Great Falls weekly tribune., 1895-09-27
THE WATER PLANT.


authoritative settlement of the matter,
space is given to the two following con-
munications from well-known citizens.
Each explains itself:
To the Editor of The Tribune:
DEAR SIR: beg leave, as an interested
person, to express perfect satisfaction
and admiration of the action of the Hon.
board of aldermen last Monday evening,
in appointing Mr.. M. S. Parker to est-
mate the cost or value of the water com.
pany's plant. He commands the esteem
of the taxpayers, is gentleman of most
excellent judgment, great and varied ex-
perience, an excellent hydraulic and civil
engineer, eminently fitted to execute the
work he is requested to perform, and the
city is fortunate in being able to secure
his services; yet, owing to the variety of
things to be estimated and calculated,
such as the varying characters of the
ground encountered in excavating ma
chinery and material, appliances, etc,
it would seem to be wise to employ a
mechanical engineer to co operate with
the city engineer .nd Mr. Parker. If it
should be thought best by the Hon.
board of aldermen or even the citizens,
with the consent of the city government,
to secure the service if possible Of the
engineer suggested by the writer in an
article published in The Leader Monday
last, we will be availing Ourselves of
talent and skill second to nons in the
Northwest, and every voter Will know
that report made by a corps of such
able engineers is right.
In regard to the legal aspect of this
important proposed deal with t be water
company, when the ultimatum tf nego-
tiations in establishing an agred-upon
price, between the city and tie water
company attains and it is found % result
in disagreement, able attorneys can be
employed to give the soundestIpossibe
advice to the voters. SO that we viii cast
our votes understandingly and rpt place
ourselves, as a city, liable to litigation
for an indefinite period.
L. S. WooT BURY.
This suggestion of Mr.. Woo bury is
printed without comment. Tlpse who
read it can understand it. In hthcr a
different tone, however, is the fdllowing:
To the Editor of the Tribune:
The situation regarding the proposed
purchase of the Great Falls water works
by the city is SO serious and tEf appre-
citation of this fact seems to be so lack
ing that [ wish TO say, as briefly as pos
sible, a few words on the subject.
The last agitation of the quistion by
the taxpayers was, as IN fornfr cases,
practically request that the city coun-
Gil, the only medium through which the
taxpayers could inform themselves,
should obtain some definite inbrmation
as to the terms and price at lich such
purchase could be made. All favored
the idea at certain figures; jail were
opposed to it at d price anyWhi ire nearly
approaching the figures subilitted by
the company.
The council, having placed tie desired
information in the hand Of tht taXpay-
ers, was respectfully petitione4 to allow
the matter to drop, since. in t(eir Opin-
ion, the price apparently obtaiiable. was
far in excess of both the city'S present
means to buy and the value Of the plant.
The petition was most exceptional IN the
character of its petitioners and most dis
tinct in its expression Of opinion. The
council had constantly eXp,essed its
eagcrness for the opinion of the tax
payers, yet not only was the petition
practically ignored, but all action taken
since has been diametrically opposed to
this opinion, most explicitly asked and
most explicitly given.
For tie past few weeks five members
of the council have acted as unit in all
matters relating to this question, two OF
these five have alone said anything, the
remaining three voting "Yes" or "No,'
only apparently from the desire to imi-
tate the physical act, in speaking or ris-
ing, of the other two.
AT recent meeting a motion was put
that a hydraulic engineer be employed
by the city to make d careful eXamlna
ton and report on the value and condi-
ton Of the Great Falls water works. Cl
to that time the only authority from
which the council had receivcC any III
formation in this direction was the com
pany from which it proposed to buy,
yet the motion was only carried by the
MAYORS vote, four OF the council voting
against 1t.
Ihc taxpayers then asked that they
be allowed the same privileges which
would he accorded the engineer to be
employed by the city, for an engineer
whom they proposed to employ them
selves. at their own expense, for The
purpose of obtaining Il supplementary
report. This request was denied by q
vote of six to two, under the violent
leadership Of an alderman who has beer
loud aud constant in his prOtestatlOnF
Of personal integrity and his desire Ion
information from the taxpayers
That per Qualities haVe been indulRet
10 the council chamber is unfortunate
and very much to be regretted, but il
has nothing whatever TO do with tie
merits of the question under discussion
| Personally | 90 not wish TO be under
stood as even iDfecring dishonesty it
| anyone concerned, ! merely wish to pre-
| sent the facts.
The city council are practically trus
tees for the citizens. They are consider
| Ing the purchase for tho citizens Of al
Investment involving hundreds of thou
sands of dollars and one Of the frs
necessities of life. They are no NOR
competent than | am, nor than any maj
| ia who il NOT an expert on this particula
subject, to personally investigate ant
correctly estimate the value, conditio
and capacity of tho particular investmen
d. i Syt ,,v,Ixt ,,t,th Ia