Telegram-herald., 1890-02-24
DEADCOCKIN THE PIT
T. u. Glltert's Labored Report
Badly Gated
The HYDRAULICS TRIU NPHlSI CROB
Personal Prejudice Aetastes oGs " mo
n0sid kSther Driak Ssim Prom tAs
Iity's Pipes thzh SPring " atsf
Prom Amp other

We the u ual 40 room Tor II il our A12l0
of Yesterday. Mr.. Glberts speech Of
Friday nlght i replied ~ AT length, and
as we gave more OF that than sc did Of
Alderman Turner's, We commend tie
perusal Of the following 10 our readers,
Tor in al probability the water question
ln Grand Rapids y far from beng per-
manently settled
Tot Editor OF the TusGEAA HfEALD.
The published reports OF Mr.. Gilbert
communication or speech 10 the eoun-
ell On the water question contain 20
much that Is incorrect and calculated
10 m.slead that l deem II proper 10
answer.
The report Of the committee OF seven
70 winch Mr.. Gilbert refers did not 80
into the question OF what the offer the
Hydraulic Company TO purchase the
clty's system on arbitration meant,
winch was then before the committee.
The report stated that they did not
favor the sale OF the city's works on
any basis vet presented, but as the COM
mlttee had not conferred with Us at all
on that subject, or requested the
Hydraulic Company 10 state what it
meant, we sent 4 second cOmmumlca-
ton 10 the council after the report, ex-
planning that il meant a SO hydrant
rental and free water for all city build
ings and the schools. Mr.. Gilbert's
personal prejudice against me is SO
strong that It cOlors all lis statements
and communications, and he utterly
ignores the fact OF competition IN his
figures, and he bases all MS statements
A .tt~ats
water a. an exclusive source of supply
for the future, and for that reason
claim that his opinions and statesments
on the water question should be taken
with many grains of allowance.
The offer of the Hydraulic Company
is virtually free water for the city of
Grand Rapids. A $40 hydrant rental
Will not amount TO as much as the
taxes which the company would have
to pay to the city on a consolidated
plant If the Hydraulic Company was to
purchase the clty's works. Therefore
the hydrant rental means nothing to
the company, except another way of
paying It's taxes, and as the city works
pay no taxes whatever, the Hydraulic
Company really gives the city free
water Tor each and every purpose, and
for all public buildings. To the private
consumers it Will make Il contract
guaranteeing the same rates rs charged
by the city, and we filed with the COM
mlttec the citv'S rate book Is showing
the rates that we would agree To cnargc
III ease contract was made between
the Hydraulic Company and the 81.
and we VIII agree never TO charge any
higher rates.
Mr.. Gilbert has personally informed
me that ne proposed TO ruin the Hy-
drauhc company and myself, and be
lleve that hlS communication TO the
council on Friday evening i, a part of
his general plan to carry out his inten-
ton. But for his personal nsinuations
against me IN the communication, |
should not have referred TO this fact.
which has been known TO Il number of
MY friends I'm this city for a consider
able length o. time.
Mr.. Gilbert in nhiscbmmunicatiOn saws
that the offer tor the works iS Sll3,00O
less than the cost Tins appears to be
true on the face OF il. The fact, how
ever, S that the OAcr of the Hydraulic
Company Is S6l2,000lfor the city work,
which is the total amount of the citv's
bonded debt Tor water works today,
and To take SO hydrant rental. which
would only offset the tax which the
Hydraulic Company would have to pay
If they bad the city combined with their
plant. Mr. Gilbert says the cItv's works
cost SI25, 200. Their construction ac-
count does figure about 1928 600, but it
includes a large amount of wooden
pipes and other items which were shown
up IN the evidence IN the suit of the
city against the Hydraulic Company to
have been useless expenditures, and
many OF which were put IN under Mr.
/ GIihcTt's management rs pres dent of
the first Board of Public Works. The
entire c tv plant could be duplicated to-
dav for $500 900 in better shape than it
now exists. Therefore. the offer of
SSH, 900 is Sll2.o00 more than the city
system could bc duplicated for.
The Hydraulic compauv's offer Is
further that they Will arh.tratc and
paw any figure determ ned un0n above
S6l2, 900. They VIII do tins ON the
bass or an amount for hydrant rental
sufficient TO Offset the tax that thcv
wOul have 60 pay on the Increased
COS of the plant or its increased as
ss-~ad VALUATION u-unicss that can be ad-
lu~tat iu some other form. u which
case 10 would bo arbitratod ou amy far
bass representing tha reasonable in-
voStmcnt by the Hydraulic COMPANY.
oven at the full figure ot 1925. .ooo. Nr.
q H'Tt through hls pueIudico would
ie7 tic public tn believe tH9t ! au
Wiiulv entcavorrg 20 m.--.atc ana
disiort the facts and fCUres % caunec-
ton vlth tie offer for tho nnrchas. ~