The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-09-13

4HtSCtoH Wttt guCE DtNU LVH UOt6fo
at an election IN the not too
distant future. To present an
overall picture of the local sat-
udtion is the purpose of this ar
ticle. another a0iH appear soon
With the close of the Japanese
war, Bluffton again is face to face
with it's perennial headache-the
problem of the towns sewage dis
posal-which the city administration
two years ago committed itself to
settle as soon as possible after the
close of hostilities.
Since 1926 Buttons sewage dis
posal question has been clamoring
for solution because of the resultant
pollution of Big and Little Riley
creeks. The matter has plagued
every local administration and has
involved the municipality in repeated
wrangles with the state board of
health and court suits with land
holders.
Over this span of 19 years, voters
of the town five times have rejected
bond issues proposed to finance
sewer system.
In one proposal, federal agencies
had agreed to pay three-fourths of
the expense involved, but it failed
TO carry, as had earlier bond is
sues. Several times, the proposals
received more than a majority of the
votes cast, but failed to carry by
the necessary 65R.
Wartime Truce
Outbreak of the war shelved the
question temporarily, but the price
of the truce was an agreement by
the town administration that i'm
mediate steps would be taken to
solve the problem with the close of
hostilities.
Altho the matter was discussed at
Mondays meeting of the municipal
council, there was no indication as
TO how soon definite steps can be
taken in again opening the matter.
First move probably would be
steps to again subrait the question
to voters, for authorization Of bonds
necessary to finance municipal
sewer system.
However, town authorities pointed
out Monday that there is insufficient
time to prepare legislation for sub
mission to the voters in this falls
general election and the question
cannot come up until later.
No Immediate Action
Present indications are that it is
highly improbable the proposal can
come to a vote before next year, and
there are some hopes that at that
time government aid might again be
available.
Plans for a complete system were
drafted several years ago by the
firm of Finkbeiner, Pettis and Strout,
Toledo engineers, and that part of
the preliminaries probably would not
have to be repeated, town spokesmen
said.
Altho the sewer question has re-
manned dormant during the war, no
improvement has been made in the
situation. Complaint of pollution
have been answered by the town
administration on the basis that war
conditions made it impossible to take
remedial steps, but with termination
of hostilities that answer no longer
will be acceptable now that fighting
has come to an end.
In addition to claims of damage
to farm property, new complaint
entered the picture during the war
years, with the charge by one vii
lage householder that gas arising
from pollution in the streams caused
discoloration of paint on his house.
His contention was supported by
chemical analysis from the U. S.
Department of Agriculture's forest
service, altho no damages were paid.
$4,000 Suits Settled
Buttons agreement to take steps
to remedy the situation at the close
of the war was represented in an
out-of-cour settlement of suits ag-
gregating $4,000 brought by Oliver
Locher and Henry P. Huber, who
claimed damages to their farms as a
result of pollution in Riley creek.
In settlement out of court reach
ed in July, 1943, the town paid each
landowner $1,000, with eight months
interest dating from first scheduled
hearing of the suits, and agreed to
take steps toward installing a sewer
system with the close of the war.
Settlement of the claims, however,
does not prevent these or other
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