The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-02

engine, such, for instance, as are in |
use in Helena, Butte and Anaconda, |
and as it can be only question of |
short time when the best |
interests of this city viii require suchs
an engine the expense must then be
met of replacing with new hydrants cv-
cry hydrant now established in the ex-
listing system. In explanation OF ms
statement it may be added that net
only is steam fire engine desirable, n
that il gives greater efficiency IN case
of fire. but also in that 1t saves the
mains of the plant and the plumbing
of the city from the great strain 10
which they must now, IGder tire direct
pressure system, be inevitably subject
ed through the increas"l pressure de-
manded by every fire.
In short these two main defects in
the existing plant are in themselves
alone sufficient to involve the expendi-
ture, upon the part of the city, in ad-
dition to the original purchase price, or
a very considerable amount.
The statement is made by Mr.. Phelps,
for which he gives as authority our
original report, that the existing plant
will supply a population of 10000 peo-
pie without one dollars additional ex-
penditure. 1t hardly seems necessary
to even comment upon an assertion so
utterly contrary to the facts, ana we
shall content ourselves with merely re-
peating what the report referred to has
already said, that any extension of the
mains of the present system will neces-
state the building of additional II to
14-inch feeding mains and would soon
demand additional boiler capacity.
The present bonded indebtedness of
the city is S150000: the acceptance of
this offer would mean the increase or
this bonded indebtedness by S44o,00o, to
a total of $685., 900, for the end of ac-
curing a water plant which can to-
day be duplicated for 100000, and
which. at the end of II years, viii nave
cost the city $34S560. or $l50,000 more
than the plant can now be duplicated
for. and this, too, based upon the ut
terly ridiculous hypothesis that during
that entire time not one dollar need be
expended on the plant, and that no
deterioration or wear and tear VIII
have lessened its value.
Mr.. Phelps second offer proposes
that if the city will pledge itself to
drop all agitation of the water question
until after the expiration of the water
company's franchise and contract and
will further pledge itself to consent and
request that the assessed value of the
property of the water works shall. III
future. be placed at a figure not to
exceed 100000, then and only then the
water works will consent to reduce the
hydrant rental now paid by the city by
1852 per annum. and ends with few
remarks on the injustice of assessing
| a property for any more than that
| amount which can be duplicated Tor
| 5000, 900.
Let US say. in passing, what we be-
! leve to be a sufficient answer to this
| absurdity The plant and franchise of
| the water company are both assessable.
| For this property, which Mr.. Phelps
| feels it is an injustice to assess for
more than 100000, the city has already
offered $340,000 a value which Mr..
| Phelps rejects with scorn and replies to
| with a counter offer in which he en-
| largeS upon the sacrifice of real value
| which the water company will make in
4 accepting SAL, 900. If the homes of TINS
| community, in many of which are in
vested all of the hard-earned savings
of their owners. We're assessed at the
proportion of their cash value, which
| Mr.. Phelps asks for the property of the
water works, we are entirely safe in
saying that the annual tax upon them
would easily be cut in halves.
If the plant and franchise of the
water works were assessed for 5000 600
| they would be then assessed for jus
| 1856 per cent of the cash offer made
for the same by the city, and for less
than As per cent of the price which Mr.
| Phelps says is ridiculously low, bu
which he will consent to take, SAB, 900
If the property of the water works j:
assessed at 800. 900. the assessed value
for which Mr.. Phelps asks. it would bt
then assessed for only 1888 per cent o
the phenomenally low figure (accordins
to Mr. Phelps) at which he has finall,
made up his mind to sacrifice the prop
erty.
This condition, of course, simpl.
means that if the city will agree t
save the water works the taxes on tn
difference between what its propert.
I t.lx nd It1I n
ward of S200,000) and the 100000 a
which he asks that it shall in futur
be assessed or in other words, If tn
city will agree to save the company il
taxation the annual sum of upwards o
s., 000 which properly belongs to tn
city and county, he will then donate t
the city S2,6S2 of this amount.
This committee, as we have befor
stated, has found no reason for chang
ing any of the opinions expressed i
| its former report, and while, to the en-
of avoiding further friction, we wer
disposed to have made some concessio
over the price offered in our forme
report. the counter offer made by til
water works has so far exceeded any
thing which this committee could fd
one moment consider. and Mr.. Phelr
has so explicitly informed us that thi
offer represents absolutely the ultima
tum of the water works, that we be
to advise you To cease all IuTtner ne
gotiations for the purchase of the exist
| ing plant.
The only alternatives left the city al
| independent construction or submissio
to the present and constantly increas
= ing burdens of. the existing franchis
and contract. Your committee ha
taken some pains to investigate I'll
essential possibilities of independer
construction, with the result that W
| | are led to believe that such cours
is entirely practicable if the GiaI
springs of the Missouri are used as
I source of supply.
/. A prejudice has existed in this con
5 munity against the desirability of II
) springs water for domestic purpose
$ The experience of the silver smelt'
S seems in itself alone to be sufficiei
4 disproof of the existence of any grount
upon which such a prejudice could JUS
ly rest
The water works of the silver smelt'
L I cd "a hX- the turning