Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-06-22
water works.

Mr.. EDITOR: While our people are
discussing the question Of Water
Works. and before the vote is taken as
to the issuance of So, 900 of city bonds,
would it not be well for us, as com.
munity, to pause a while and think a
little before leaping into the dark =?
Would it not be the part of wisdom
for US to ask the question, whittier are
we drifting? Let US ponder over The
condition of the grand old cities of
| Memphis and Nashville, and see to
what sad financial condition they
have been reduced by eXtravagant leg
| islation, and put the pertinent ques-
| Gi0n to ourselves, How long will it be
before we will be forced 10 abandon
our charter and take the euphonious
name of Taxing District Of Knox
| ville?'
While every intelligent and though t-
full man in our community fully APP
preciates the necessity of q good
water supply, such men are in
clined TO ask the very perth
nent questions; How much is this
improvement to cost, and what our
ability TO pay? While we call in
question no mans motive, will cur |
city fathers allow an humble, quiet |
citizen to ask few plain and simple |
questions, quite appropriate to this I
matter, and TO which many of our
people would like to have intelligent
answers.
1st. How much does the city of
Knoxville now owe that is cue and
unpaid When do you propose to pay
this debt, ard how? What provision
are you making TO pay eff your past
due papers and build up and restore
your wasted credit? Some Of your
coupons, dating back 10 rs and '76. are
still unpaid. When do you propose to
take up these evidences of debt, and
how? Ii by majority vote authority
is delegated to you to issue So, 900 of
Water Works Bonds" where
and to whom 90 you propose
Your old bonds, issued under I'M !
questioned authority Of law, are not .
to-day worth over IS cents on the
dollar, even among your own people. s
At what figure do you expect to sell t
your new bonds, clOuded, as the act by
which they will be issued is, by grave !.
legal doubts IS to their validity? ]
Many OF the best informed are clearly t
IF opinion that under the new COnsti-
ution corporation has no authority !
o issue bonds for any purpose unless c
y
lie actual property holders and own ,
rs Of realty in the corporation. =
If your old bonds, perfectly legal, are '
My worth rs cents on the dollar,
ray tell US how much the new, COW @
red knee deep in doubt, will bring? .
DO you honestly think that you could o
ell them at more than one-third of b
heir face value ? Possibly you may, e
ut among men who have money to :,
ny such securities, the opinion is iree- q
? expressed that So to 40 cents is the O.
lrgest price that they will bring while IT
on, as the custOdiaus OF the public =
God, are thus urging such lavish ex- u
of the public money, some ii
ersOns are asking the question, How r
luch of this new burden do you indi-
idually propose to shoulder p Did 8
ever occur TO you how easy it is to A
Die burdens upon others, while you
rOpose to take none upon yourselves?
hese are some few of the questions
DIV freely discussed and the public
Ould be pleased to receive answers to ~
10 same. Now, ne do need Water
'Orks-nO question OF that fact, and we
ant To en- badly. Let US build them
all means, and let Us begin as soon
possible, but let some party or par oe
IS who have at least O. little 771Oneu scs
d some credit undertake the task. loo
n, gentlemen, it will take both CO.
Oney and creditlto do this work, and, ba
Ost unfOrtunately for us as city and ~
operation, we have neither of these
ry essential prerequisites for build is'
, Water Works. IAN ON FOGy-u oct
n