The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-07-23

y OF DondlnG the town for $l80,000 q
9 to acquire the plant Of the Wa q
q ter h Light company will close q
9 at O'Clock, Saturday, August u
q 3. Citizens who do not register q
Q by that time will be unable to q
g vote. q
ouau uuuuuuu0
The approaching election to deter
mine the question whether or not the
people of the town of Winnemucca will
sanction the issuance of bonds in the
sum OF $lS0,000 to purchase from the
Winnemucca Water Il Light Co. its
water rights and lands ON Cross creek,
its new electric plant and the distribut-
ing system whereby water and light
has for many years been furnished to
the people Of the town, presents grave
questions for consideration. These
facts should be stated fairly and COM
prehensively, to the end that the vot-
ers will be enabled to understand the
questions involved, the burdens and
obligations they assume in case they
determine to purchase, as well as the
benefits they will obtain from such
purchase.
The legislature of the State Of Ne
vada, during its last session, passed a
general law whereby the people of the
incorporated and unincorporated towns
OF the state might acquire by purchase
or construction, water and light sys-
tens, sewer systems or combinations
OF all three. The law leaves the cues
tion as to whether or not the acquire
ment should be by purchase or con-
struction entirely within the discretion
OF the board of county commissioners
OF the several counties, but as to
whether or not there should be a pur-
chase or construction is left entirely
with the voters who may manifest by
an affirmative or negative vote their
desire in the premises by voting eth
er for the proposed bonds or against
the issuance thereof The law never
provided and does not provide that the
intention OF the voter can be shown or
exercised in any other way than by
voting for or against the bonds.
Pursuant to this law, or intended to
be pursuant to it, a petition was pre-
sented to the board some months ago
which was intended by the signers
evidently to provide for the construc
tion OF an independent water system of
some kind, by construction, and not
by purchase.
In so far as the petitioners usurped, as
they did, the power and authority vest
ed by law in the board of commission
ers, the petition was void, but was
valid in all other respects. No petition
was necessary, however, for the com
missioners, without petition at all,
could have acted in determining the
question whether or not it was advis-
able to acquire by purchase or con-
struetion water and light system or
a sewerage system or any combination
of the three systems. That is as far,
however, as the board of commissioners
could go, and having determined upon
the question of systems or combination
of systems, as we'll as having determin-
ed whether or not it was advisable to
construct or acquire by purchase, the
matter, as in the present case, must be
submitted to the voter to determine
whether or not bonds should be issued
to carry into effect the determination
of the board by submitting the ques
tion to the voters.
The board of commissioners before
submitting any proposition to the
voters, wisely employed prominent and
capable engineers from eastern cities
to examine into and determine not only
the feasibility and cost of an entirely
new plant, but to determine the value
of the present plant as well as the ex-
pense of its Improvement, to the end
that an adequate supply Of water for
fire purposes might be obtained, to-
gether with other matters pertinent in
the premises.
The report of these engineers is
very voliminous, and is accompanied
with maps and data showing very
clearly an exhaustive examination of
the question as well as the wisdom of
the board in seeking such advice and
determination before submitting the
question to the voters. There has been
no hasty action on the part of the
board in submitting the question at
any of its stages; the board has acted
carefully, cautiously and prudently at
every step, and having concluded from
the report of the engineers that the
best plan was to purchase the old sys-
tenn and improve it, it has submitted
the question to a vote in order to ac-
quire the necessary money, to put at
the disposal of the people, and for the
use of the people, perfect system for
the distribution Of water and light,
and to furnish adequate fire protection
for the town Of Winnemucca. The re-
port Of the engineers employed by the
board, while elaborate and complete,
is too lengthy to admit of publication
in one edition of this paper and it
would require several hours careful
study on the part Of voters to deter
mine its contents. There are, however,
salient facts and conclusions stated,
from which the voter may acquire a
general knowledge of the subject suffi-
cient to determine the manner in which
he will exercise his will These facts