The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1897-07-16
THE SCRANTON WATER WORKS.
Editor Democrat star.


chasing the Lewis Water Works, 1
would like to ask these people II there
was am other honorable way the
Board could do except to pay Mr.
Lewis for his business which the town
water works would surely destroy:
IL so, was it not right to pay him a
fair price for it, a price sul1clent 10
reimburse him for the present value
of his plant and also for the snug In
come which he relinquisheS to the
town? Taking it for granted that
every fair-minded man in the town
will agree with the writer, that the
town should pay Mr.. Lewis for the
business it was preparing to destroy,
the next question which arises Is,
what is fair price to pay for it? The
fact that what he has is OF but little
use to the town, Is no Justification III
Offering him the price OF old iron Tor
his plant; it must be taken into con-
sideration, that even ii the town had
to dump the whole thing into the
river after purchasing 1t, the only 1air
way to pay for it is to consider lts
cost and present value to Mr.. Lewis.
The writer has seen detailed state
ment which was furnished by Mr..
Lewis to the Board OF Mayor and AL
dermen, in which the actual cost OF
the Lewis water works, exclusive or
the well, tanks and stand, is shown to
have been S3 260 and wherein Mr..
Lewis estimates the present worth or
his plant. exclusive OF the well, tanks
and stand, to be 1856, he has also
furnished the Board with Il detailed
list of his customers showing his pres
ent income from water rents to be
SSO225, and has also shown to the
| Board that his average net earnings.
during the time he has operated his
works, have been about $3.50 annually.
| These documents are now In the
hands of the Water and Light Com
mjttee of the Board, and can be seen
by anyone who will take the trouble
to inquire about it. 1n the lightOf the
above, the writer does not see that
81, $50 is too much to pay for the Lewis
water works; instead, II seems as II
both sides had made mutual conces'
sions and that if either side had the
best of the bargain. it was the town, as
the $SO2. 25 income will yield nearly 81
per cent per annum interest on the in.
vestment, thus practically paying fol
itself in two years.
The town has no more moral right
(no matter what the legal status OF
the case may be) to destroy Mr.. Lewis
business, than it would have to de
stroy the bakery, merchandising, saw
mill or other business interests OF the
town without paying a reasonable
compensation therefor. There are
those who think the town ought not
to pay Mr.. Lewis cent for the de
struction OF his enterprise; other
who, while willing to pay him a ''lit
tie something" suggest an amount 81
small as to amount to little more thar
nothing. The position these people
take is so manifestly unjust as II
merit no attention from fair-mindet
people, but the position taken by som
Others who believe Mr.. Lewis shOult
, be paid a fair price, and who thin
81. $50 enough to reimburse him 70
Al Ills lUSS, DOES ulClIU u iSpy' IL
first place, it is well to remember tina
p the members of the present Board q
Mayor and Aldermen are amongst TIL
most substantial citizens and success
full business men in our town: thes
! practical men of affairs, trained in til
y school of business experience, no dOut
{ have spent the six months Of the ir
cumbency of their Office in calmly an
dispassionately discussing this que'
!, tion in all its aspects, and the pu
t chase Of the Lewis water works at til
;. price stated is the result OF their mi
ture deliberatiOn on the subject, an
doubtless in making the deal tn
: towns interests have been CAREFUL
e and conscientiously considered.
ri There are many considerations, SON
OF principle, others nf policy, whic
y enter into IL deal Of this kind. and til
writer feels no doubt but that tin
will prove the wisdom of the Board
d this matter. On the other ham
n granting for the sake of argumeI
II that the position these last.mentiont
n people take is correct and that tt
t. Board is paying $500 too much for Il
Lewis water works, is that sutlicieI
$, reason for Obstructlng the measure
" Is $500 to be considered for a momer
IS when weighed against the priccle
ii benefits that are certain to accrt
a to our town from the splendid sy
Of tenn Of water works and electric ligh
)e our Board proposes to establish ther
n in? Have any of these gentlemen Il
IS ured how much this extra $500 is z
- ing to cost him? For fear he has no
,e | will state that $500 divided amor
X 1000 people (the present population
r. ScrantOn), with twenty years to p'
c. it in, amounts to exactly II cen
50 a year for each member of the pOpul
y. y. tion, and that is not taking into CO
er slderation the increase of populati'
IN from natural and other causes whi(
OF will accrue in twenty years. No
n. can any man afford to jeopardize h
. - own or the towns interests to effe
ar this magnificent (?) saving of 1t cen
IL a year? Suppose he votes and wOr
TO against the measure, succeeds in {
feating it, and the day after the elt
tiOn fire should break out and &
,v stroy 800, 900 worth Of property, m
:! be including his home, how would
rt feel then? There are another class
in Objectors, who are criticising t
lis Board for paying $500 for the lot {
n. lected as site for the plant, saying
u, lot could have been purchased for S
10 1t is almost unnecessary to reply
nd such "penny wise and pound FOOLS
dis people, but to set their minds (?)
rest, the writer will state that /
convenient location OF this lot in 1
H., center of the town, between the T.
W large 8-inch distributing water mai
IN on Krebs and Delmas avenues, cit
he to the river and alongside Of the IA
as road, TO say nothing Of the fact tt
H.. ~ it is one of the highest points in t
Wy town and hence u good place to er,
nd the stand pipe on, would make Il
C. lot cheaper at double the price p
posed than some other lot would be
$40 or nothing. TO illustrate: Mr..
J. Jane has offered the town the