The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-03

tract with the city provides. and in case Of ex-
cessive or exorbitant rates, shall be lab e to
correction by the Supreme Judicial Cour', ETC.
Whilst we deny that any case has as yet arisen
which would give the court jurisdiction under
| this clause, still, if the board think that they
cannot agree with us, and are properly author
lied to act this company will be willing to leave
to the determination and arbitration of such
| justice of the Supreme Judicial Court as we
| may hereafter agree upon, the question of
whether the rates charged to the water takers
| in the City of Portland are excessive or exor-
| bitant.' and If so, what changes and moifica-
form to our contract"
This proposition was afterwards assem-
ted to by the city. A final hearing will
be held March IA, when decision will
speedily be given, which undoubtedly
. will materially reduce the water rates
paid by the water takers of Portland.
The Argus claims for Mayor Ingraham
the entire credit Of reducing the water
| rates of the Portland Water Company in
| the manner above indicated, and their
argument is worthy of consideration by
the citizens of Portland, because it is so
truthful and when presented in such an
innocent and lamblike manner it carries
with it the weight of conviction. Here
it is:
when the present city administration came
their expensive contest with the water COM
pany, were not in condition to prosecute their
inquiries in the suit of the city before the courts
| and were therefore obliged to ask large APP
preparation which was granted, which would
not of course have been done by an administra-
ton interested for the water company"
Water rates for manufacturers were
established by the Board of Water Com
missioners, and are reasonable. We ask
the Argus to point out what manufactur-
Ell has been driven to locate elsewhere
than in Portland by reason of the high
rates of this company.
In the same article,
I'm the case of the Maine General Hospital
as has been stated in these columns, the cost OF
the water finally amounted to $165 month";
and with an imperfect supply at that But IN
ed o e Pa 9 aes
eggs for their enrichment.
Then the article goes on to show how
the trustees of the hospital authorized
the engineer, MI. Geo. w. Gray, to sink
an artesian well, which now furnishes
an ample supply of water, and thereby
MI. George W. Gray excited the enmity
of the Portland Water Company.
The facts in the case are that the
Maine General Hospital have until JAN
uar l, 1892, paid only 800 per annum for
water, and have never paid one cent more
than that, In the month of November,
1892 the hospital used $4,000 gallons
per month, and for the year 1892 they
used 5,204, ATS gallons during the year.
Since January |. 1892, they used 8, 2O4, 475
gallons during the year. Since January
meter and regular bills have been rem
dered for the water used, but no pay
ment has been made and the matter re-
mains to be adjusted between the direct
ors and the Water Company on some
fair basis. The Company make no COM
plant against the hospital S use of water,
nor for sinking an artesian we'll. The
company recommended such action to
the late III. N. Jose, as being the best
method of providing supply of water,
but when it is understood that the Wat
er Company have only received 800 per
year for $1,000 worth of water, it will be
seen that the Portland Water Company
would be only too happy to dispose of a
customer which was drawing SO heavily
on its resources, and induce them to pro-
vide other methods of securing a supply
Of water.
The Argus is censuring this company
roundly for not paying its taxes. III an
an article of March LIST, the Argus said,
'sThe city taxes of the Water Company
for the year 1902 are at this time unpaid.
If this company had wished to avail
itself of the discount allowed for the pre-
payment of taxes, and avoided the pay
ment of interest they should have paid
their taxes last October, the same as
other taxpayers who wish to make this
saving are obliged to do" We wish to
commend the Argus for having made one
truthful statement in regard to the affairs
of the Water Company. Inasmuch as
they did not pay their taxes last October.
and that Mayor ingraham has undertaken
to exercise the powers of Mayor, city
solicitor and city counsel, as well as of
the Supreme Judicial Court of the State of
Maine, he has with one stroke of the pen
annulled the contract of 1887. by which
the Portland Water Company agreed to
pay taxes.
1t may be truthfully added that
although the Portland Water Company
has been in existence for more than
twenty years, it has studiously avoided
taking any part in the politics of the city.
1t has never attempted to control or
NEEDLE with the rights of it's sharehold
ers, who belong to both political parties.
it's employees or it's officers in the free
expression of their political preferences,
whatever they might be, and the attempt
which is now made by the Argus to
excite prejudice against the company for
the mere sake of advancing the political
interests of one party or the other seems
to be both unwise and unjust.
Very respectfully,
PORTLAND WATER COMPANY,
by D. W. CLARK, President.
Cape Elizabeth Democratic Caucus.
The Democrats had fully attended