Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-04-12
CIVIC IMPROVEMENT IS
THEME DISCUSSED AT
THIS MASS MEETING
WALLS OF OLD PALACE RING WITH SPEECHES ON HOW SANTA Re MAY
Be MADE CITY HEALTHY AS WELL AS CITY BEAUTIFUL MRS N.
B. LAUGHlIN Tells PLANS OF W0MEN'S CLUB
FRANK OWEN AND LEVI HUGHES
CLASH OVER WATER PROBLEM

A mass meeting was held last nigh
al the Old Palace, under the auspce
OF the civic department Of the SAINT;
Fe Woman club. The meeting start
ed out beautifully, Mrs. n. B. Laugh
lin, the president stating that the oh
jcct of the meeting was to start ,
movement to beautify our alread,
beautiful city. She said that SAINT
Fe had much TO be proud Of, but tha
there was more to do, and that there
were certain matters that the club de
sired to take up with the city c0un
Gil that were of Importance. Will,
the council might do much the people
could do more. 1t was not the faul
Of the council, for instance, that pa
pers and trash were thrown upon the
/ streets. though the city authorities
might have been dilatory in cleaning
mayor and councilmen were not pres
ent, as they had promised to be. Mrs.
| Laughlin said that the club wanted to
have the streets cleaned, the unsight.
! ly bill boards removed, the vacant
let's made presentable. She referred
to the fact that the city of Rio de
Janerio was kept SO clean that flies
there were practically unknown. The
garbage of the city should be taken
farther away and the ordinance en-
forced against expectorating on the
sidewalks.
Frank Owen was then called on to
talk on the subject Of the City's Water
Supply. Mr.. Owen reviewed the sub
ject at length, saying in preface that
a noted student of municipal govern
ment and regulation had said that the
basis OF city rested on its water sup
ply; water that was fit for use and
within reach of all. He reviewed in
detail the structure and operation of
the water system, which had been
proven to be as pure as any water In
the west He maintained that i'm
pounding water was not feasible
proposition and that the water brought
most directly and quickly from the
source of supply was the best. He eX
planned that while the water was
sometimes little roily that the re.
ports of DR.. Massie, made every
month, showed that it was wholesome.
Santa Fe water is nearly all of it
from snow beds and water purifies it.
self in flowing six miles. He explain.
ed the new work on hand this year Of
building 3Ginch sluice. and the work
OF bricking and cementing the two
tanks at the plant works. He said
that the water mains were flushed six
times a year. The amount of water
used in Santa Fe for domestic pur
poses, per capita, is far in excess OF
that used in many other cities. He eX-
planned the use Of meters. Questions
were then asked and discussions arose
regarding the system, which were
answered by Mr.. owen.
Mr. Levi A. Hughes was then called
upon to speak on the subject of sew
ers. Before doing SO, however, he
upon the Water and Light company.
He said that the matter of using
meters was immaterial as the charter
did not permit their use. He explain !
ed why the water of the city had been
roily, and argued that the erection of
4 new reservoir was one way to solve |
the problem. After q rather forceful
and feeling arraignment of the elec. |
trict light and water company, he took |
ar the subject assigned to him. that |
ot the sewers. Mr. Hughes had pre-.
cared rhetorical introduction to his ,
subject, which was replete with dex
terous simile and metaphor He said:
Santa Fe does not need our efforts in
Ter behalf nearly as much as we need
sonal effort and individual growth.
We're there not one stone on top OF
another here today, il is yet certain I
hat some day in the future, beauti-
nj city would nestle against our shell
ering hills and point her spires to-
wards our turquoise. skies" He then
said that the city had been given the
lame OF the City With the Open
iate," but like spiders web the
bominable water, the unsightly tele