The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-04
HIGHLAND PARK
SEWER PROBLEM
Still UNSOLVED
Committee Hears Plea For Nor
rell-st. Outlet, But Takes
no Action
MAYOR URGES THAT
CONNECTION BE GRANTED
Indications Are That Settlement
Will Await Court Ruling on
Pending Suit

At the suggestion Of Mayor Marx.
the council committee on sewers held
another meeting, Thursday morning,
on the petition Of Highland Park for
permission to connect its sewer sys-
tenn with the new Morrellst. sewer.
but at the conclusion Of a number OF
lengthy arguments the aldermen again
took the matter under advisement and
II is unlikely that further action will
be attempted until the supreme court
hands down It's decision In the matter
the village having gone into court for
an order compelling the city to give
the connection.
The mayor opened the discussion
by stating that, while 1t was the f1rst
duty OF the aldermen to look after the
welfare of Detroit. Highland Park
ought tc be helped out. particularly
as far as the Ford plant Is concerned.
THE village is willing to pay $685..
900 to the city for the connection priv
ilege, and the construction OF the
sewer necessary TO connect with the
Morrell-st. outlet will furnish employ
ment for number Of men," said his
honor.
"The Morrell-st. sewer can TAXA
care OF the Highland Park flow. II IS
true that we may have TO build O
west side trunk sewer sooner than We
anticipated. but we need trunk sewers
both on the east ard west side OF the
city and the sooner we build them
the better.
Possibly the politicians Of High.
land Park have not gone about this
matter in the proper way In opposing
annexation, but / think that the ma
jority OF people In the village want
to come into the city, and the feeling
will be more agreeable II we grant
the village permission to make this
sewer connection.
Attorney Alfred Lucking, who rep
resented the village. explained the ma
ture OF the case which IL now before
the supreme court for decision.
A. j. Hood, representing the De-
troit Golf club, said that the sewer
connection would be necessary to en-.
able the club to carry out On extern
sive plan of Improvement which In
cludes the building Of 100 houses In
addition to the club house. The plan.
he said, would call for an expenditure
of about 100000.
Horace III. Rackham, speaking in
favor of the petition, said that II the
city were not satisfied with a bonus
of $4,000. the property owners In
Highland Park might be induced to
pass around the hat for an additional
sum. Councilman DeGaw, Of High
land Park, explained that the village
bonded Indebtedness was small in
comparison to a $32,000,0O0 assess
ment. He said that the village had
recently disposed OF $116.400 worth
OF sewer bonds at AZ per cent within
30 days.
A. s. Harris, No. 1859 Woodland
ave-, registered a vigorous protest
against the granting Of the petition,
insisting that the north end residents
were already being seriously discom-
NODDED because Highland Park was
overlooking the Woodward-ave. sewer.
City Engineer Mccormick support
ed Mr.. Harris argument
When the city sewers that are to
connect with the Morrell-st sewer
are built, the latter will be overload
ed to almost double It's capacity"
said the city engineer. The capacity
OF the sewer is 375 cubic feet per
second, and Highland Park wants to
use 100 cubic feet Both st. Clair
Heights and Hamtramck villages are
now draining through the city and
Vasr kat
1t would be impossible to find an
other street on the west side In which
to construct a sewer draining into
the river. The city would have to go
to River Rouge for another outlet, and
I would suggest that Highland Park
do this instead OF coming through the
city"
Assistant Corporation Counsel Wal.
Ter II. Barlow said that to grant the
village permission to make the con-
nection under the terms OF the pres
ent offer would be poor business
deal on the city's part. He stated
that the Morrell-st sewer cost $780,
900, and that Highland Park is ask
ing permission TO use four-fifteenths
or the capacity Of the sewer on pay
ment of $4,000. He said a fair d.
vision of the cost of building the
sewer would be payment Of 100000
by the village.
"Our first obligation is to protect
the health OF our own people" the
assistant corporation counsel told the
mayor and the members OF the com
mittee "As far as giving work to
the unemployed, we must remember
that Highland Park and not the city
would be building the connection and
the city would not benefit very much
in that direction.
Mayor Marx suggested that the vii.
lage might pay an annual rental for
the use OF the sewer, in addition TO
the bonus offered The members of
the sewer committee took no part in
the discussion.