A $1,500 Sewer Plan, and a Demand for an Affidavit
Olympia's council weighs buying a complete sewerage scheme for the city — but not before the engineer swears his figures are honest.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
At the meeting of the city council last night the street committee reported that they had examined and considered the plans, estimates, profiles and maps for a complete system of sewerage for the city of Olympia, prepared by Engineer J. S. Camp, and recommended the purchase of plans for the system at the price of $1,500, provided J. S. Camp furnishes the city with his affidavit that all data furnished by him are correct.
Mr. Percival moved the adoption of the report, and Mr. Marr thought the plans were excellent, but suggested a further examination before their adoption, and moved their reference to the committee on sewers and the city attorney and city engineer. Mayor Horr thought also that too hasty action would not be for the best results. Mr. Marr's motion was adopted.
“Mayor Horr thought also that too hasty action would not be for the best results.”
Olympia in 1891 had no sewer system at all, and even the purchase of the engineering drawings required an affidavit against cooked figures — a wariness about consultants and public money that every modern city council would recognise. The motion to slow down and double-check was, in the end, the popular one.
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