The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-06-05
THE TRANSITION PERIOD.

~ NE of the first results Of the Eks' home fire has been to direct
- defect in the municipal equipment that has been realized for
some time by the city commissioners an"! 70 which much time and
thought have been devoted. Handicapped by lack Of money and by
definite legal restrictions upon its borrowing powers through bonds,
the city government has been forced to move slowly. 1t ID realized
that a way must be found by whfeh the progrem of municipal i'm
provement can be speeded mp.
from a town into a city II was once u boast that ours was the
ing from a biggest little city, into a fairly big city and we have
not realized quite how rapid that progress has been. Thousands Of
ms can recall when the first motorized fire equipment was installed
We thought we were equipped to fight fire for indefinite years to
come Thousands Of MS remember when we stood in some trepida
iin before a S450O0 bond issue for sewer construction, and when
that construction had been carried out we felt that our city was
equipped for sewage disposal for a generation or more. Thousands
Of US remember that with the completion Of the present high school
building we felt that our school housing problem had been solved for
written something to that effect in a newspaper article at that time
We have oaisrown the whole works
firm hold Of II and all that II means accept the responsibility that is
As a municipality We must not only catch up with our growth
in business, construction, population we must get ahead of II, and stay
Our water system is inadequate; inadequate not only for fighting
fires but for the daily demands of the public service; The situation
is not critical as regards the present corporate limits; but growth
and expansion are definitely stopped because the water system will
We cannot shift the responsibility Of the blame onto a corporation or
an individual. II IS our problem and its solution is strictly up to MS
who own the property here and who pay the taxes.
Our sewer system, one of the best when built and still good
territory that should be served for purposes Of expansion and city
building and that must be served for well defined reasons of public
Compared with these matters the providing Of the additional fire
fighting equipment needed becomes no more Than a matter II I'M
The immediate answer to the suggestion that these problems re;
quire solution is that we are definitely stopped by law, as provided
in our charter, and by the Bateman act and municipal taxation lin,
itations from raising the funds for these purposes by the normal
machinery Of bond issues. We cannot take mp for public decision
another municipal bond issue until the next regular municipal eec
lion in 1922.
If no way can be found to meet this situation, and none has been
found up 10 This time, we can at least begin definite planning against
The time when we can act. Eighteen months pass quickly and plans
for the work 10 be done can hardly be maiured properly within that
time. II is none too soon TO begin thinking about those plans IN a
definite way.
We have some serious municipal problems to work out. It is not
a matter Of choice whether we shall work them out or not A growth
here which has run away from the municipal equipment leaves US
nd option. We must get up and go. II we can take hold Of these
serious problems with the came courage, the same cheerfulness and the
same fine public spirit that our friends the Elks baye shown in facing