The Portland daily press., 1895-02-28
HENRY B. CLEAvEs.
JUDGE sAvAGE's SPEECH. !.

JUDGE SAvAGE'S SPEECH.
Judge Savage had an attentive audience
when he called up his resolve this morning
and proceeded 10 deliver an able argument
in support of the proposition that cities and
towns be allowed to exceed the five per
cent debt limit in order that they may own
their own water works. All the available
seats were occupied by spectators. including
MANY ladies and men We're standing around
the doors. Mr.. Savage claimed that the
opposition to the resolve really came from
water syndicates. He said he wanted it
understood at the outset that while Auburn
lad started this movement. Auburn was not
| alone to profit by it. 1t had been shown at
the hearing before the judiciary committee
that I'ttsfeld wanted to own her water
works. but was prevented from doing SO by
| the debt limit. She was struggling to get
along under an arrangements by which q
| part of the water works plant WAS owned
! by private citizen. Halloweil, city
almost under the shadow of the State
House encountering the same difficulty.
She could borrow only 100000 under the
| debt limit and needed $4,000. The town OF
| Boothbay Harbor was seeking an enabling
act to pei nit it to buy its water works. and
it too felt tie need of this amendment. The
same applied to the thriving town OF
Mechanic Falls in Mr.Sayage's own county
When in 1875 the legislature passed The
resolve which resulted in this amendment,
large towns We're getting along with a
water supply confined 10 wells and system
of log conduits. state Of affairs which
| they would not tolerate tor moment to-
day. In 1878 too, many towns in Maine had
| loaned their credit to aid in the construc-
| ton of railroads. the result being that
many suffered loss and that this amend
ment was adopted TO prevent towns from
giving away their resources. But that
| amendment was not intended to prevent
| the supply of the needs of towns for such a
ne cesslty as water.
| Judge Savage had been asked when he
presented the resolve why he did net make
| Ii broad enough to include electric lighting
the construction of sewers, and the build
| ing of public buildings. One answer was
that with the exception of a telegram ask
Ing that Il provision be inserted in order
thar one city might erect city hall, nc
demand had been made for such extension
Electric lighting was not a necessity as was
water, neither was sewerage system of sc
| great impol tance and city building, while
| they might be ornamental and useful, ere
| of times found to be expensive luxuries
But water was necessity of which al
| people felt the need. Go into the palace
of the rich and you ind water carried tt
nearly every room. Go into tho humble
| home of the poor and you find the cup OF
| water moistening the lips of the dying.
| Mr.. Savage told Of the success SO far Of
| Auburn's experiment in the public owner
| ship of water works. He called attention te
the fact that the amendment would not
allow towns to go into the water supply
| business without restriction. Under il. as
now, they would have TO see and obtain
legislative sanction. The time was coming
when the matter would have to be settled
as water companies Invariably in their deal
| ings with their custo mers created friction
the company wanting naturally good re-
turns. and the people striving to obtain as
much water for as little money as possible
So the time would come when the towns
would take the water works any way. and
Mr.. Savage submitted that it was better tc
give them that right now instead OF forcing
them to buy back in The future at great
price the franchises granted 10 water COM
panies. They had been the experience In
Auburn. where the city had been forced to
pay. and very properly, large sum Tor the
franchise of the company.
Judge Savage did not believe that this
| action would be an entering wedge fol-
| futrro hsd 1-~3~s~.s--- - believed that