Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-11
THE WATER QUESTION. correspondent who signs himself "Not 8


 correspondent who signs himself sNot a Stockholder'' sends us the following
 In your editorial of the 9th inst, con- menting upon the Water Company's state- ment of facts concerning the cost of it's works you seem to have been unconsciously led into making what is really an unfair statement of the question at issue. You say ''The question for the voters to consider is whether the city will gain anything by mak- ing this large expenditure, when it can, by ssnapey Teneacfng cts contract, continue matters in their present very satisfactory condition" !" May inquire what authority you have for saying this It should not be necessary for anybody to remind you that the possibility of the company being willing to renew it's contract with the city government, provided it will not interfere with the company's prop- erty and franchise, thus leaving the company free to sell it's water to consumers at it's own price has been already hinted at and the trap which was concealed under 1t has been fully exposed to view. It is believed that the com pany has it's attorneys within the Common Council, who are advocating the same delu- sive theory which you advocate, and by which it is sought so to befog this question that timid and shortsighted people will be led to believe that, If the company will agree to renew it's con tract with the city government to furnish it with water for fire purposes and the repairs of streets there will be no change ip it's price to individual consumers after this great mo- nopoly shall have acquired full power to de- mand it's own price from all private citizens, as they surely will do, if by any means the common council and the citizens fail to pur- chase the waterworks within the time limited by law. You must be aware that failure to purchase places this community in state of absolute dependence upon a monopoly that owns and controls every drop of public water SUnrIv that is or aa1 hn avi1o ho1o do not need to be told that the company would only be too glad to renew indefinitely it's contract to supply the city departments with water, if by that means 1t can defeat the present move ment to purchase for every citizen 8 supply of water at a reasonable and moderate cost How does 1t happen, let me ask that pub lie spirited newspaper like the JOURNAL AND COURIER, which formerly has been so quick to discover, and prompt to call attention to the existence of evils that have threatened the public welfare is now found advocating the interests of a company that monopolizes the control of all our drinking water; and endeavors to throw dust in our eyes when we are seeking to prevent by time ly action great public calamity that is inn pending over us? It is important in this early stage of the proceedings that you make no mistake, and if your paper is stockho1- der in the Water Company, please to let us know the fact, so that in future, when you repeat that, for your part you cannot see what the city is going to gain by change" we may know whose voice it is that speaks In giving us the benefit of this opinion, do you refer to the city government, or to it's inhabitants, the great mass of water consum- CTS, when you declare your inability to see what they are going to gain by change, and intimate that it is better for the people to buy its drinking water from a company that owns the whole of it than to own it