Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-09-16
MOUNTAIN WATER AND FILTRA.
TRATION PLANT DISCUSSED
FIRST GUN FIRED BY CLUB
Commercial Club Unanimous i'm Pass
ing Motion Asking Council
to Take Action.

The first gun in the campaign to
give Grants Pass a bigger and better
water supply was fired at the regu-
lar meeting of the Commercial club
last Monday evening when a motion,
introduced by M. j. Anderson, ask
ing the city council to appoint a
committee to investigate the matter,
was passed unanimously.
While there was wide diver
gence in the views expressed by the
business men present, all showed en-
thusiasm for the idea. No one crit
icized the present supply, but all
were agreed that in the near future
change would have to be made be-
cause of the rapid growth the town
was about to experience.
In bringing the the matter before
the club, President L. B. Hall stated
that the board Of directors of the
club had had the matter called to
their attention often and that he de-
sired to have the matter thoroughly
discussed.
M. j. Anderson, in introducing the
motion to have the city council in
vestigate the matter, stated that
there was absolutely nothing wrong
with the present Rogue river water
supply but that It was only a ques-
ton Of time when Grants Pass would
need to change its water source. This
would become necessary, Mr.. Ander-
son said, because Of the rapid growth
and development of the towns and
country further up on the Rogue,
which would result in the contamina-
tion, ultimately, of the Rogue river
water.
In discussing the possible sources
other than the river the speaker said
that he had no preferences and that
his only interest In the matter was
the securing OF a pure supply OF
water for the future. Among the
possible sources that had been men
toned were Jump-Off-Joe creek
Graves creek and Williams creek.
In case the last named source was
decided upon, II was pointed out
that water right was available In
the Layton ditch. According to Mr.
Anderson the Layton ditch has a
capacity Of five second feet and that
II was capable OF supplying city
Of $4,000 people.
"Let us get this thing started at
once" continued the speaker "be-
cause with the coming OF two rail-
roads and with irrigation, we will
have that many people by the time
we are able to have such water
system completed"
Mayor ]. c. Smith spoke on the
necessity Of taking time by the fore
lock and supplying the future Grants
Pass with an abundance OF pure
water. In a general way he favored
the Layton ditch proposition for the
reason that in the other and smaller
creeks the water had already been
appropriated for irrigation and other
purposes, while, by securing the
Layton ditch, which comes out OF the
Williams creek above the dltches
used for irrigation, there would be
no conflict.
He estimated that II would cost
$3.50, 900 to secure this water right
bring the water to the city, a dis
lance OF thirty miles, and 10 build
distributing system for Il. He
mentioned the case OF Ashland as
an instance OF an insufficient source
and stated that this summer the
people Of that city were compelled "a
economIze in the use of water ow.
ing 20 the dryness OF the season.
II tell you, gentlemen, that
though II appears a costly under.
taking, this will be the best bust.
ness enterprise ever undertaken bl
the city OF Grants Pass" continued
the mayor 1T is only a question oI
few years when the water Of Tho
Rogue will be unfit for use as drink
ing water"
Or. J p. TruaE stated that IN,