The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-06-01
URGES ACTION IN
AFFAIRS OF CITY
Mayor Rider Addresses Letter to coun-
Gil Showing Necessity Of Prompt
Action on Important Matters.

Urging the city COUNCIL 10 hdSleH
legislation regarding the betterment
of the city water supply and other inn
portant matters, Mayor Rider has ad-
dressed the following letter to the
council:
To City Council,
Vinita, Oklahoma.
Gentlemen: | am directed by the
laws of this state to communicate
from time to time to your honorable
body such information and recon-
mend such measures as in my opinion
may tend to the well being Of the city.
Your attention is respectfully invited
to the following matters as tending
to the we'll being of this city:
/. The construction, re-equipping,
extension, and repair of the water
works system. AS you are aware, the
property tax paying voters of this
city, voting at an election held last
March, authorized the expenditure Of
$4,000 for such purposes. Our water
works system is inadequate for the
needs of the city. The supply of
water is insufficient to meet the de-
mand of the present consumers, and
many of our citizens are denied the
privilege and right Of sharing in the
enjoyment thereof because of the fin
ancial inability of the council to ex-
tend the mains or furnish adequate
supply. The present method of oper-
ating the system is expensive and
wasteful Unless some provision is
made for keeping the reservoir supply
pure, the health of the city is endang-
ered The experience Of the past sum-
mer ought to have taught us that our
present reservoir system pertakes of
some of the attributes of cesspool.
l respectfully recommend that imme-
diate steps be taken to bring about
an orderly management of this great
public utility for the common good
and general welfare of all; to repair,
extend, and re-equip the same suffi-
cient to meet the needs, at least, of
the city; and to sell the bonds author
lied by said voters for the accomplish
ment of such purposes: and to make
the same revenue producing. If we
permit our supply of water to become
foul and the public health to suffer
through our negligence or inattention,
our responsibility therefor will be
great
2. Our sewer system needs repair
and extension. The septic tank has
become foul and people residing in
the neighborhood therof are already
complaining. The whole system is
taxed beyond its capacity by those
now connected Herewith; and before
we can require others to connect, ad-
ditional mains must be laid Any ex-
tension of this system will also in
crease the demands upon the water
system.
3. Immediate provision must be
made for handling the surface water
in the alleys between Brown and
Brewer streets, and Brewer and Fore
man streets, where they intersect with
Canadian avenue. The grading, curb
ing and guttering placed on Canadian
avenue between said Foreman and
Brewer streets is being ruined for
want of attention to surface water
The property owners adjoining both
of said alleys at said intersections are
flooded with every heavy rain, and the
water which does not accumulate in
pools and stagnate, oVerflows their
premises and adds its volume to the
destruction of said eurbing, grading
and guttering. In my judgment, the
city had no right to dam up these nat
ural watercourses without making pro
vision for carrying off the water.
recommend that you take immediate
steps to relieve this situation.
A. Attention should be given to
working the streets, especially those
on which property owners have liber
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