The Dust That Cost a Dollar: Kennewick’s Summer of Dry Streets

Sprinkler Bill Must Be Paid This Summer Unless Business Men Foot It

The S.O.S. signal was thrown out for the water wagon at the Commercial Club luncheon Wednesday, when it was announced that if the streets are to be sprinkled this summer the business men would have to dig down into their pockets and meet all the expense.

Sprinkling was made the topic for discussion at the luncheon. President Desgranges explained that owing to curtailed revenues the city council had refused to appropriate any of the municipal funds for sprinkling purposes.

Last year the expense was taken care of partly by individual subscriptions and partly by the city, the latter paying at first $60 and later $75 a month. It was explained that W. A. Morain had secured about $90 in subscriptions and that in order to keep the sprinkler going about $60 more would be necessary.

After the matter was placed before the members present a general discussion followed. It was the apparent sentiment of the meeting that no water wagon at all was out of the question. It was also just as apparent that it was general belief that the burden should not fall entirely upon the business men. Dr. F. M. Crosby voiced his sentiments saying that he had always contributed to the sprinkling fund but that he felt that the expense should all be met from the general fund of the city. Others heartily concurred in this belief and Mayor Richardson was asked to explain the condition of the city’s finances.

He said that because of a falling off of revenue, due to the failure of two of the saloons to renew their licenses, it would be impossible to meet the expense budget for this year. And in order to meet the actual needs it would be necessary to prune the expense wherever possible. It is not possible to reduce the salaries of any of the paid officials as the law will not permit of any reduction during the term of the present incumbents. It is likewise impossible to cut the light and water bills any as these are fixed by contract and the only place where any cuts can be made is in the street fund.

The year’s budget carried $500 for this work but this amount had been reduced to $1,000, half of which has already been expended. Confronted by this situation the council had chosen to limit the expenditures to absolute necessities and to let the streets take care of themselves.

Mayor Richardson was followed by City Attorney Holcomb who said he knew of no way by which the city could take care of the sprinkling expense this year.

L. E. Johnson suggested that if the bill had to be paid by the business men the equitable way to proceed was to map out a sprinkling district and assess the charges at a specified amount per lot.

At the conclusion of the discussion a motion was passed authorizing the chair to appoint a committee to confer with Mr. Morain and proceed along this line and report at the next luncheon. L. E. Johnson, E. W. Trenbath and C. E. Copeland were named on that committee.