Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-03-10
council IN BATTLE ROYAL
OVER C|TY'S WATER SUPPLY
Mayor Newman Says He Won't Stand for Engin-
eer Morris After Storm Sewer Completed; Nor
ris Defends Himself in Written Communication;
Nothing Wrong With Water, Is Conclusion.

Water has most unsalutary effect On
the city council. For several months the
aldermen have been struggling to reduce
it's volume Of oratory, but good resolu-
tions have no status when the subject
of water is under discussion. Tuesday
night someone said water" again and
for two hours vaporous tempest
burbled and boiled within the councils
teapot. finally effervescing away and
leaving the aldermen. attending officials
and the bleacher crowd in a sad state OF
wilt, but willing to listen further II
there were to be more of the same.
At an executive session week age
the charge was made that the city water
filtration plant was not functlonihS
properly and that water, was beng sent M
into the city dscolored and unfit for
use This was the assertion OF Mayor
Newman When the name Of Engineer Nj.
l.. Morris was mentioned events began
to take place in rapid succession.
Water is o. X.
At the conclusion of the debate Tues
day night it was decided that there is
nothing, and never has been anything
the matter with the water. and that
Morris will remain on his present job
until the south side storm sewer is com
pleted. IT, during the entire battle. there
was casualty. it was Mr.. Morris. for
it is probably true that the mayor made
the only point scored in the controversy
when be announced that short time
ago he made an investigation. found that
Norris. as engineer in charge OF the
sewer construction. was keeping an un-
necessarily large corps Of assistants and
demanded, and obtained, the discharge Of
one man.
matter with the city water grew ont Of
4 complaint at the plant of tn" Crystal
Ice company. Ice made of city water
it was alleged was faulty-clOudy in the
center and suggestive Of an error III the
chemicals used in the process of purlfi-
cation at the filtration plant. This was
one week ago, and the council began 2
search to locate the trouble, if any. and
to fix responsibility. Here Mr.. Morris
name entered into a monologue given by
the mayor.
Mayor Criticises Morris.
Several things were charged against
Morris by Mayor Newman. The mayor
alleged that Morris had been ont Of the
city too much since entering upon the
sewer Job, that he had done work in
other cities: that his job savored too
much politics and that a number of
other things were the matter with him.
The executive session adjourned without
decision haTing been reached, but with
the council firmly resolved to run down
the complaint coming in from the ire
factory. There was not available suf
ficient evidence to justify them. they
thought. il needlessly alarming the popu-
lace or placing blame where it was not
deserved, 50 ii was decided that the
business Of the meeting should not be
given out for publication.
An alleged interview was published IN
a local newspaper in which the mayor
was quoted along lines which the counsel
thought violation of the agreement
anent silence, but it developed that such
was not the case. The mayor confirmed
the statement published. but he said
that the interviewer had advance in
formation concerning business trans
acted at the executive session-that he
only answered in the affirmative when