Alma record., 1920-10-28
CITY COMMISSION
REPLIES TO WEST
Advocate of Facts Does Not
Quote Them Is the
View.
DEFEND THE BOND ISSUE
Signed Statement is Answer to Com
munication in Last Weeks
Alma Record.

The city officials have taken mum.
erous exceptions to the communica.
tion of Professor F. +. West, rela.
tive to the proposed bonding issue
which appeared in The Record last
week, and have submitted to The
Record a communication signed by
all members of the commission in
answer to matters Professor West
brought out.
The Record has always welcomed
communications on community ques-
tions, that both sides of a case might
be brought out. The communication
Of Professor West was printed not
because The Record was opposed to
the bonding proposition, for The
Record is heartily in favor of it, be-
heving that a pure, safe, drinking
water is one of the essentials that
any hustling, growing community,
that looks forward to a wonderful
future, must have.
The communication of the city
officials follows:
ITO the Alma Record, Alma, Mich.
I'VE, the undersigned members of
the City Administration of the City
Of Alma do hereby desire to answer
the communication Of Mr.. F. E..
West in the last weeks issue of your
paper.
1T is to be regretted that a COM
munication of this sort should come
from Mr.. West at this time, when
improvements are under considera-
tion that will affect the welfare of
the entire community and are vital
needs of the city at the present time.
THE requirements of an honest.
conscientious citizen, wanting as all
good citizens do, to help build up
the city, should be; First-he shall.
OF his own knowledge, be positive
that the course being pursued by the
city is wrong; to know it is wrong
IS TO know some better way to pro-
ceed. Then to build up is to recon-
mend to those in charge such in
formation as they should have to
proceed on the right course. Second
he should not criticise without be-
ing able to offer good honest con-
crete facts, lest without intention.
ne may influence the public to his
own detriment.
Mr.. West states and advocates SOL
i'd, positive truths without the slight
est suspicion of doubt, and then in
the next line misquotes the amount
of the bond issue.
The city did not purchase the
ground where the Central MICHIGAN
Light and Power Company is now
located, for the primary purpose of
locating water plant there, it was
talked Of perhaps but only because
the city had the land available at
that place and then did abandon II
Tor the present water site for good
and sufficient reasons.
There has not been recor,-
nendatlon from the State Geoloeist
that the location was better adapted
ior securing water, but on the con-
trary there is report from tba1
state Board of Health and also
the State Geologist; in this renort
Mr. r. Gardner Legg states under
the date of Sept. 21st. 1920. regard
ing the proposed water supply from
the Bird Park where the plant is
now located. 1t reads as follows:
IL Is very evident that thu, loca-
non proposed by .he authorities AZ
Anna is the most feasible from their
'tandpolnt, as it will require nrac-
.icaiiy no alteration in the distribu-
ION system, the only argument
'gainst this site is the fact that the
ahd is Hooded during the spring Of
ne year, which fact will of conrso
make the construction of a pumn;no
y" "'''e Gust
Inc fact that the land is flooded
,oes not influence the wells at ALI
ney are absolutely tight when beine I
'seu ana have to be tight to be used
~ suction lift for obtaining water
or 1t would be impossible to Eft ,
water from 10 feet down in the nina !
-ast spring the fourteen wells wa~o
,oe covered with the sewage from {
ne second ward there being a dvte !
constructed along the river and NJ
'ater from the river came over ,ho {
op Of this dyke. '"s ,
Inc tests on the wells were no,
nade during wet season. but thav !
'ere tested during the month 90 '
MY and August, 1919, which as
nie r called the dry season. The q
mount OF water available was an c
arently as much at the finish as q,
ne start of the test, namely ESQ cal. !
ms per minute. The centrifngal {
ump purchased by the city was the }
mo- size and type recommended bv
,e engineers tW. J. Sherman Co I
Ioiedo, o. and also approved bv $
le Michigan Inspection Bureau '
pa was for the purpose of prividing $
'rge volumes Of water from the v
yer Tor fire protection 10 the mann
interests Of the city.
AGAIN the plunger pump recon-
ended to be bought, does not cost o
f,UQ.O0 but has hoox, ..ts-..I =. A.