Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-05-24
LET US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE AT

Let the people of Salem clearly understand where they are at
in the matter of a water supply
The city charter amended by the people for public
ership of the water supply of this city.
The people voted for 100000 bond to purchase the
water plant and enlarge and improve the plant
The city council proposed plan of apprasemen arbi
taon by three engineers that carried in good faith
The city, through its commercial bodies created
mission of Is who directed all these proceedings
The city council elected board besides the
mayor-men of the highest character and ability.
The city council by vote of eight to six passed the ord
agreed upon by special committee the former
Gil.
The ordinance had scaled down the apprasement of the
gneers by 4850O and accepted by the company
That ordinance ordered the purchase price $S3O5OO
and betterments since the date of apprasement
The present Mayor vetoed that ordinance saying while
desirable to acquire the plant was inefficient and
too expensive
Since then Alderman Laky introduced an ordinance sup
posed to meet the objections mayor and others of the mi
nority.
1t promptly postponed indefinitely the expressions
made by the opposition indicate that they consider incident
closed.
That that under the present administration no further
effort will be made to get public ownership of water
That means that this city to abandon all efforts in the di
recton OF public ownership control of the supply
That means that we go into another of low
water in the river mingled with the of twenty cities and
towns above u.s.
That that all the money tme and energy spent
Tor two years trying to acqurepubc ownership has
thrown away
1t calls in question the honesty and sincerity of every step
taken to bring about public ownership.
Every member of the every mayor for years was
publicly pledged to progress and public ownership
Has all that has been done by the engineers commit
tees ana by the vote OF the people got to be done again.
Those who apparently opposed taking up this matter
and dealing with any form do reflect the sentiment of
the community.
Can this city afford to enter another period of low
water in the fall of the when the first rains fill the river
with drainage of baryards and the filth of the cities above us?
Nearly every city and town the state has put either
gravity system with mountain water put filter sys
TEN to purify the water from the river
Shall Salem be alone the capital of the state the cv with the
taest future of city i'll the Northwest in refusing to do
anything to solve the problem Of pure water?
When the problem be solved without general taxpav
er paying dollar toward it, city is be crucfed for
backism
The city will look in vain to the Public Utilities bill for re-
lief from present conditions it is hung up for years
The unsatisfactory conditions under which the city finds
itself are blight to enterprise obstacle progress and i'm
provement
Just this city advertised far and wide having first
class hotel and rscass paved Streets sewer system so
would be still further advertised avoraby if it had first
class water supply
The bad reputation of water the expense boiling the
action Of the legislature in condemnng it, all hurt the cys
future growth and development
When the Salem water plant earned five cent
hundred thousand d'ars last year. very worst kind of
municipal o emen buy for half that price, the
council did, and wipe out the blot the future good name and
reputation of the city by installing at least terng system as
good as Oregon City has,