Morning journal and courier., 1891-10-29
THE WATER QUESTION.

THE WATER QUESTION.
 President Dawson of the Water Conn pany and Mayor Sargent Express Opposite Views Upon the Matter at the Meeting of the Committee Last
 Evening.
 Quite spirited public hearing of the matter of making contract for water for | the next ten years with the New Haven l Water company was held in the oity hall last evening before the committee on water, consisting of Aldermen Avis and Johnson and Councilmen Tracy, Guern- sey and Kaehle. A large number of spec tators interested in the matter were pres ent, among whom were Mayor Sargent, John H. Leeds, George D. Watrous, Chief Hendricks, David Grotta, James English, Caleb Bowers and Dr. J. P. Phillips. President Dawson of the water company said: The proposition which we have made to supply the city with water is the lowest we probably will make, and in my opinion should be accepted. I believe it would be better to pay us $22, ,OOO per year for the next ten years for the following reasons: The directors of the water com pany desire to give the city the best water possible, and the city can better afford to pay the price asked them than the private consumers can do. If the time ever comes when the price can be lowered it will be done. We shall always do the big gest and best thing we can do for New Haven, and are constantly making all the Improvements possible. We are now operating in Woodbridge, and s,, To, %Io,, %xr,o Inr thousand million gallons of water stored there. During the recent drought all over the state you have heard no complaints from the New Haven Water company nor will you hear any, as we propose, so far as is in our power,t to avert any such neces- sity by constantly increasing our facilities 80 as to have plenty of water on hand. For eight years the company never re- ceived single penny of dividends and cannot afford to keep up it's improvements and furnish the water free to the city. We have and are spending in improvements at Woodbridge $250, ,00O, and we expect to be able to use the water from this source next year when the water will be in excel lent condition. This city uses 100 gallons per capita, while in other cities where meters are used there is not so much water wasted and the average is less than fifty gallons per capita. The object in con structing the new dam at Woodbridge is to insure New Haven against draught or even the possibility of drought, such as other cities in the state have been experi- encing during the past summer. If you desire another proposition from the com pany will make one on my own respon- sibility, subject to the approval of the board of directors of the water company, whom have not consulted upon the mat tor Tho nropooition rrhioh psba ;e briefly as follows: The New Haven Water company will sell water to the city by meter, or estimate where it is not possible | to put in meter at the rate of $20 per | hydrant and T mills per hundred gallons | for all other uses, but I frankly do not | think you will gain much by accepting this proposition.
 l Ellsworth Foote, secretary of the water company, also spoke in favor of making the contract and brought out practically the same points as those made by MT. | Dawson.
 Mayor Sargent then arose in response to an invitation from Chairman Avis to those who were opposed to making the contract and said substantially as follows: It may be true, as intimated by President Dawson in his remarks, that Hartford per capi- ta may pay little higher rates than we | do, but the question arises what becomes of the profits! Between $40 ,000 and $50, 900 annually goes back to it's citizens in the shape of Tightening taxes or reducing the indebtedness upon & large water plant which they will soon own, while in this city the profits go into the pockets of the | few stockholders of the New Haven Water 1 company. The Water company dealing justly with the people should never have charged sum which would have brought them over per cent. inter est per annum, free of taxation, and even this amount is a large interest. There is no end to the amount of money which can be procured to put into any stock af good as the New Haven Water company l know the Water company of this city car l afford to furnish water for all municipa purposes free in return for the uss of tho streets. Did l individually own the wate1 company I should be glad to make propo
 sition to the city to furnish it with all wa
 ter needed for municipal purposes free nish it capital every year or two witt which to make it's Improvements The city cannot and ought not to afford to do it
 The only other speaker of the evenint opposed to making the contract was Dr. J. P. Phillips. His remarks in brief were as follows: I am glad to see that Mayo Sargent has got on the right side of the water question at last. The Bible sayf
 "there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth," and I say that there should be joy here this evening now that the mayor has repented. I do not think however, that the real root of the matter has been struck in any of the remarks this evening. The only correct solution of the whole matter is to have the city own itf own water, as the interests of the city and the Water company are not identical. should suggest that this contract be made for not more than two years and that wher the contract is made it be made with 6 view to the city acquiring possession oi the water privileges itself.
 The committee voted to have the chair man draw up report on the matter, to be submitted to the committee at future
 meeting, after which the meeting ad- journed.