Walla Walla's Water War: Springs, a Bank, and a $250,000 Bond

"Hold fast to that which is good," should be the policy of the city council in dealing with the water problem. No city in the country has a better and purer water supply, so far as it goes, than Walla Walla. There is no reason why consumers having plenty of good water under the present system should be forced to connect with a new system. They are well satisfied with what they have and believe in letting well enough alone.

However, stronger pressure is needed in the business district for fire protection, and water must be supplied to the people in the more elevated residence districts of the city who cannot be supplied from the present system. Both these objects can be easily accomplished by the plan proposed by Councilman Glasford. He would make use of the flow of water developed at Thomas Springs to supply the business section and that portion of the city east of Howard Street now inadequately provided with water.

The present flow at Thomas Springs is sufficient to meet present needs, and when it is utilized the council will have time to carry on further development work at Thomas Springs according to the plan advocated by Councilmen Smith and Hover, or by some other scientific method.

The Glasford plan is not a "temporary expedient." It provides the basis for a complete water system for a city of ten times the population of Walla Walla. According to Engineer Kiersted the supply of water at Thomas Springs is sufficient for all the needs of a population of from twenty-five to thirty thousand people, and when that mark is passed Walla Walla can tap Mill Creek at one time as well as another and augment her water supply to the highest point necessary.

But it is folly to resort to Mill Creek now when there is an abundance of pure, cold spring water belonging to the city on the Thomas ranch. The right to use this water cost the Walla Walla Water Company $10,000, and in developing the flow the city has already expended nearly $15,000. The people will never vote to abandon this valuable right in order to increase the market value of the land for the benefit of the First National Bank, which acquired the Thomas ranch by the foreclosure of a mortgage a few years ago. Neither will the people vote for any scheme that involves the purchase of half the ranch for $25,000 in order to give the bank a handsome profit on the sale of the other half. In spite of the ingenious attempts to hide the real title of the land, the people are not to be fooled and they will not submit to any hold-up game for the benefit of any private interests.

No one would object to the council's submitting the proposition for the Thomas ranch or for the abandonment of the springs in favor of the Mill Creek bankruptcy scheme to the people and allowing them to decide between it and the Glasford plan, but if the former proposition is submitted alone it will be buried out of sight. If the council will give the people a fair chance at the several propositions now being discussed they will soon settle the water question. The Statesman is willing to bow to the will of the people whenever it is fairly expressed on propositions squarely submitted. There are in fact three propositions before the people. First, in the view of The Statesman, and we believe in the judgment of a majority of the business men of the city, is the Glasford plan for making immediate use of the flow of water developed at Thomas Springs and developing more as the needs of the city may require; second, the First National Bank plan of having the city pay $25,000 for half the Thomas ranch as a condition of its being allowed to make use of its $10,000 water right and $15,000 development work; third, the National Bank plan of having the city abandon its water right and development work on the Thomas ranch and issue bonds to the amount of $250,000 for taking water from a point twelve miles up Mill Creek, with a probability of having to pay $100,000 more to settle damages claimed by riparian owners.

The second and third propositions might be combined in one, thus allowing the people to make a clear-cut decision between the Glasford plan and the First National Bank scheme. The result of such an election is a foregone conclusion, but the council should make haste in going through the formalities required by law.