Newport's Cesspool Crisis Made a Sewer System the Town's Biggest Need

The city of Newport needs a sewerage system more at the present time than any other public improvement. The health of the inhabitants is of the greatest importance to the welfare of the business interests.

At the present time there is nothing in the way of a sewerage system in the city. Nearly every business building or residence is connected with a cesspool or the slops and refuse are thrown out in the street or alley. Until a short time ago it was customary for many of the business men to throw the slops arising in the conducting of their business out in the streets in front of their property. The city ordered this stopped, and the order was obeyed for a short time, but recently several of the merchants have been disobeying the orders.

In the business center, in the rear of many of the saloons and other business houses the conditions are frightful, even at this season of the year. During the coming summer, unless conditions are speedily remedied, there will be an epidemic of disease arise from this cause.

The need of the improvement has recently been discussed at considerable length by some of the more enterprising citizens, and it was decided to appeal to the city authorities and see if the matter cannot be arranged for this season.

The Miner is heartily in favor of the proposition, and has secured the following information regarding the necessary steps that must be taken regarding the formation of a district and the manner of paying for the improvement.

Cities and towns of the fourth class (to which class Newport belongs) may establish, construct and maintain systems of drainage and sewerage, both within and without the corporate limits, and may manage, regulate and control the same, and to determine upon the plan best suited to the present and future needs of the city the council may cause preliminary surveys and estimates of costs to be made. The system may consist of one mode or two or more and the questions of surface drainage and sewerage may be so combined or separately handled.

When susceptible to one system the town may determine the location, size and construction of the main or trunk sewer, to be constructed at the expense of the city; or, if two or more systems are required, a main or trunk sewer for each may be so constructed, as necessity may require.

The council may, by ordinance, specify and propose the adoption of a plan or system and declare the estimated cost, which proposal shall then be submitted to the electors at a general or special election and may be adopted by a majority vote.

If the plan embraces the incurring of indebtedness by the city and issuance of bonds (to run not exceeding 20 years at not more than 6 per cent interest), this feature must be ratified by two thirds of the qualified voters voting at such election. General city bonds may be issued to an amount not exceeding 5 per cent of the assessed value of taxable property. As shown by the last general assessment the valuation of the property is $326,929, which would permit bonding to the amount of $16,346.95.

Sewerage or drainage districts may be created to drain into the main sewer, and assessments of property in the district be made and special taxes levied on the property to pay for same, 25 per cent of the cost of same to be paid out of city current expense funds if ordered by the unanimous vote of the council.

At present there is no bonded indebtedness on the town. The revenues from various sources, in addition to a limited bonded issue, and the formation of lateral sewerage districts would make the taxes but a little higher than at present and make the town sanitary. There is a splendid fall from all portions of the city to the river, and the excavating should not be very expensive on account of the character of the soil in most portions of the town.