The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-27
THEY COMPARED NOTES
Mayors of Butte and Helena
Have q Consultation.
MUNICIPAL WATER PLANT
Mayor Edwards Anxious to Have the
City Own and Operate Its Own
Water Works and Elec-
trio Light Plant.

Mayor Frank awards of Helena
and Mayor Harrington of Butte held
a long consultation yesterday after
noon and discussed in a pleasant way
many matters of interest to both mum
icipalities. Mayor Edwards was elect
ed last month on the water issue and
he Is visiting various cities of the state
collecting information. Mr.. Edwards
seems to have made a special study of
the matter of municipal ownership of
water works and electric light plants.
and is an earnest advocate of both. He
told Mayor Harrington that he thought
Butte has wen a better margin for
running its own water plant than Hell
ena has. Butte Is paying a fiat rate
of $50. 900 for $40 hydrants, and pays s.
per hydrant for every hydrant used i'm
excess of 80. Helena pays SIS, 900 for
its water.
Your population is -four times tina
of Helena" said MIR. Edwards. "and
so you really ought q pay four times
as much as we do for the water used
by the city. But on the other hand,
you have to pay for the water used in
sprinkling the streets and we pay
nothing for that"
In rates to consumers Helena has
the best of Butte. the people of that
city paying 81 for a single tap where
Butte pays s1.50.
You ought to put i'm your own wat
er plant aid Mr.. Edwards.
Il am afraid that would make our
bonded Indebtedness too high" said
Mr.. Harrington.
The water plant will take care of
itself" said Mr.. Edwards. THE prof
its of the plant will take care of the
interest on the bonds and the sinking
fund, and there will be no increased
taxation whatever"
How are you getting on with your
water fight?"
The water mpa offered to sell
out to us for 81. 500. 0O0." said Mr.. Ed
wards. Their plant Is considered to
be worth $50, 600. At least, that is
what / think 1t is worth. and haven't
heard anyone say they thought IL was
worth n more. We have offered in
return to leave the water
alone If they will knock off the SIS, 900
they are now charging the city for
water and cut the rates to
squarely in two. If they agree to that
we Will give up the plan of putting i'm
our own plant. Otherwise Helena will
make an example to the people of
Montana's cities on his water ques-
ton. IL seems to me that Butte has a
Spltiiulu tndntt 10 go INTO the mAttef.
Particularly as you say YOU are not
getting good water or an adequate
supply of it at present. You can bring
in h water fvr 81. 200. 900 and you can
pipe the city for $3.50. 600"
On the subject of electric lights the
mayors put their heads together and
IL was found that Helena is paying
$40 per arc light where Butte is pay
ing sl4.
sHNnrn nnn Y,t e, .,,V a, A. -
furnish your own lights at a cost of
81 per arc light" said Mr.. Edwards.
IF we did the company would cut
rate To S." said Mr.. Harrington.
Very well; let them do 1t. You could
well afford to abandon your plant. |
You could saw it's cost by getting your
reduced from $14 TO 81. That is
50 saved per light each month. You
are using 127 lights. So you would
in one yea $13. 716. l can put in
a plant to supply Helena for ST.. 200. |
But there is no danger of the electric
light company cutting the rate to s..
They can't furnish light for much less
han 81"
Are you going to put in your own
electric light plant?"
W would do 1t IL we were in your
We are too near the limit
)f u bonded Indebtedness to permit
is to do it. You can do It very
nicely"
The matter of bonded Indebtedness,
outstanding warrants. etc, was taken
up then by the two mayors. The libra
were compared and the number or
folumes found to be about the same.
has n librarian at 1000 per
ear and four assistants at 81 ,025 per
year. The Helena library has a H.
,rarian at 81. 500 and seven assistants.
of whom receive SIS per month
the others sos per month.
The fnnaral nf Unhn Ranran Mill taIy.