Morning journal and courier., 1891-12-04
WATER QUESTION SETTLED.
The Councilmen Last Night Concur
 with the Aldermen for a Ten Years

The Councilmen Last Night Concur With the Aldermen for Ten Years Contract. The water question came up before the board of councilmen last evening and was finally disposed of by the board voting to concur with the board of aldermen in it's action and make contract with the water company for the ensuing ten years at the annual price of $20,000. The meeting was a very harmonious one, not single dis senting voice to making the contract being raised by any of the eight councilmen who voted against concurring with the was made by Councilman Donlan of the Twelfth ward and passed by vote of 21 8.
 The sensation of the evening occurred when Councilman Guernsey of the Second ward, member of the committee on wa ter, which formulated the original report, arose and stated that he should vote for the passage of the report as amended, and stated that at the meetings of the commit tee on water he had strenuously urged the substitution of the ten yesrs' contract in stead of two years, as recommended by the committee He also said that he was in the minority on this point, how ever, and had signed the report as whole instead of submitting minority report, as he was of the opinion that it was better so to do and in that way bring the matter before the board. The report as amended, he said, exactly meets my views, and l shall tonight vote for it in this board be- cause believe the ten years contract bet ter for the interests of the city than the proposed two years' contract. Councilman Wells spoke in favor of making the contract for ten years and stated that there were many and good reasons why such a course should be ! adopted. One of the best reasons, he | thought, was because that in accordance | with the terms of the existing contract in case of failure to supply the city with water, either from scarcity or any other cause, the water company are liable for damages to the amount of $10, ,O00 for such failure, and in case of fire this would prove desirable and the means of saving considerable money to it's taxpayers. Councilman Blakeslee said that he was not in favor of buying the waterworks ! and that if the question was submitted again to the popular vote to-day it would be more overwhelmingly defeated than it | was before. He also said that another
 
 the fact that jobbery always creeps in | where cities control works of such magni | tude.
 | Councilman Reyes said that he was glad l that member of the water committee had seen fit to announce that the committed was not unit in making the report, a l the idea that the committee was unani mity itself had gone broadcast over tht city. He continued: 'In my opinion the report of the committee or at least the | figures and statistics upon which it wal based have been locked up in the safe 1T 1 the mayors office for nearly year. fail to see any good reason that the com
 nittee have advanced as to why the cit.
 should own it's water works"
 Councilman Cleaveland said that thu
 proposition of free taxes and free wate
 was not at all creditable to those proposinl
 it. The principal argument he advanced against the purchase of the waterwork
 was the fact that it would necessitate tn
 bonding of the city for between $3, ,000, ,O0
 and $4, 900, ,000, and the fact that the cit,
 would have to assume an indebtedness O
 that magnitude was sufficient to cause hin
 to vote against any such plan. He als
 believed that the question, if again put t
 the popular vote, would be overwhelming
 ly rejected.
 Several other councilmen took part in tn
 discussion, after which the question bein
 called for the board voted to concur by
 vote of 21 ayes to noes.
 Those members voting aye were: Nicoll, Dat gett Blakeslee, Parsons Guernsey, Werweis
 Courtney, Clarkson, Kiernan, Beecher, Munsol | Rabanus, Wells, Moore, Reyes, Cleaveland, Brat l ley, Emory, Donlan, Brown and Rebman. Tot,
 Those voting no were: Kaehrle, Coolohan, Co
 lins, Doughan, Hogan, Litterest, Sutter, Smitl
 Those absent or not voting: Tracy, Whittlese! The board then made choice of council
 men Donlan, Reyes and Guernsey to sery as the councilmanic part of the committe
 to conclude the contract with the Wate company.
 5 Aldermen Hamilton, Johnson and othe1 |, were interested spectators of the doings
 the board last evehing.
 The board voted to adhere to it's forme acton in reference to the New Haven an Allingtown railroad and not to concu
 with the board of aldermen in referrin
 the matter to the board of public work
 with power to act.
 The following petitions were referred
 their respective committees: For an ele
 tric light at George street and Derby av nue; for a sewer on Wooster place; of R. Fisher and W. w. Curtis for appo4n
 ment as special constables.