Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-05-04

and villages have the power to ac-
quire. by purchase or otherwise, wa
terWorks or plants to supply the
municipality and the inhabitants
thereof with water. nevertheless, the
Idaho legislature has never authori-
zed the issue of municipal bonds for
an other purpose except for the con-
stfrction of waterworks. Therefore,
if the village finds it absolutely nee
essary to purchase water or water
works for supplying the village and
Inhabitants thereof with water, some
other methods must be devised other
than by creating a bonded Indebted
ness. and assuming that a portion
only of the bonds were intended to
be used for the purchase of water
right for power purposes, and the re-
mainder of the bonds for the con-
strrction of a distributing system IN
the village, nevertheless, the valid
homes cannot be separated from the
invalid, and the whole issue becomes
| Illegal
Therefore. we object to these pro-
ceedings upon the ground that an at
tempt is made TO include purchase
bonds with construction bonds.
cial election for March 20, 1871 the
notices issued hereunder ana the
form of question submitted 10 the
voters are all Of an omnibus charac-
ter, involving a number OF purposes
upon which the voter was entitled
to EXPRESS a separate opinion. And
even though it be assumed that some
of the purposes stated may fail UNI
der the general head of the construc-
tion of system of water works new
o1-fheless. the inclusion Of the pur-
newer purposes clearly has no nee
nose of purchasing water rights for
essarv connection with the construc-
ton of a system of water works. To
combine several distinct and in e.
luenfent purposes i'm one proposition,
without specifying the amount viii j
Is Ia he devoted to each. is a clear
evasion Of the law. and if permitted
would fritter away the safegnar s
thrown around such transactions. In
lelections Of rnis character. the bal
lots must be so prepared that every
elector may declare his choice as to
each purpose. and the amount PRO
pose1 to be applied thereto must al
so be stated At the election held IN
the village Of Mountain Home, the
electors had three alternatives: first
10 vote for all purposes collectively
second. TO vote against all of then
collectively: third, to abstain from
voting. Under such circumstances, i
IS impossible to determine what the
real wishes of the voters may have
been with regards to the question:
involved. The courts have repeated
lv condemned proceedings of thu
/ character, and we are therefore no
/ at liberty to approve of these pro
ceeaings. 1t is unfortunate that tn
village authorities have rendere
their PROCEEDINGS invalid by a grea
narticularity Of purpose, when tn
/ simple and obvious thing to hav
done was to have stated, as the Law
sfates-that the bonds propose
were intended Ito provide for tn
: construction AMI maintenance Of nee
/ essary water works. and supply tn
same with water" and let the matte
+ rest there. For the reason above stat
90. we recommend that a new cleo
/ ton he held in which there may b
E submitted to the voters the ouestio
S contemplated by the law above quo
- ed. and in the exact language use
by the statute.
l Yours respectfully,
2 prr, cf1INyrs E. TTTWORTI