The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-06-07
COUNCIL CALLS
 MEETING; WILL
 DISCUSS WATER
City Seeking Information
 on Company's Plan for Improvements


 Council to be held at City Hall to- night, the question of assuring the community an ample supply of water at all times will be taken up for settlement. John Beck, local manager of the Juneau Water Company has been asked by the Council to be present. When the special meeting was called last night, the Council thought MT. Lewis would be in the City, but he left for Seattle on the steamer Alaska early this morning without knowing of the Councils plans.
 The water situation was brought ID at last nights regular meeting of the Council when copy of a joint letter from the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company and the Alaska Electric Light & Power Company to R. F. Lewis, President of the water company, was placed on file by the two companies.
 Make Definite Offer
 In this letter is contained their offer to the Juneau Water Company of supplemental supplies in times of shortage, but conditioned upon the performance of definite better ments. And the tender is good only for Juneau's present popula- tion and present industries. It is not the intent of either of the companies using water from Gold Creek to be put in the position of agreeing to supplement the sup ply of the water company for in creased domestic needs occasioned by either an increase of population or of industries.
 Recurrent water shortages in past years, the companies maintain, were caused mainly by wastage And they do not feel justified in diverting water held by them for their own needs, to make good wasted supplies of the water com- pany.
 Insist on Protection
 In that connection the letter to MT. Lewis said:
 We insist that the Juneau Water Company first protect its distribu- tion system in such a manner as to do away with present waste of water. If, after everything has been done that can and should be done by the Juneau Water Com pany and required to be done by the ordinances of the City of Ju- neau, there is still a water shortage during periods of cold weather, the undersigned will divert such avail able water as they now control from the flow of Gold Creek into Last Chance Basin, or a sufficient amount thereof to supplement the shortage so that the same may be available to the City of Juneau through the distribution system of the Juneau Water Company, to supply the requirements of the present population and industries"
 Water so diverted, however, must be actually used and not be wasted nor allowed to replace wastage, the two companies said. We do not undertake and will not undertake to furnish any water to the Ju- neau Water Company for distribu- tion in Juneau where the same will be wasted: and before the un- dersigned each agree to cooperate by furnishing any of the water of Gold Creek to which either is en- titled, the water system Of Ju- neau must be placed and main tained in such a manner as to pre- vent any wastage of water such as now occurs due to broken pipes and to running faucets which are kept open to prevent freezing
 Water Needs of A. J.
 In conclusion, the companies re- iterated that additional Gold Creek water will be available only after all necessary steps are taken to pro- tect the water company's own sup ply from wastage, and only for present population and industrial needs.
 (Continued on Papa Eiqht)