The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-12-19
THE WATER CONTRACT.
President wescott Presents the Reasons
Why the Contract Should Not Be An
nulIed-A Secret Hearing which the
Public Know All About.


nulIed-A Secret Hearing which the
Public Know All About.
President Geo P. Wescott of the Water Com
pany appeared before the city government
committee Saturday afternoon, and presented
the case of the Water Company in the matter
of the proposed annulment of the contract be-
tween the city and the company. There were
present the Mayor, Alderman Josselyn, Coun-
cilmen Dunn, Webb and Kehoe, and George L.
Wescott of the Water Company. .
The hearing was held behind closed doors,
the reason being given that as the committee
were to report back to the city government. the
business of the meeting should be kept secret
until their regular meeting. However. it has
been learned that the argument made by Mr..
Wescott was in writing and as follows:
PORTLAND, December II, 1892.
TO the Honorable MAJOR and Committee on Jts-
dictat Proceedings and Claims OF the CITY OF
Portland.
Gentlemen-On the 80 day Of March, 1858.
an ordinance was approved by the Mayor OF the
City OF Portland, which embodleS the terms OF
contract with the Portland Water Company
wherein it is stipulated that the Portland
Water ( ompany shall furnish at all times 10
the City OF Portland without charge to the
city, for use in public buildings and school
houses of the city and for the eXtlngulshmenI oI
fires and other strictly municipal purposes,
such an amount and volume OF water as may be
needful therefor, ana VIII a also
supply upon the same conditions. free OF charge
to the city, the water for three puphc louh-
tainS." ~
On the oath day of September, 1870, an ad-
ditional contract was entered into peIWeen ne
City of Portland and the Portland wafer Coni-
pa1iy. wherein the Portland Water Company
agreed to supply water for five drinking iouii-
tains for persons only, and for two. fountains
for man and beast and for two urlnals, .the
water for all said fountain to be tnrnlshed IN
such an amount and volume as may be needed
therefor, and that the location OF said fountains
and urinals be subject to change at the determl-
nation OF the said party OF the first part.
The Portland Wafer Company under said
contract further agreed to furnish water for
sprinkling streets in front of the new City
Building, for trial OF engines and Tor the nusn-
land agreed to pay $4,000 per annun.
1t may be claimed by your COM
mittee that all of the foregoing re- l
uses were covered in the ordinance OF 1868 by
the expression "other strictly municipal pur-
poses,' but inasmuch as the city agreed, py
contract of 1870. to pay for ,watet for certain
uses therein specified, il is evident that the city
council of 1870 did not regard the purposes
covered by this contract OF 1870 as included IN
the term strictly municipal purposes" IN the
ordinance of 1868.
From 1870. The city has recognized that the
items specified in the 1870 contract are wholly
outside of the ordinance OF 1868, and lnasmucn
as the city, by the opinion OF It's Guy Sonclsor
Judge Symonds) in 1871 had notice that this
contract could be terminated at its option and,
notwithstanding such notice, took no acuon az
that time, but in 1887 expressly extended TINS
contract for 20 years, the consideration therein
being the better supply of water for the extin-
guisRment of fires and other public purposes,
the changing of the Portland Water Company's
supply from single system e aonas sysse o
q reservoir on Munjoy Hill, having not less
than 15, 100000 gallons OF water (the cost OF
the pipes and reservoir was over $2oO, 0Ool anu
direct to the city OF taxes which will amount in
the year 1894 to over S13,5O0, which was in
lieu Of collecting taxes from its individual
stockholders, should be an effectual bar to the
right of the city at this time to terminate this
contract.
it will be apparent to the committee that if
this contract could be annulled at this time, me
effect would be simply to reduce the income OF
the Portland Water Company, which would ne.
cessarily, In direct ratio, increase the rates OF
its water takers, to be determined by the refer
ees in the case now pending between the Port
land Water Company and the CITY OF
Portland, said parties. having already
submitted to referees the right to make the rates
which the water takers shall hereafter pay to
the Portland Water Company, These rates are
to be made having due regard to the income OF
the works.
In order to place the water takers in the city
of Portland on the same footing Of other cities
having low rates for water, it would be neces-
sary for the City Council to go one step further
and TO cancer all Lll6 GOHbEdCbS HOW cAlotlu&
tween the Portland Water Company and the
city and enter into new cantract whereby the
city of Portland would pay the company for the
water used by the city. instead OF the entlre
revenue of the company being raised from tne
The following Is a list of the uses of water,
and the amount which the city would pay In
stead Of the $4,000, if all contracts were cam
celled:
For use of public schools .....,g,.S 100000
Work House and Greeley Hospital
using 5,329, 275 gallons. 1,665. 86
Engns ana psec
Public fountains, urinals, ESQ.,. $3.50. 1851 46
Making total of ........... $50, 977.32
all of which, excepting the items of engine houses
and public buildings, flushing of sewers and
trial of engines, sprinkling streets in front OF
City Hall and fire hydrants, is computed upon
meter rates already agreed upon by the Water
Commissioners and the company.
If this sum was raised by general taxation
and paid to the portland Water Company, ii
would have the effect to relieve by that amount
would make the rates IN Portland compare more
favorably with other cities owning their own
water works.
In support of the above, and as an example
showing how the water takers are treated IN
other cities, where the municipalities own the
works and low rates for water are made. we
would cite the case Of Fall River, with popu-
latiOn, in 1890, of 74.351.
House occupied by one family. for first
faucet. ................$5.0 90
Additional facets, each. .............. 2.50
Water closet. ........ .....--..-.. 6.OO
Second water closet. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 300
Bath tub. ................ .'-.....s.s O.OU
Second hath tIlb Observation-Disclosures. 400
Hand hose ....................... 600
Stable, with hose for washing carriages,
one morse. .-........'. o.oo
The water works in this city were completed
in 1874 and on the first day OF January, 1890
had cost as follows, viz:
For construction 81, 75O, 439.24
Maintenance. INSTRUMENTATION. 234, 276. IS
Interest Observation-Disclosures. 1882, 769.67
Total. ........ ....... So. 452, 4s5.79
The items of interest and main
tenance amount to. ............. 1922, o46.79
The total amount received from
water takers to January 1St,
1890 was. .................. 888, 1854. 90
Making deficiency of. IS S33, 1s1.6 50
This deficiency has all been raised by the city
from direct taxation, or an average payment by
the city to the water company of $52, O73.22 for
each year since the completion of the works.
In the above estimate not one dollar of the
principal has been taken into consideration
II will be noticed that the water takers of Fall