Sec. 6. The number of councilmen to which each ward is entitled shall be as follows: First ward, two councilmen; second ward, two councilmen; third ward, two councilmen; fourth ward, one councilman. And they shall be elected as is provided in section 7 of this ordinance.
Sec. 7. There shall be elected from the first, second and third wards each at the next general election and at every general election thereafter, one councilman, and in the fourth ward at the next general election and thereafter biennially, one councilman.
Sec. 8. All ordinances and parts of ordinances, so far as they conflict herewith, are hereby repealed.
ELECTION PRECINCTS
The city is divided into eight election precincts, designated as follows: Lewis, Clarke, Whitman, Steptoe, Mullan, Fremont, Stevens and Sims.
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT
Yet another change of great importance occurred by which in a special election of July 10, 1911, the commission form of government was adopted, 1,943 for and 1,049 against. This went into effect September 11, 1911, with A. J. Gillis as mayor. This step was one of the manifestations of that interesting evolution of political ideas common over the United States, perhaps especially in the West consisting of two working propositions which seem antagonistic and yet are not really so, but are rather parts of one movement under two different phases. The first has been the initiative and referendum and recall, by which in legislative matters a larger exercise of popular knowledge and oversight of laws is sought. That idea has a permanent place in Washington and most western states. The other idea is that of the commission form of city government, apparently just the reverse, by which executive authority is centralized and responsibility is localized in the hands of experts. If these two working forces may be harmonized in practical action, we may justly claim to have solved the fundamental questions of democracy and efficiency.
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP OF WATER WORKS
Municipal ownership of water works and the creation of a system of sewerage have been two of the most important of all questions in the city. We have already described the water system inaugurated by J. D. Cook, J. P. Isaacs and H. P. Isaacs and subsequently acquired by the Baker-Boyer Bank. On July 11, 1881, the first election on municipal ownership occurred, and the proposal was defeated by an adverse majority of sixty-five. But the natural evolution of a city calls for the public ownership of the water system, and the agitation continued. In 1887 the Walla Walla Water Company had made a contract with the council by which, upon the fulfillment of certain improvements, they were to have exclusive right to furnish water for twenty-five years. But in spite of the contract, an ordinance providing for a public system was presented to the voters in 1893 under the mayoralty of John L. Roberts. By an overwhelming vote the ordinance carried. The water company brought suit to restrain the city from installing its system, pleading its contract. After a tedious course of litigation the suit at last reached the Supreme Court of the United States. There it was decided in favor of the Water Company. The city was thus left in a hole, after much expense. But popular opinion had become thoroughly committed to the policy of public ownership and by a special election on June 20, 1899, an ordinance was passed for the purchase of the entire property of the Water Company for the sum of $250,000. With the purchase of the water system went also the adoption of a sewerage system. Many improvements and extensions have been made of both. In April, 1907, the headworks and intake on Mill Creek were installed. Extracts from the last report of Water Supt. R. F. McLean are here inserted and from them can be derived a view of the present condition of the water and sewerage systems: