The San Juan Islander

Concerning the water question O. H. Culver says: "It is the most important civic matter, in its bearing upon the growth of the town and the health and well being of the people, that has ever come before the voters of the municipality, or is ever likely to come before them. An abundant water supply is the town's greatest need. Trout lake undoubtedly affords the only source of an adequate gravity system. It is a meandered lake and the right of the town to appropriate the water for its use is unquestionable. The shore lands are of little value and if a dam raises the level of the lake above the meander line, the owners of the few acres that might be submerged could recover only actual damages, which would be insignificant. As they are non-resident people of very large means, represented here by a man who formerly owned the land himself and who has a keen appreciation of the needs of this community and has more than once evinced a cheerful readiness to aid worthy projects in its interest, it is to be hoped that they will readily concede all that can consistently be asked of them, viz., the right to construct a storage dam and to lay the pipe line across their land without asking any 'damages.' I have heard it said that we have no assurance that if we get the water we will get any new industries in consequence of it. Even if that were true, which I have good reason to doubt, it seems to me that there is little hope of new industries without water, which is one of the chief essentials in milling, canning and kindred projects. Without it there is little prospect of a lumber mill or electric lights; with it we would speedily have both. Without it we can have no sewerage system, the lack of which is fast becoming a serious menace to the health of the community. Without it we are without protection against fire, the losses from which within the past year have amounted to approximately one-half of the proposed bond issue. I have $1000 or more invested in a private water system which amply supplies my own home and those of a number of my neighbors, and yet I am most heartily in favor of the proposed municipal system, for I believe it will do far more than any other possible improvement to stimulate the growth of the town, add to its attractiveness and increase the value of property. And it seems to me that under proper management the proposed system should not only be self-sustaining but become in course of time a very valuable municipal asset as a source of revenue."