Baxter Springs news., 1918-09-13
WATER PLANT, CAS-
STREET SIGNS, ETC.
CITY COUNCIL WRESTLES
WITH A BATCH OF I'M.
PORTANT BUSINESS
NO WATER FOR SEWERS
Cannot Use New System Until
More Water Is Provided
Mining School Plan
Considered

Lack of water for flushing purpose
is going to make our new sewer sys
TEN practically useless until some
thing is done to provide more accur
ate water supply in Baxter Springs
This fact was brought out quite plain
ly at the meeting Of the city counci
Tuesday night. Jack Spratt, receiver
for the water company had filed :
complaint that the use of the toilets
already installed was taking more
water than the present plant coult
supply, and it was at his request that
the council decided that no more prop
erty owners be permitted to connect
up with the new sewer. 1t was sug-
gested tina; the cart had been put
ahead of the hOrse--that the city
should first have provided for a water
supply here before it undertook to
put in q sewer system.
An ordinance was put through, No.
PIP, regulating the manner in which
the sewers should be used. Four inches
in diameter was fixed for the uniform
size of service pipes. Under the or
dinance no one is privileged to con-
meet with the sewer without first get
ting a permit from the city clerk, and
then only under the approval of re-
gularly appointed sewer inspector.
While the sewer proposition was up
Mayor Wright called attention to the
fact that contrary to the orders Of the
council the foreman on the riser job
had been putting in risers for proper
ty owners without them first deposit
ing the estimated cost of the job with
the city clerk. The city had already
done about 5000 worth Of work for
the property owners that had not been
paid for. 1t was decided with en-
phasis that this practice must stop,
and hereafter before any person can
have his riser pipe put in he must
first see the city clerk and get re-
ceipt for the payment.
The next subject to be taken up by
the city council was the proposition
to aid Prof. A. c. Terrill and the
Chamber of Commerce, in their efforts
to establish a school of mines in BaX-
ter Springs. The plan is to remodel
the auditorium and the basement OF
the Library building, the former for
a lecture room and the latter for q
laboratory. The total cost to the city
to make the necessary improvements
to the building was estimated by City
Engineer Terrill to be about $SOO.OO,
and the council was asked to appro-
pirate this amount.
A number of citizens present on re-
quest of the council for their opinion
urged the city to help the enterprise
if possible. The school Of mines would
be in charge of the state university
It would be supplied with the appar-
atus used in the late Weir City school
of mines, and Prof. Terrill, city en-
gineer of Baxter and still an instruct
or in the mining engineering depart
ment of the State University, would
have charge. The course would serve
to open to the ambitious men employ
ed in the mines the opportunity TO
learn the science Of mining and mt
themselves for better positions.
The school would attract many de-
sirable people to this city and alto
gether would prove a valuable asset.
The matter of remodeling the Lii
hrary building was referred to the
Committee on Buildings composed OF
Councilmen Treece, Youse and Stein,
TO report at the next regular meeting.
The next business taken up was the
gas ordinance, the passage OF whichi
was deferred pending the writing Of
an amendment by City Attorney Ros-
enstein, providing for the deduction
in price of gas whenever the pressure
a the consumers meter should fall be-
low eight ounces.
Mayor Wright announced that the
Gas Company had asked to have the
gas ordinance withdrawn.
Councilman Wells arose and insist
ed that the Gas Company was not the
one to say whether the ordinance
shouId be killed or not, unless they
were willing to restore the rate to 2b
esnts, the price before the old rate
hxed by the ordinance now in fcreS.