Mohave County miner., 1916-09-16
OATMAN PLANS
 MOVEMENT FUR
 INCARCERATION


 port of several of the largest owners of business property and of business and mining men generally. The move ment has taken such definite form in the past week that it is likely that a mass meeting will be called during the present week, when a plan of action for early results will be discussed and adopted or rejected.
 In order to incorporate Oatman it is merely necessary to get the sigma lures of two-thirds of the bona fide residents, men and women. It does not matter about their being voters at the time of signing the petition, nor taxpayers, either. They must be resi- dents, and that is all.
 The petition is addressed to the board of county supervisors, and the law sets forth the manner in which the board shall grant the prayer of the petitioners. That it would be granted is conceded.
 There are several matters that are making the subject of importance at this time. Most prominent of them is the fact that the supervisors were pre- vented from doing all that has been demanded in the improvement of streets, the camp having sprung into existence in such a short time that it's financial needs could not be included n the annual budget. That being the case, a great many have misunder- stood the attitude of the supervisors and have been prone to blame every body in Kngman. But the Daily Miner, as a newspaper devoted to the interests of both Oatman and King man-quite as Iluch to the la5S'r as the former-feels that 1t is bu1 one of many n saying that Oatman will nev- CT "get anywhere" until it is incor. porated and makes it's own improve ments from it's own funds, raised by local means of taxation and licenses, as provided by law.
 That the present system af raising money for the streets, fire protection, sanitation, and the like by popular subscription is wholly negotiable, un- fair and cannot endure for period of time covering a fraction of the future years of Oatman, is patent. The con ditions this year are only those of the years to follow, or perhaps not half as bad as they will be. That all depends upon the caprice of nature and the mercy of Providence. A wash-Out that would practically wipe the town off the earth might happen, and one that would flood every street and damage every house and store is not unlikely. This is the time of year to expect them, and as the days and nights pass, with threatening storms most any time, it is to be seen by all-espe- cially those in danger of loss or harm that there is no drainage whatever for the carrying off of storm waters; no storm sewers, ditches nor even any provision for keeping the water out of the streets nor houses and stores themselves.
 The cloudburst of two and half weeks ago was only a sample of the kind carried in the stock of the heay- ems above for this part of the coun- try. Every year there are cloud bursts in this part of the southwest, and Oatman is in their most frequent ed path.
 Fire once beyond control here would not leave enough of Oatman for a bloudburst to find, and the present heroic force of men would be as help less as children once it got beyond their control. The equipment has been paid for partly by private subscrip- tion, partly by the Chamber of Com merce, partly by the fremen them selves and the rest still owing.
 For a month past Oatman has had no health officer. There are sanitary laws, but no one to enforce them. In that time five cases of typhoid fever have developed, the sufferers all be- ing sound, rugged and worthy young men who least of all for the sake of Oatman could be spared, not to men tion the rights of themselves and of relatives of the ones whose lives have been forced into jeopardy.
 "This fall there is certain to be a large influx mostly of men of the in vesting class" said prominent min ing man who operates property here and who spends part of his time in California, "but when one of them is met the very first thing with a sight like Main street as you see it today, it throws a damper on the whole thing.