The Idaho Republican., 1912-11-29

and can maintain $4,000 to 10000
gallons of water at that pressure for
an indefinite time.
We desire to say that the city coun-
Gil through their fire department
does not keep up an efficient fre
drill nor do they keep their equip
ment in condition to fight fire. We
cite instances to show negligence Of
this kind. When the barn belong
ing to DR.. ]. B. Davis took fire
some months ago, there was ridi-
culous delay in getting the water in
to action after the arrival of the fire
company. There was the cry of mo
pressure mo water" and all was
blamed to the water company, but
after taking off nozzle and letting
the water flow from the full open
end of the hose, about pint Of grav-
ell rolled out. They put on the noz-
le and again tried it with little bet
ter results than before. They again
took off the nozzle and that time
they got pipe wrench out of it. BY
this time the barn was about burned
down and the water supply and the
force were sufficient but the public
did not generally know but that all
the delay was due to lack of water
supply.
When the house of Bert Mcdonald
was on fire in the summer of 1911,
it required long string of hose to
reach it, there was highwind, and
the flames spread rapidly. The pres
sure was strong, but the hose was
filled and weighted down with hun
dreds of gallons of water when they
found that it was turned wrong end
to the fire and it had to be reversed.
While that was being done the house
burned down.
After the. citizens held their mass
meeting at the Commercial club
rooms lin August and said so much
about the poor water supply we ask
ed for test of the system, and after
several weeks we got the fire COM
pany out for the test at time agreed
upon beforehand for everything to be
ready. 1t took thirty minutes from
the time agreed upon for the run to
be made. to get the hose cart two
blocks and get the water into action.
The hose cart was properly manned
but they could scarcely pull it. They
took it to the pavement and still they
could not get any speed. Before II
reached the bank corner one and
half blocks from the City Hall, one
wheel was sliding because Of a hot
boxing. 1t had simply never been
creased and the wheels heated in the
bearings running that distance. When
they go to the hydrant nobody knew
where the wrench was and man had
to goback and hunt 1t up.
Our. intention is and always has
been to treat the people Of Blackfoot
fairly. We have taken but little
money out of the plant, in addition
to what we have put back into It,
and have had very little for oursel-
yes. The Blackfoot waterworks Ltd.
is ready to sell to the city or sell to
individuals who wish to 60 into the
business. We will make them bar
gain offer. We want to live in peace
with our neighbors, and when we
know that everything considered. we
are giving the people their moneys
worth, we get tired of being consider
ed grafters and robbers. We know
from what it costs to run the plant,
and the care we take in holding
down expenses that the city would
not be able to furnish water as cheap
as we do unless they make the
taxpayers pay in an interest way. We
do not mean to say that there is
graft in our present administration,
but we know, and all thoughtful and
observing men know, that city work
is not done as cheaply as private peo-
pie do It.
There is talk Of pipe line from
Wolverine with twelve inch main
and this presupposes acquiring thu
water nrst and protecting the drain
age basin from all stock to keep the
water supply sanitary, meeting al
maintenance charges ETC. 1t will re-