The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-03
A REJECTED COMMUNICATION.
Mayor Ingraham, the Water Company
and the Eastern Argus.

Mayor Ingraham, the Water Company
and the Eastern Argus.
The following communication was sent
to the Argus yesterday, but refused pub
lication:
PORTLAND, Me-, March 2, 1898.
To the Editor of the argus:
The malicious attack of your paper
and the Misrepresentation made by you
in regard to the position of the Portland
Water Company before the citizens of
Portland is well understood by the pub
| lie.
+ In an article this morning you say:
The measures taken during the present year
| by the city council to compel this wealthy. mo-
to @ sy ouI law Uf
equity should be furnished free OF expense, nave
| been stubbornly fought at all points by the
| Portland Water Company.
The only reason why the contro-
versy above referred to with the Port
land Water Company is not settled and
settled, too, in way entirely favorable
to the city, is because the Honorable
Darius Fl. Ingraham does not want to
settle it until after the election. The
company has made every concession that
the city has suggested, has offered to
pay it's taxes and relinquish the money
it claims to be due from the city, and the
solution of the whole matter has been
| wing on the table in the board of alder
men since February 6, without any ac-
ton being taken.
On the second day of January the
Portland Water Company presented the
following proposition by its counsel to
the city of Portland, which if adopted
would have settled all controversies with
the city long time ago. but the city
council declined to accept the PROPOSE
ton of the water company to refer all
questions at issue to the Supreme Court,
and the conduct of the Mayor since that
time relative to the Portland Water
Company affords as fine an example OF
clap-trap politics as ever was seen.
PORTLAND, Me-, January 2, 1898.
| To the Honorable Mayor and City Council of
the City of Portland,
Gentlemen Inasmuch as some question as to
eec S 5s Wafer 4f
pany and the city of Portland has recently been
raised before the city council by His Honor, the
Mayor, and masmuch as the Portland Water
Company desires to avoid any misunderstand-
| ing or controversy with the city OF Portland in
regard to that contract, or IN regard to any rea-
tons between the company and the city ; as to
| in behalf of the Portland Water Company, to
submit to your consideration the following
proposition:
Il the City Council are of opinion that there
is any real question Tor .questions) involved in
this issue, the Portland Water Company will be
willing, and hereby Offers to submit such ques-
ton or questions to the next law term OF the SUI
preme Judicial Court, either on an agreed state
ment of facts or otherwise, as the city may de.
HI III the City Council is of the opinion that there
are any questions relating to these contracts
which ought to be determined. the Portland
Water Company is willing to accept the readlest
method of a just and amicable, settlement OF
Them and if necessary, of reaching the Judg-
| ment of the court upon them; and in the mean
time, tbs Water Company would be willing for
| the payments contemplated by existing con-
| tracts to be wholly suspended until the ques-
| tons at issue shall been adtudicated.
Yours respectfully, -,
If the Mayor wishes to dispose of the
stubborn fight which the Argus refers to
| as being made by the Portland Water
Company, he should pass the order now
lying on the table of the Board of Mayor
and Aldermen, which is as follows:
Cry OF PORTLAND, J
Board of Mayor and Aldermen
Portland, Febouary =, 1898. !,
Ordered. That the proposition OF the Portland
| Water Company submitted to this meeting 1or
| reference OF pending questions to the next law
| term of the Supreme judicial Court for decision
| be and the same is hereby accepted, and upon
| payment by the Water Company OF the taxes
| now due. the rity solicitor be and hereby IS di-
rected to take all such legal steps as may be
| necessary and proper for carrying the same
| into effect.
Again the Argus says:
"For over two years the people of this city
have known, through the report of the Water
| matter, that the water rates charged by this
| company are notably higher than rates charged
| by water companies in other places OF 1.-THE same
| population as that of Portland" :
During Mayor Melcher's administra-
ton board of water commissioners
was appointed, and during Mayor True's
| administration a settlement of the con-
troversy as to the rates charged to indi-
vidual water takers by the Portland Wa
ter Company was arranged for by refer
ence of the matter in dispute to an i'm
partial commission, composed of judges
of the Supreme Court. This reference
was made at the suggestion of the Port
land Water Company, as fair means of
settling all controversies, after the COM
pany had met the commissioners many
times for the purpose of a satisfactory
adjustment of the same, but without
avail. In a communication to the Board
of Water Commissioners, dated May IS,
1891, the Portland Water Company made
the following proposition of reference,
| viz:
'sThe company has long been in conference
| with your board in relation to rates, but thus
still ready to hold further conference. The con-