Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-10-29
H DAILY OPTIC.
East Las Vegas, New Mexico,
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY.
Commissioners Proceedings.
[oTFlcrAL.J

LAS VEGAS, N. NJ, September ein, levi'
Tue board met, pursuant 20 haJourh'
ment. Present, full board and CLERK.
Minutes OF previous session read and ep'
proved.
Following bills were approved:
Juan Enc mas, witness IL case OF Terri
tory VS.. Pablo Archuleta, 81 90.
Victor A chuleia, Justice " the peace,
post-morts m ex mlnation upon the body
OF Manuel Arcbule a, $500.
Butcher bond Of "A. U. de Baca approved
and flied.
10 the matter Of the Aqua PurA company
case, the following order was made:
Az TO The Inquiry OF the board Of
county comm ssioners concerning COM
plaiuts against the Aqua Pura company:
IL having been heretofore brought TO the
attention OF the bo ard. by consumers
OF water OF the Aqua Pura company ie.
siding upon the west side Of the Gallinas
river, that there was n shortage in the
supply OF water furnished, and that, for d
Ions period Of time, the same had been sc
impure as to be wholly unfit for domestic
use; likewise, hat the rates charged were
excessive, 1t was d. emed advisable to
summon the said Aqua Pura company to
answer to such complaints.
Accordingly, o notice in the nature OF
a was served upon the said COM
pany, in OBJ diepce to which 1t appeared
before this board, by +. II. Pierce, its gen
eral m@nager, and Frank Springer. Esq,
its attorney, and Fl ed q written answer
an showing. setting forth the fact that II
had, 10 former ears, obtained a contla act
from the predecessors in office of this
board, under aud by virtue OF which it
had furnished, and still was furnishing,
water to lts consumers, and claiming that
SAID contract was legal and binding upon
this board, aad that it was fully complying
with the same.
And the said Aqua Pura company, by
and through Hon. Frank Springer, In his
oral presentation to the board or the an
swer OF said company, while claiming that
the contract bearing date of the Goth day
of December, a. d 1880, was bindins upon
the county and upon this board, denied
that the said Aqua Pura company was
under obligation TO furnish water to con-
sumers at as low a rate as that charged
by other cities ituate similarly to Las
Vegas, and with like facilities for con-
STRUGGLING and operating water works, and
claimed that, under said contract, the
Aqua Pura c, mpany was bound only to
furnish water at the same rate as other
clues, without any reference whatever to.
the situation of such cities In relation to
the cost and expense of constructing and
maintaining water works, and commended
that, even though Las Vegas might be SO
situat, d as that water works could be con-
structed and operated mucn more cheaply
shHb Cltiocs Uuup, noboItuotcSSf ouCu
advanJag y could not be considered In de-
term,nlUg the rate to be charged for water
under q Id contract. This board, af6er
fully hearing all parties, pro and con, ia of
the opinion that the answer Of the said
company is INSULT cient, inasmuch as 1t
fails to show any valid reason or excuse
for NEGLECT, on its part, to furnish both
pure water and enough thereof for the
wants of the present consumers, except an
uuwulingne 8 ON grounds OF economy, to |
m AXE Necessary and needfui expenditures |
from its la'gs revenue to enable il to ren
to the public that efficient service to
which they are entitled.
AS 60 the rates charged and collected by
che aid cImpa ~ and which 1t Is claimed
excessive, the answer by the sail COM
pany is evasive. and not OF q frank aud
open character such as to impress us with
It's truth.
The company should undoubtedly re 1
,eive a far r. venue from les invesf ment. / !
lad this b,ard announced itself rsady and J
Wiling upon the production before IL of
he looks of 1.-The company, to enquire into
The facts aud figures relative 10 cost o,
construc ION, revenue, coiiec ed, current
operating expenses aud the like, and adiu
dictate thereon fairly and impartially b.
tween the respective parties. The 6 com
pany however, refused to comply with the
st Tor such : ooks and facts and
figures which they contain. They there
1Ol6 WltlQOlu IIOLu Uub puDllC Tue OuI} L
aud true basis upon which the
proper d-terminatlon of fair rates as we
them rests.
1t is her fore tine opinion and judgment
of this board that legal advice taken OF the
dist, let attorney for the purpose of deter
mining whether the said pretended con
tract with the former board of county
commissioners is legal and binding; that
in case the same is considered TO b. illega
and invalid for any rrason, proceedings be
1 10 the courts IL have he same
declared null aud void; and ia the event,
Of its being held u be- valid, that the same
be eish r forfeited for failure on tue pa.
the sal 1 Aqua 'ura company to comply 1
with he same or specific performance
thereof be enforced. h G. CooRs,
Chairman, B. G. G. l.
Abated the sur of $780, 90 on assessment
Of Emiterio Gallegos in precinct No. z, for
the year 1895, the same being erroneous.
25 per cent. abated on taxes of N. l..
Rosenthal 81 Co. for 1896.
IL per cent. abared on taxes Of ]. N. !
Warrant for $4,000 issued to VIM. Wells
In full payment for, work done on culvert.
Bill for supplies Of Romero Mercantile
Co., $22.S0.
II was ordered to construct a sidewalk
In front of the county jail and county
property facing National street at the ex-
OF the county, which work was
to Jose A Gallegos for the sum of
90, the sidew ak to be not less than
eight feet wide. n
In the matter of assessment of the First
national bank Of Las Vegas, the San
Miguel national bank and the Las Vegas
bank, the board ordered and
directed that the capital and surplus of
each and every one of the said banks
be and the same are hereby
for the year 1897, at the rate of
sixty five (65) per cent.
Notices of appeal on the above cases
were served fro u action of the board on
clerk who transmitted them together
with transcripts of proceedings to the
board Of equalization.
1t wa ordered that lots B, 6, T. g., 9, and
10, block 2, Ilfeld aud Baca's addition be
changed from Baca add Ilteld's addition.
Twenty five per cent. abated in the fol-
assessments. 1896:
j. ii. Montoya, 49,. IA; L~owenstein,
& Co, $3.50; Edward Henry,
STA 90: Colman & Strauss, So. IA ;Clemente
Valencia, $25.0 3; w. r.. Upton, $7.25; Mrs.
J. II. Ward, $4S.45; Gross, Blackwell g.
Co., $341. p; Aqua Pura Co., $2l7.2S; First
BANK, $403 90; John A. Ross,
$14.67; New Mexico and and irrigation
company, 1905 70; Mrs. H. q. Dresser,
$40. 10; j.. Abramowsky, 1928; Aniceto
Baca, SOL AZ; Jose A.. Baca, $S7 81; Geo.
W. HlcKox & Co. $23.37; NJ. J.. Crowley,
8 sos; Geo. M. Hill, 8 Lib; Il. q.
Coors, 1914 80; Thomas Goln, $2I. 81;
q. l.. Gregory, assignee. $l23.7 8; julia )
Wise, $i5. %; Ed W. Wise, SIS. 81; McGee
g. TurnbulI, 55cts; J. D de Romero & Co..,
s. Baca & Bro, $27.05; Aniceta
q Il gos de Montoya, 81; Julian Ssndoyal,
$12.47.
Dnls a~pproved-Blll of Jose g. Montana,
assessor for commissioners, approved for
$50 IS; p. Gonzales, interpreter, probate
clerk, five days, $40 90; Wells, Fargo & Co.,,
fundlng bonds, $40 Do.
IN VACATION.