Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-14
THE WATER PROBLEM.

~
least one Salemite thinks of the
purchase of the Salem Water Co.'S
plant. It would simplify matters very
much II the opinion Of every other res
ident of Salem could be learned This
one person, however, very pertinently
says that it is useless to employ high
priced engineers to tell us what the
water plant Is worth. That has been
threshed out once. There has been
some money spent by the company
since the price of the plant was once
settled, and any school boy can add
this amount to that formerly fixed.
This stunt does not require an engin-
eer-at least not very expensive
one.
Then, again, the company knows, or
can decide, upon the lowest amount
it is willing to take for its property,
and II 1t wants to play fair 1t will make
an offer to the city at what it believes
to be its lowest price, If it is not will
ling to do this, there can be but one
reason, and that is that 1t hopes by the
expert examination and compromise
methods TO obtain more for the plant
than 1t Is really willing to accept.
But, while this is true, the COM
pany is we'll within its rights when 1t
refuses to put a price on its property
unless it is assured the city wants TO
buy It. What its property is valued
at by 1t is nobody's business, except
the assessors so long as the city does
not want to purchase It, The main
thing to find out now, is does the CRY
want municipal ownership of the
plant. This can easily be settled at
a special election, costing but Few
hundred dollars, and not a cent for en-
gineers. Suppose, for istance, the
matter shoI'd be submitted to the
people in the shape Of two or three
propositions a,CLG the forowing
lines:
DO you want municipal ownership of
the city water system Yes or no.
II you want municipal ownership
do YOU favor, first, a new plant; or sec
ond the purchasing Of the present
plant If the price is satisfactory
This would settle the preiminaries,
and give us basis on which to pro-
ceed.
II desired at this same preliminary
election the choice Of gravity or
pumping systems could be obtained
The main thing is to find out what
the people want. When this is olce
settled, the work can be gone ahead
with, and, until it is done. the whole
movement is 'inllr cropping in the
durk.
IN the meanN bile, we do not want
to overlook the fact that the charge OF
90 NtdI - at N'Nhl uOuult W UuN "
should be, or the further fact that Cv,
cry overcharge o; this kind, whether
for water or lights, is a direct handi-
cap to the growth Of our city The
prospective resident will take note Of
these two charges, as well as the tax
rate, and the $50 a year for water
and light is certainly not going to
prove strenuous attraction to him,
or a seductive inducemcnt for him to
purchase property and locate here
There was a time when this charge
was not, perhaps, excessive, Salem
was widely scattered not many houses
in block, yet II took the same mains
to supply them as now. with the fill
ing in and building on the once va
cant lots by which the mains run, the
water companys income has been
largely increased, doubled in the last
few years, without and extensive out
lay For this reason, Il can now well
afford TO furnish water at a greatly
reduced rate from that Of few years
ago. The company has doubled its in
rnmn with hut IittIn outInv md a te