The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-03-16
MAY TAKE WATER
FROM LOCAL WELLS

cocided to investigate the feasibility
Of getting a water supply for the
town of Roman from local wells.
'rais action has been brought about
by the red tape methods adopted by
TIE reclamation director at Washing
ten, in declining to grant the town
the right to take water from some
ore of the many streams emanatinS
il the mountains to the east OF town,
1t has been determined that if wells
can be found which will afford suf
ficient volume of water to supply the
needs of the people here, then the
(ea of asking the government for
permit will be delayed until a future
date. At the joint meeting OF the
town council and the citizens held a
week or so ago, committee OF law
yars was appointed, consisting of
.J<,hn p, Swee, Coker F. Rathbone and
4. Sutherland, with a request that
this committee report back as to
W nat the law on the jubject of water
was, and the prohibitions the town
\ might encounter H. it's efforts to build
4 system. This committee has de-
ci!ed that under the law, in their
opinion. the government has apprO-
priated all the water in all the
streams on the reservation for irriga-
ton purposes and that authority
mast frs. be secured from the gov
ernment before the town cOulu aD-
propriate any of the water for the
use of the town; also that All we'll
defined underground streams which.
deplete the flow of above ground
streams, are also included in the
government appropriation; that all
p.rcolatlng water found under ground
belongs TO the owner of t'e land
Where such water may be found, and
that such owner has the right to
convey such water outside the limits
OF the land he owns, and sell the
same at profit. This opinior. if
followed, will compel the town coun
Gil to either secure a grant Of water
from the government or else dig
wells Within the corporate limits suf-
ticient to afford the supply required.
From present indications the latter
course will lie attempted first.
While on the subject of water
supply for the town, it may be we'll
to discuss the possibilities and prob
abilities of water and the method or
securing water which will probably
be. resorted to- 1t looks now, judging
from the expressions heard from
some of the members of the council,
that a majority of the aldermen are
i'm favor of granting a franchise to
some individual or corporation and
allowing such individual Or corpol-
alton to construct and operate the
system, While l am i'm favor OF
water just as heartily as any one in
Roman, | must say that ! am opposed
to- any Individual. firm or corporation
being given the franchise to con-
struct and operate water system in
Eonan. Competen. engineers, at least
engineers who have built many sys-
TENS in Washington, Idaho and Ore
gon and Montana, say that such a
system as will meet the requirements
rf Roman can lie built hero for $17,-
NN0, which it is possible for the town
to bond for at the present time, and
if this can be done, then it would
seem to me that the town should
bond and build and own the system
No individual, firm or corporation Will
to build the system without bcli,"
ing the revenue will yield i'.tel 2st
ON the money so invested. chat b.
in. true then the town should H. ;, T.
ting the benefit of the interest, and
such interest will in a siI1!t time
pay off the bonds and then the in"
terest would help defray ill, !'ll'ng
expenses of the town. In my opinion
the voters of Roman should never
vote to allow any individual, firm or
corporation to get control of the
water supply. 1t always results in a
fight for municipal control sooner or
later, or complaints of exhorbitant
water charges which are of great
damage to any town.
An election is to be held soon.
The people of Roman should be care
full whom they elect to office this
spring, and if they are in favor of
municipal ownership of the water
supply, should insist that any candi-
date define his position on this SUBJ
iect in advance of such election.
TO definitely settle any surmise
which may arise as to my attitude in
reference to the election, and to for