Mexico weekly ledger., 1888-10-25
1T Is so ORDERED.
The Water-works May Yet
Belong to the City.
An Unusually Heated Session of
the City Counc1l-Andy Surber
Appointed as a Night
Folieeman-Notes.

About the first thing taken up at
the meeting of the City Council
Monday was the Water-works
question. Mr.. Arnold opened the
discussion of the question with the
statement that with Mr.. Locke and
Mr.. Ferris he had conferred with
representatives of the bondhelders
of the Water-works, with the view
of getting as reasonable a PROPOSE
ton as possible. After much diff
ficulty they succeeded in getting an
offer from the company to sell out
for $4,000 cash, this amount to
bear interest at the rate of 8 per
cent. after November l., when the
amount will be due under the
terms of the proposition. Mr..
Arnold at once took his old ground
favoring the submission of the
question to the people. He be-
lieved that the sooner the question
is settled, the better for all con-
cerned.
When Mr.. Arnold had closed,
Mr.. Locke moved the acceptance
OF the proposition. The motion
received Mr.. Arnold's second and
a vote was at once taken. 1t
resulted in this way: Arnold and
Angle voted for the submission of
the proposition, while Hit and
Ferris voted against it. Mr.. Locke
did not vote. Thus the matter
was still undecided.
Mr.. Locke addressed the Coun-
Gil and said the reason he had not
voted was that he had hoped the
question would be decided without
his ballot. 1t was a delicate one
one in which he felt much interest,
but he had hardly made up his
mind.
Mayor Bassford SAID he fully
appreciated the situation and
thought with Mr.. Locke that the
question involved was a matter OF
much moment. But however deli
cate. he could not see why the
question should not be submitted
to the people for decision. No
responsibility rests with the Coun-
Gil and he could not see where that
body would be doing wrong in al
lowing the people to settle them
selves a matter that interests them
alone.
Mr.. Hit thought the question
should not be submitted unless the
proposition made by the bond
holders of the Water-works meets
with the approval of the Council.
He feared that the people would
take the submission ofany PROPOSE
ton by the Council as an endorse
ment, and he did not see how the
Council could conscientiously en-
dorse the proposition now in ques-
ton.
The Mayor: 81 think the peo-
pie will decide this question to
their own interest. I have that
much confidence IN their intelli-
gence."
Mr.. Ferris "The possibility
arises that We may not be able to
float our bonds at 5 per cent"
Mr.. Arnold GAS an honest
man and a citizen of Mexico,
can think of no other way
of settling this question. AS to
our ability to float bonds, 1 have
taken the trouble to investigate the
matter. 1 told a St. Louis broker
that in case we issued bonds, they
would likely be 5-2Os. He told me
that if we would issue n half OF
the bonds payable in five and TWEEN.
ty years, the other half in ten anC
twenty years, we could handle
them easier. l have no doub'
that we could float the bonds at {
per cent. l think with the Mayor
that we should submit this to the
people. l think we would be car
rying the censure of our constitu.
ents if we failed to submit it,"
Another vote was taken, but thu
result was the same as on the frs
ballot.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT.
Mr.. Locke: ~ would like to ask
Mr.. Mayor, how came we in gu:
present trouble?-by simply trust
ing the people,"
The Mayor: 81 am rather OPP
posed to paying $4,000 for thu
works, but 1 think the peopl'
should be given a chance"
!. Mr.. Arnold: II am inclined t.
insist on this matter tonight.
think it is the turning point in on
nitu,S nrosnarifu h~aliaua III.