Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-06-27
The Water Situation

prOXlmateIy nalf mllllOn dollars lot
the Wynooche water project is being
mooted, the past and present man.
agement of the water system naturally
becomes matter for discussion. II
the management of the present works
commends itself there will be en-
enlargement to engage in the larger
enterprise, if not, otherwise. 1t is
big undertaking at a time when
the city revenues are facing a reduc-
ton of $4,000 year and should
have the thoughtful consideration Of
every taxpayer in the city.
The consensus of opinion appears
to be that the city has revealed scant
business acumen in handling the wa
ter system ever since it was acquired,
and recent events show small i'm
provement. Better service or lower
rates are the only valid reasons for
municipal ownership OF any public
utility, yet Aberdeen has MIXED the
water consumers for the benefit of
nonresident property owners for 25
years. 1t has maintained the high
est rates Of any municipal plant in
the United States; has made the resi-
dent consumers pay for extensions
that enhanced the value of the prop.
erty of non-res:d dents; built a $4,000
reservoir. and has actually collected
money for the current expenses of
the city from the water consumers.
This practice is not new, but the
most brazen effort in that direction
was an ordinance enacted last Feb
ruary which directs the payment of
so per cent of the gross receipts
from water rentals into the general
fund, and 25 per cent into a reserve
fund to care for emergencies. Under
this ordinance. s7,39796 was trans
ferred to the current expense fund
in March, April and May, and in the
same period s3.69S9S was placed in
the reserve fund IN other words.
the consumers of water were taxed
$11,096.94 beyond the cost Of operat-
ing the plant during the past three
months, or at the rate of s44,3S7.76
year. If private corporation at
tempted such extortion it's managers
would be mobbed. yet any attempt
to reduce water rates is met with de.
termined opposition by the city coun-
Gil and the people pay--and grumble.
What appears to have been an un- !
called for expense is the engagement |
of an eminent consult ng engineer at |
high figure to give estimates and I
advice on the Wynooche project be- |
fore the city had q project in shape
to work upon. The city has no title /
to a watershed on the Wynooche, so
far as the Herald can learn. 1t APP
pears to have the word of Forester !
Fromme that it could have the water
rights in the forest reserve, at the |
upper canyon of the Wynooche With !
out casting a doubt on the word of /
Mr.. Fromme, We submit that it is
weak title upon which to project /
half million dollar improvement. Nor
does the action of the committee
which accompanied Engineer Thomson /
to the Wynooche canyon recently look 1
as if the federal site was TO be util- (
lied. The party went only to the
lower canyon of the river. which runs
through private property yet unac-
CURED by the city. and which is To-
Gated 10 miles below the proposed I
government site.
The engagement of Mr.. Thomson be-
fore a definite site was secured and
at least preliminary line surveyed
for the conduit, does not appeal to |
business instinct In matters of this |
kind it is customary. when expert en-
cheering services are deemed advis-
able, to have a tentative line sur
veyed and placed on paper for the
expert to examine, but in this in I
stance. Mr. Thomson had absolutely /
no data upon which to base an esti-
mate, either as to the route or the /
plant at the proposed source of sup
ply. He was simply taken up the |
Wishkah river and across to the Wy /
nooche and boated up that stream to |
the first canyon. yet some are expect .
ing plans and estimates for a pipe
line 25 miles long and dam, costing
approximately 100000 from that cur
sorry examination.
A mistaken impression is abroad
that Mr.. Thomson has sufficient data
to guide him in the form of surveys
made two years ago by Engineer
Hunt, but such is not the case. Two
years ago, when periodic water scare
was on, Mr.. Hunt was engaged to look
up supply. and he examined the
Wishkah and wynooche
rivers at o cost Of about $500. He
made a reconnaissance of the country
over which he passed and reported the
as he found them. While
this data gives an idea Of the topogra-
ply 1t 10 Of but small value In such