 the Orc
SIlcllcT, u Instance OF So mltSSs
and capable Of furnishing 100000 gall
Ions Of pure water per day. This system
was installed at cost of about $500 900.
Municipal Ownership.
II may be asked: WHO is going to put
up the money for all this. presuppOsing
this acramentO project is feaSible?" That
brings US to the question of municipal
ownership. Mayor Sweeney is taking a
firm stand against it and so are other
good citizens Personally, I admire Mr..
sweeney for his method of doing things;
he has displayed more vertebra and
moral courage during his administration
than perhaps any mayor before him;
Notwithstanding his courage Of his con-
vlcttonS, however, he is human and there
fore not infalIible: although 1 fully
agree with him that the city should not
price do not concur with his princi-
pal reason for being against il; he be-
4leves the waterworkS might become a
vehicle TO be run by future administra-
lions at the expense of the public; to an
outsider IL looks as though the water
question is very much in politics now
and it is certainly the hardest nut in the !
shape of political ecOnomy'that this city |
will ever be called upon TO crack
Futile Attempt.
Increasing the water rate rs has been !
attempted. or gathering statistics from |
other cities as l understand is now be- |
ing done. are futile attempts toward I
increasing the water suppIy-the kind of 1
water the people are cIamOring for. !
The fact that the International Water /
company is now in the hands of a re-
ceiYer does not spell anything detri- /
mental so far as the present and future I
of the city is concerned: con-
trariwise, it emphasizes the rapid growth !
of the city and in inverse ratio, the in |
adequate supply of good water condi-
tiOns impossible for the water company 1
70 cope with. no matter how good the
mana cement.
All Should Unite.
1t seems as though the city admins
tration has done all that could be ask
ed OF it in the way of appointing COM