Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-02-20


The question arises: What sort of
contract is to be made, and what is
the amount of money that the tax
payers are to payf The citizens GER
tainly ought to know what amount of
tax they will be required to pay. and
what kind of water will be furnished
them.
Let us refer back to October 14th,
1878, at which time contract was
entered into between Alpena city and
the Water Co., and we will quote
from section one of the contract, as
follows:
The said party of the first part,
(Alpena city, in order to encourage
and promote the introduction of
water into said city for domestic par
poses, from a point in Thunder Bay,
easterly from the extremity of Trow-
bridge point, distance sufficient to
get as good water as Thunder Bay,
Lake Huron, affords and also, to
promote the introduction of water in
to said city, for fire and all purposes
other than domestic, from Thunder
Bay river.
The contract then specifies that it
shall extend 80 years from date, and
that the city shall pay $4,000 per
year for said water for fire purposes.
The company was to lay 81 miles of
pipe, besides the main pipe from
Trowbridge Point to Richardson's
dam, and to supply 80 double hy-
drants. Every hydrant used by the
city, over 80. was to be paid for at
the rate of $40 per hydrant per year.
Section seven Of the contract says
in regard to river water:
Said second party (the Water Co..
covenants and agrees that, when in
the extinguishing of fires, it becomes
necessary to pump water from Thun-
der Bay river, to furnish a sufficient
supply for such fire purposes, that
Immediately upon such necessity ceas-
ing. pumping from said river will
also cease.
Section / | says:
1t is further agreed by and be-
tween the said parties, that en- the
failure of the said second party to
keep and perform any of the cove
nants on its part, in this agreement
and required to be perform
ed and kept, then all rights, privi-
eyes and covenants herein granted
and agreed to by said first party, shall
cease, and this agreement shall be
void and of no effect whatsoever.
1t is therefore quite evident that, at
present, there is no legal contract be-
tween this city and the water COM
pany, because the water company
failed to fulfill the most important
part of its contract-the pumping of
water from Thunder Bay as called
for by the contract. 1t is well
known fact that the water company
lid not pump water from the bay
until the 18th of December, 1889,
md even now the inlet pipe is not
ocated as the contract specifies. The
water furnished the citizens previous
% that date was pumped from the
liver at RICHARDSON'S dam. 1t was
vile, filthy stuff, full of disease and
inctured with death.
The number of double fire Ky
lrants now in use is 142, of which 10
ire paid for by mill firms. The an
,ual water rent to be paid for by the
,ity has increased to SO, $4,000. In
the water company receives
, large amount of water rent from
citizens who use water for domestic
md other purposes. The company
rave what is commonly designated as
| "good thing" and they naturally
lesire to retain it.
The object of the legislative action
s to legalize the old contract, or to
.llow a new one to be made. The |
legislative act would give the Com
non Council the power to make any
lind of a contract with the water
company, providing the latter agreed
o it.
1t is but right that there should be
! legal contract between the city and
he water company, but one thing
must be plainly understood, and that
s: The Council must not make a
contract with the water company un-
il the provisions of the contract are
ully known to the tax payers of this
,ity, and are endorsed by them.
There must be no secret work in this |
water business, and, if the thing is
possible, the city should have more
favorable terms than she had under
he old contract.
As regards fire protection, the
water company has done all it agreed
10. It's service in that respect has
been first class.