The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-11-22

subjects to herald through the press,
and the public as well as the indivi-
dual, would regret it il 1t were done.
Aside from those sacredly private
matters, the public can get as much
from reading this paper rs they can
by attending the sessions. and in
very much less time.
| A thing that appeals to us is that
here's a wealthy town that is bound
to increase rapidly in population. L
has water supply that is inadequate
now and everybody knows it. A new
franchise has rec emily been entered
into with the water company so they
could afford 10 greatly increase the
capacity of tEeir wells and pumps. In
consideration If this the city has
for the past twenty months heen pay
ing a greatly increased revenue for
hydrant service to be used in case OF
fire, and it is not denied that it
would be almost useless to tap these
hydrants if we had fire. Some
water with moderate pressure is avail
able most of the time. The city is
using water from shallow we'll in
stead of from the deep ones, and mo-
body can vouch for the quality of the
water. The water committee was dir
ected to have the water analysed
! from the city we'll and from two
other sources where permanent,
supply may be obtained. The state
sent us the retainers, we have them
in storage, and on Tuesday evening
the council sat and talked whether or
not they should send the vessels back
empty. How much would be the ex-
press charge empty as compared with
the filled vessels. Would they pay
somebody's livery bill to go out and
fill the vessels at mountain stream
Would they sit down and quit be-
cause somebody said the water in
stream was not good last July?
Would they investigate further the
other stream which had been agreed
upon as being adequate for a long
period If somebody in days gone by
posted a notice saying he was going
to use it for irrigation of some tract
that he never has done anything with
will We let that prevent our taking
hold and acquiring the right to use
it if we decide that we want it? With
strong popular demand for a water
system, with the owners of the pres
ent source of supply wanting to know
what is going to be done, with sand
destroying the present system and
perhaps filling up the new sewer,
with plumbers always on the move
putting in new fixtures as they are
ruined by the sand, with a strong
demand for bitulithic paving that
cannot we'll be laid until the water
mains are laid, with a resolution ad-
opted by representative citizens in
mass meeting instructing the council
to push an exhaustive investigation
of the possibilities for establishing an
adequate and permanent municipal |
water supply with willing and mag |
unanimous public and united pub !
lie sentiment back of the resolution,
the council sits and talks about spong-
ing the analysis made by some other
town at some other place, to save
fifty cents; talks about giving up
having the city water analysed to
save an express charge, and would
give up each of the other streams for
some equally trivial excuse. If that
is the measure of the public spirit at
Blackfoot. if such proceedings are
of the pulse of the gen.
eral public. it will be long time be-
fore we have the desired water sup
ply.
We need more initiative in regard
to our public and semi-public affairs
at Blackfoot. We copy too much
from other places. There never is a
to devise ways of doing
things that somebody does not take
up the time of the meeting telling
what they have done or are doing at
Idaho Falls or Twin Falls or Poca-
tello or Boise or Salt Lake. Or If
he doesn't know what they are doing
at any of those places, such person is ,
there to propose that committee be
sent to see how they are doing If it +,
is being done at all, and because of
his natural smallness he will propose
sending the committee to the nearest
place where they are making an eff
fort, no matter how poorly they are ,
Blackfoot doesn't want any of the q
l