OCR Text |
Show WATER STEALING. Fummary action is being taken in the matter of stealing water. On several occasions oi late reference has been made to the arrests and imposition impo-sition of fines for violations of the water ordinance, but irom the in-Creased in-Creased number of cases before the justice 'ittle heed appears to have been paid to tbe timely warning Thin water Bleating business is an 0 Sense t ye-irs otAi.du, and hereto lore so little determined no lino again?' it has b- en exhibited by tue aotbo rilie. lht it may to an extent, account for ihe xa-i-j froid and air of righteousness witu wuicb tbe breaker of the water ordinance have commit ted thi ir cjfTen&ea. And to this careless nesa or easy with which the officers have treaitd the wrong doers may be attributed (be muddied condition of the water trouble. For the past two or three days number ol ases of water stealing have been be tore Justice Pyper and a determina tion is evinced by the water master to rigorously enforce his instructions in this respect. There is little, if any tbing, that can be brought forward to stand in extenuation of this o Sense, for tbe reason that persons so arrested have not only oeen notified, and furnished with a xpy of tbe penalty attaching to a violation of the ordinance, but the matter has time and time again been brought before tbe community through tbe medium of the press, which has warned those using water 'of what consequences would result from an infraction of the ordinance. It is simply whining childishness to attempt to mitigate the wrong by claiming that we are unaware of tbe i fact that the taking of water at other lours than those provided for is considered con-sidered theft. It is just as much bo to steal a man's fruit or anything else, and it would be a pretty difficult j) alter for a person to convince the community that he entertained a sane opinion to the contrary. While toe watermaster and his deputies are -j) be supported in their present andertakiug, there are a few things which should be held in continual remembrance. Among these, one W i hat previous to securing the arrest of a person charged with this offense, it thou Id be pretty clearly established taat be in guilty. It is not sufficient chat the water be seen running into bis garden at hours not contemplated in his water license, as th re are many ways by which this may occur without his knowledge, and it is not improbable to at an erroneous idea may have been obtained ob-tained from the section water master such cases often exist and can be proven. It may be claimed that be is discharged if not lound guilty, but this is not sufficient, as there is some thing of disgrace, er rather it iB bo felt by many, in the mere fact if being be-ing charged and arrested on such grounds, no matter how innocent the accused be proven. The police docket -ibows the discharge ot many, and it is but just to inter from this ehowiug taat some have been brought up before be-fore a clear and iuBt cause for accusation accusa-tion had been established. However, ju .the whole, it is to be considered a natter for mutual congratulation that -.ne present position is being taken by thrum havinc jurisdiction ot the d i via ion of water, and may put an end to tbe water troubles which have an nnyed and troubled people for years. Continued arrests may have a tendency to inatill a due regard for tie rights of others into the craniums of offenders whose ideas of honesty in water stealing are peculiarly liberal to tnemselvea so Ion? as there is no apparent ap-parent danger of their being punish a 1 for robbing their neighbors. For the sake of this class we publish tbe sen tion of the ordinance which contains the penalty for an infraction thereof and commend it to their careful cou sideration: Sec. 8 All perrons using ditch water on their lots, during tbe period wben it is allotted by the water-masters, water-masters, aud after official notice of 'aid alloltment, at any tima or in any quantity not bo allotted, shall be uable to a fine of not less than one nor more than fifty dollars. |