The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-08-11
~ LII PASS.
u..., NJ rho rs ,er Works Ordinance.

oopst nd operate in this city
10 general use and &C.
'eople.
7iduals are 10 have the
nis works in this city, the
% Gree TO say that it knows Of
% rF.l ,uld more readily grant
-. rza. t. .a dye Cation; butthe FREE
TEiDEs .. asva that the council will
make goo. 5s, in giving this right to
tag prm.r Hl. Il or individuals. This
Is work that the city alone should under
take-which the city alone should own and
operate. 1.-THE experience Of other cities is
worth anything as guide to Ottawa, that
experience teaches in unmistaksble terms
!. that it 10 unwise in the highest degree to
relegste to individuals the control Of mon.
opoly whose patronage and benefits comes
from and accrue solely to tho whole people.
The FREE TRADER believes and has always
believed, that il would bs better financially
and in other ways for the city to wait until
it 10 able to build and own these works than
10 take the risk that necessarily sscomran'
les the private ownership Of such franchise
Il does not expecs, Of course, that this belief
will have any effect on the passage Of this
ordinance; but il docs know that in less
than Eve years after these works are in oper
stion the men who pass the ordinance on
Monday night next will regret this unwise
giving away Of rights that belong to the
people.
The ordinance proposed does, Is the FREE
TRADER understands, retain for the city the
'Vht to build its own works at any time
femoteness Of such . step, however, in
the present company 60 ahead is best
derstood when it is remembered that the
resent company seem to have no hesitsncy
in going on as though they had exclusive
rights. They, Of course, fear no outside
competition, just as the present gas company
have no fear of rival company in that busi'
ness, for no man or men are foolish enough
to duplicate their plant in city Of this size
or CT the size the city is likely to be within
the next rs years. II, water works COM
pany understand this situation very we'll
The ordinance provides also for an exami.
nation Of the water by analysis, to establish
it's purity before it is accepted by the city
90 far as it applies to supplies for which the
city is to pay its rental Of $4,000 year.
Nor shall the company be allowed under the
ordinance to collect rentals of individuals in
case impure water is furnished; and con
tinuance Of such impurity for one year for
feits the franchise. 1t then provides for the
rights Of persons and property during the
period of construction, and specifies details
of materials to be used that the company
shall furnish free water for ten drinking
fountains and engine house. The city is to
pay, however. an annual rental Of $500 per
mile for not less than ten miles Of mains, and
when the whole ten miles are completed $500
per mile, and $500 q mils for extensions of
mains. This rental is based on pressure Of
40 lbs. per square inch in the mains at court
house level. The water to be used by the
city shall be only for fire purposes, Fl ling
city reservoirs, and flushing sewers, no more
than one hydrant to be used at a time and
that not oftener than twice q week for one
hour at time, one days notice to be given.
In regard to the purchase by the city the
ordinance has the following section
SEcr1oN 9. At the expiration Of ten years
after the completion of the works, and at the
expiration of each succeeding period Of five
years thereafter, the city shall have the
right and privilege to purchase the said sys,
tenn of water works provided they notify the
said Ottawa Water Works, its successors and
assigns of their intention so to do at least
six months before the expiration of the said
period or periods of years.
The value Of the said system shall be as
certained as follows:-The said Ottawa
Water Works, its successors or assigns and
the said city, shall each appoint one compe.
tent disinterested person, the tive appoiutees
shall choose third, and the three persons
thus chosen shall constitute q board to de.
termine the value of the said system Of water
works. In case the two persons chosen dis
agree upon the selection Of third, he shall
be appointed BY judge Of the circuit court
Of the judicial circuit in which the said La
Sale county is situated residing at the time
fartherest removed from Ottawa, and said
appointee shall not be a resident Of La Sale
county, Ill. The said board, in fixing the
value Of the works, shall take into consider
alton the value Of the charter derived from
the State Of Illinois, the values Of water
rights and rights Of ways outside Of said
city, and tho right Of way that said Ottawa
Water Works may have acquired through or
over any private property in said city, by
purchase condemnation or otherwise, the
revenue from the works and al other facts
and considerations legtimately connected
with the said works. But the said board
shall not take into consideration any Of the
rights or privileges bestowed upon said Otta-
va Water Works, its successors or assigns,
by this ordinance, or that may hereafter be
granted to said Ottawa Water Works by the
city council of the said city Of Ottawa.
Payment in case Of q sale shall be made
within six months from the time the value in
cash is ascertained