The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1919-03-01

cAaiuhci-btdI SIT. III your Is
sue of Feb. Is there appears an
article by Judge Carey relative to
the status of city affairs. The Judge
and have talked the matter over
and decided that perhaps a discus
sion of public affairs through your
columns might be of interest to the
people of Colville and might lead
to more concerted action for city
betterment. I therefore submit this
reply for publication.
In the outset I want to state that
the action of city council must be
in conformity with state laws, and
the laws of the state of Washington
fix the limit which may be levied
against taxable property of a city
Of. the third class. The state law
also requires that an estimate must
be made setting forth the uses to
which such. money will be placed.
This estimate was made and pub
lished during the month Of October,
1918, and now is matter of record
in the clerks office of this city, and
also in the files Of both the Exam
iner and Statesman Index. Those
who are sufficiently interested may
find out from these sources just
what will be done with the money
raised by the levy made by the city
council and we do not deem it
necessary to produce a copy of such
estimate here, but will say that the
city levied the maximum amount al
lowed by the state.
L will now answer some of the
questions asked by the Judge. Has
anything been done towards a per-
manent supply of water for the
city? Nothing has been done fur
ther than settling all questions of
the city's right to water from its
present source, and the develop
ment of that supply. Sawyer Bros,
civil engineers of Spokane, presented
two propositions to the city council
One was water from Mill creek, and
the other water from the Little
Pend Oreille river. The cost of the
Mill creek proposition was within the
reach of the city, but much of the
water was at that time and is now
tied up by prior water rights, the
condemnation and payment of which
might be beyond the reach of the
city. Another objection to the Mill
creek project was that the creek and
its branches have large water shed
with considerable land which might
make the water unfit for domestic
use, unless some system of filter
ing was installed. The Pend
Oreille project was considered be-
yond the reach of the finances of the
city. The cost of installing such
system is estimated at about
$4,000, under the present cost of
material and labor, which debt could
not be floated with the present water
revenue. Public utilities are always
put under a handicap for fear that
they may infringe upon private capi-
tai. Whenever the legislature of
our state is wise enough to remove
such handicaps we may be able to
do something. A bill towards that
end has been introduced by Senator
E. Ben johnson of Spokane, pro-
viding that a public utility may sell
its surplus products outside Of the
city limits, which is now prohibited,
and permitting money to be bor-
rowed on such project to be used in
its construction and maintenance;
such law would permit the city to
unite with the farms and put in a
combined irrigation and water sys-
tenn.
Has anything been done towards
a municipal electric light plant?
No, nothing has been done. 1t is
generally held now by people who
have made this subject study, that
a city of the third class can buy its
electric current at the city limits,
and distribute it more cheaply than
it can produce the current. There
may come a time when there will
be competitive electric line through
the Colville valley and the city may
be able to buy it's electricity and do
its own distributing.
What is the city doing relative
to public parks? The city in con-
junction with the school district is
now investing about 5000 a year in
the purchase of fifteen acres of park
located south of the city. The coun-
Gil feels that is about as far as the
city can go. When the land is paid
for we may then be able. to con-
tribute something to its improve
ment.
What has been done in reference
to a public swimming pool? AS the
city now raises for it's current ex-
penses the maximum amount allowed
by law, and as that is barely suf-
ficient to cover the actual needs of
the city, as will be seen by reference