Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-02-22
CITY WATER AGAIN DISCUSSED
The City Fathers Take Another Wbirl
at the Water WOrkS-The
COmpany's Offer.
A Resolution Which Calls for sub
uniting the Matter TO ii Vote
of the People.

The city council met last Monday in
regular session, President Williams oc-
cupying the chair in the absense of the
mayor, and a full board of aldermen ex-
cepting Alderman Roberts being pres
emit.
City Treasurer Frary submitted his
regular monthly report and City Clerk
Clark read his report of expenditures for
the month.
Petitions for the appointment of G. p.
Holmes and VIM. Popplewell as city COW
heraer, and also one for the appointment
of c. II. Hollinsworth to the same po-
sition were read and referred to the
ways and means committee.
Strain Bros. were given permission to
lay down a temporary crossing in the
rear of their new block at the alley,
subject to certain conditions.
In response to the request of the
council at their last meeting l.. G.
Phelps on behalf of the water company
submitted his proposition to the council
in writing az follows:
GREAT FALLS, Mont, Feb. IS, 1894.
To the Honorable the Mayor and City
Council, Great Falls, Montana:
Gentlemen: AS requested by your
honorable body at it's last meeting, we
herewith present you Our views regard
ing the matters now pending between
the city and the Water company.
As there appears to be a wrong i'm
preston held by a number of the citizens
land also some of the members of your
body as to our motive in enjoining the
city from transferring any moneys from
the water fund, we wish to make this
statement:
The latter part of section % of ordi-
nance No. II provides that a sufficient
tax shall be levied and collected annual
ly upon all taxable property upon the as
sessment roll of said city subject by law
to such taxes to meet the payments un-
der this ordinance when and as they ma
turr during the existence of any contract
for hydrant rental, which taxes shall be
lrrepealable from and after the passage
of this ordinance.
When you passed ordinance No. 100,
appropriating money from the water
fund, you attempted to repeal a portion
of an ordinance that is irrepealable, and
further, it states that the money so raised
J for this particular purpose shall be used
} to meet the payments under the terms
of this ordinance when and as they ma
ture; the money which you attempted
to appropriate from the water fund
would all be due this company On or be-
fore the 1st day of November, and the
ordinance appropriating it does not pro-
vide for its return to that fund until
Dec, LIST. Had we permitted without
protest the passage of this ordinance
and the appropriating of this money. it
; would have been acknowledging on our
. part that the city could at any time take
the money out of the water fund and
agree to return it at such time as they
saw tit,
We are fully satisfied when you passed
I this ordinance you did it for the best
> interests Of the city, thinking that you
would save the city several hundred
dollars in interest money and work no
hardship or the water company. and not
for the purpose of attacking our fran
; chlse and compelling us to defend our
selves.
! 1t is our desire to be on friendly terms
l with citizens and members of the city
council, and as the city has peer to some
eApcuSe III CUuLcClloI Will lAo poN
Injunction suit we will Gf ordinance No.
l2O is repealed, as advised by your attor-
neys) lay all mains that may be ordered
;, during the coming season and donate
4 the hydrant rental on the same until
. Jan. |. 1896, to this city; this will much
t more than pay the city for any expense
: it may have been to in the matter.
' Regarding the extensions and better
. ment to the present plant we will say,
] that at this time there appears to be a
disposition on the part of some of the
, citizens to purchase our plant or build
one of their own to run in opposition to
= it. AS long as this agitation is kept
3 up before the public we could not
he expected to make any other i'm
p~rovements than those required by
the terms of our franchise. but should
; this agitation be dropped, it is
4 our intention to make such improve
, ments in our water system as will be
l satisfactory to the insurance unions
, (see their letter attached) to secure a
reduction in the present insurance rates
of at least 10 per cent, This will make
. a direct saving to the taxpayers OF over
. $4,000 per year.
The improvements contemplated to
. : secure these benefits will necessitate the
: e%xpendlug by this company OF Amos
100000. a greater portion of which will
be expended right here in the city.
= Very truly yours,
: GREAT FALLS WATER WORKS,
! Per l.. G.. Phelps
The following is the letter attached:
s OFFICE Pacific INSURANCE UNION,
y SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 6, 1894
L. w. King, Esq, Treasurer Great Falls
Water Co. Great Falls, Montana:
Dear Sir:-Your letter of January lst
has been handed me by Captain Donnell
for attention. In this letter | note that
you are contemplating the erection of a
I stand-pipe that will hold about 2oO,oOt
gallons, to be used in connection with
! your water work system.
u You will remember that We talked this
s matter over while | was IN your city, and
| informed you and Mr.. Phelps that the
8 insurance companies did not regard a
u stand-pipe in connection with a gravity