The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-11-20
City Commissioners Held Special
Session Yesterday to Consider What
Action Should Be Taken in Water Matter

AT called meeting CT the board of
city commissioners yesterday afternoon
considerable fireworks We're unloosed,
but very little real business accom-
plished. The mayor was in fighting
mood and recommended that the com
missioners take some drastic and i'm
mediate action relative to some affairs
that were Of vital interest TO the city.
After spending considerable time lis.
tenlng to arguments Of the mayor and
hearing reports fa'om City Attorney
Brett and Assistant w. b. johnson, it
was decided to appoint a committee and
await a report from that committee to-
day before taking any action
The affair all centered about the con-
tract between the city and the Ard
more Construction Company relative
to finishing the pipe line now under
construction to Hickory creek. and the
mayor uttered some pretty strong re.
marks relative to his attitude in the
matter, and pleaded with the commits.
sioners to take immediate action.
The mayor in this connection read a
lengthy report and recommendation to
the commissioners setting forth the
following:
"Ardmore. Oklahoma,
November Is, 1919.
ITO the Honorable Board Of
Commissioners.
City of Ardmore.
Gentlemen:
Under the Charter of this city it
is made duty of the mayor, as chief
executive officer of the city, to make
report to you at various and seasonable
times upon the condition generally Of
our city affairs. 1t will be my aim
in this communication to call your at
tention most particularly to the city's
water supply and to suggest ways and
means by which we may avert a threat
ened water famine.
II have just this morning made a
trip to the city lake for the purpose
of inspecting the citys supply of water.
| find that the water in the city res
ervoir is at this time considerably lower
t1an it was at any time durng the dry
season Of the summer months just
passed, and within 20 to "a inches as
| am informed of the lowest point
heretofore reached in the history of the
c.ty's water supply.
During the months OF September
ana October we have had much rainy
weather, but the rains have fallen so
gently that the water seemed to have
been absorbed by the soil Of the earth
ana there was no surplus accumulation
in our city reservoir. After the long
protracted rainy spell Of weather we
are now possibly emerging upon a long
continued dry spell of weather. Under
these conditions we are rapidly APP
preaching conditions in our water sup
ply that would justly alarm. In the alb.
sence Of rainy weather. there is only
one way in which to avert o water
shortage, that is to complete the lay
ing of our pipe line for our additional
water supply at the earliest possible
moment. Delay would be hazardous
If not criminal.
AS you are well aware, during the
month of August the Honorable Fred
Parkinson, state examiner and inspect
tor, ana his capable deputy, l.. \.
Nash, under the instruction of this
court, inspected, audited and made a
report TO this body upon the conditions
touching the contract between the City
OF Ardmore and the Ardmore COnstruc-
lion Company for the building of this
pipe line. They reported TO you, that
while our pipe line was far from
state Of completion, the Ardmore Con.
slruction Company had by various
means, mhether legal or illegal, just or
unjust had received payment far be.
yond the contract price of said water
line. There has been practically no
effort made on the part of the Ard
more Construction Company for lay
ing this pipe line for more than three
months.
Notwithstanding that l, as your
mayor and acting under your instruct
ions, have made repeated demands up
on the Ardmore Construction Company
for statement of its position, that is
whether or not it would carry out con.
tract for the laying the pipe line with
due diligence, to these demands the
Ardmore Construction Company have
pcrsistently refused to make answer,
either affirmatively or negatively.
Il, as your mayor acting in conJunc-
ton with your city attorney, Judge
Rutherford Brett, have notified the
bonding company for the Ardmore Con.
struction Company on its contract, Of
the conditions that exist between the
City Of Ardmore and the Ardmore Con
struction Company, and have demand
ed, in your name, Of said bonding com.
pany that they complete the unfinished
work set forth in the contract between
the City Of Ardmore and the Ardmore
Construction Company for laying the
pipe line for our additional water sup.
ply. To these notifications l have re-
ceived no reply.
1T occurs to me, as your mayor, that
the city should no longer be trifled