Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-07-18
The Water Project

The water Project
Considerable criticism 10 heard abou
town Of the rapid fire action Of tn,
city council in the matter Of the pro
3ected Wishkah river water supply
and the sanction Of q 100000 bon{
issue. Az near % the Herald car
learn, the complaint chiefly concerns
the change from the Wynooche rivel
to the Wishkah. the public not being
veil advised about the latter PROPOSE
tion, and q campaign Of education will
be necessary TO vote the bonds. II
indeed they be voted At al.
It 10 pointed out that for more than
two years, the Wynooche was consid
cred the ideal source Of supply fol
both water and power. and the water
shed is being held by the forestry de-
partment for Aberdeen II the city de.
sires 1t. Now, in a sudden manner,
change is made to the Wishkah river.
and the people naturally want to know
all the reasons.
The advantages Of the Wynooche
supply have been glowingly depicted
Throughout tGrays Harbor county, and
but few months ago that site was
overwhelmingly selected by the vote
of Aberdeen, and only failed of final
selection by the vote of Hoquiam and
the other cities embraced in the water
district. Those now pushing the Wish
kah project were the loudest in praise
Of the Wynooche supply until very re-
Gently, and it is small wonder II the
people are unwilling to take their
latest unproven judgment now. In
fact, the, sudden change of locations
tends to cast the shadow OF doubt up.
on that judgment.
The Wynooche heads in the snow
clad Olympic mountains; a perpetual
water shed, maintained by the federal
government, free Of cost, is too large
IN item to be lightly cast aside. The
available information concerning the
Wishkah site shows several objection
able features. 1t is said that this
river heads in q flat swamp a short
distance above the proposed site; that
It is surrounded by heavy timber that
will be logged in q few years, and
pollute the water. But the strongest
objection is that 1t is but temper.
airy supply at best, as the report Of
Engineer Thomson suggests the ulti.
mate building to the Wynooche; that
II this be true, half a million dollars,
adding to the expense of the city, a
burden of interest amounting to $25,.
900 year is unwise, to say the least,
at this time.
To Offset this, 1t is urged by the
proponents that the water rentals will
care for this interest charge so that
1t will not be a burden on the prop
erty Of the city, although that is but
shifting the burden from property to
water consumers and thus defeating
the only valid reason ever given for
the municipal ownership of a public
utility.
The short time given for considera-
ton Of those objections before the
bond election is considered too hasty.
According to Engineer Thomson, &C.
quirement of the watershed, site and
right of way. as we'll as the definite
location Of the pipe line, will require
six months, il no legal complications
are encountered. and longer If they
are, fact that lends belief to the
frequently expressed view that all
these preliminaries might we'll be at
tended to before bond election SC
that the voters would know exactly
what they were deciding upon, and
not asked to vote blind pool OF hall
. million dollars, such as the present
ordinance appears to suggest.
The location Of a pipe line % miles
long requires fully as much engineer
ing skill as a railroad bed Of similar
length, yet railroads are known to Sc
lect their routes with extreme care
while the city is asked to load itsell
with huge debt for a project that II
not yet in shape to be placed on paper
The only reason the Herald hat
heard advanced for the haste is that
1t would relieve the labor situation al
once. As at least six months will be
required to put the project in shape
for the employment Of labor, and that
the winter rains will then be with US
the immediate relief of labor is diff
cult to discern.
The Herald, in common with a vast
majority Of the voters Of the city
lacks sufficient information on this
project to know whether 1t is a wise
movement or otherwise. We all know
that 1t is very important matter for
Aberdeen. too important to either be
carried out or defeated through a
lack Of knowledge Of the exact facts.
The City council. having endorsed the
project. gives inference that the men,
bers understand the matter fully, and
+ IL up to them to enlighten the pub.