The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-26
WATER WORKS QUESTION
James Donovan Advocates ar
Independent System.
AND OWNED BY THE CITY
He Reviews and Criticises the PROPOSE
ton Made by President Phelps and
Urges the City to Put In
Its Own Plant.


Great Falls, Feb. 25.-The following
communication from Attorney James
Donovan discusses at length the present
status OF the water question in Great
Falls and urges the construction of an
Independent system. 1t is as follows:
ITO the Editor of the Anaconda Stand
ard:
SO A fter some weeks of waiting, the
Eity council has received a definite
answer from the president of the water
company. Sometime since, the presi-
dent of the company made an offer to
the city council, which was so indefinite
that the city council wisely refused to
consider ii. A final proposition has
been made offering to take the fiat sum
of $445,000 for the present system of
water works. Sometime since the city
council referred the question of what
would be a reasonable price to offer for
the present water system to three of
the most competent and respected citi-
Ssns of this city, and after a careful
and impartial examination of the pres
ent water system and all it's appliances,
this committee reported to the city
council that they would recommend q
purchase of the present water system
at $4,000. One of the members of this
committee, who has been engaged for
years in work of this nature, informed
the writer that the present plant could
be duplicated for much less than the
offer made to the present owners of the
water works, but considering all the
circumstances surrounding the stua-
alton, the committee recommended to
the city council the purchase of the
present system at $4,000, more than
the present system can be duplicated
for
The citizens and taxpayers of Great
Falls have had the water works offered
TO them for $4,000. This sum is the
final offer of the president of the COM
pany. After making the final offer the
president of the company uses the fol-
lowing language: While tine company
Will not change its offer, If your COM
mittee should, within the next 30 days,
submit to any of the following PROPOSE
tons, on behalf of the stockholders, /
would notify you that the same would
be accepted Then followed several
propositions, all of which are subter-
fuges on the part of the president of
the water company to deceive and mis-
lead the people. The sole purpose of the
president of the water company is to
postpone any definite action on the part
of the City looking to- the ownership of
the water works. Most of the people
of the city who have looked into this
question do not believe that the presi-
dent OF the water company is sincere in
any of the offers he makes but think
they are being made from time to time
to gain time and to postpone the settle
ment of the water question. If the pre-
yious offer made and the paying of 1879
interest upon the investment, was the
same as paying the fiat sum of $445,000,
why was not the fiat sum of $40 900
named in the first instance? II has
taken the president of the water COM
pany two months to determine that the
former proposition amounted to s445,-
600 Upon the proposition of $f45, 900
the president of the company guaran-
tees to the city the following results:
Gross income, minimum, $4,000;
expense II run by the city, maximum,
$4,000; profit account, $4,000
IF the gross income is $45, 900 a the
present time, why does the president of
the company offer to sell the plant at
$4,000? The expense of running this
plant by the present owners (Which
would be no greater by the city, does
not exceed in the maximum, $4,000.
The only cost of running the plant is
bookkeeper, an engineer. an assistant
engineer, and one man to drive around
town to cut off the water connections.
The company never has had more than
four or five men In its employ except
to extend mains.
Then where will be the expense to
the city of $1,000? Unless, as is fur
Their offered to the city council the
present president of the water COM
pany shall be permitted TO associate
himself with running this plant after
the city has purchased the same There
is no doubt in that event but that the
expense would exceed $37 900, if there
was any show of his managing the
water company. This offer and guar
antee to the city until May |, 1882 and,
$1,000 for two years thereafter, could
be easily guaranteed by any citizen If
he We're permitted to manage the sys-
tenn the same as ii is managed now,
because the city could be f1eeced out of
several thousand dollars in the expense
account within a maximum of $37 000
m a m aff Of
from $4,000 TO $4,000.
There are two strings that the pres
ident of the company wants to tie upon
the city. One is that he shall have the
management for the city and that his
management of it shall never be SUBJ
mitted to the taxpayers for their ap-
prevail or disapproval. 1t is known
throughout the city that the president
of the water company has heretofore
boosted in public and in private places
that his net income from the water
plant was So, 900 to 100000.
Instead of the expense account be-
ing S37. 900 1t more nearly represents the
profit and the profit account of $4,000
more nearly represents the outlay of
the water company.
There are two things from this prop
ostion that the president of the water
company wants. He either wants this
agitation stopped or he wants the city
to buy the plant and turn it over to
MIN 10 manage, neither OF winch ought
to be tolerated for a moment.
Further on We find the following:
The company does not desire to sell its
plant. If an amicable adjustment can
be made by which the city council pass
resolution agreeing that all agitation
of the water question be dropped until
the expiration of the eompanys con-
tract, the water company will deposit
With the city treasurer, for the credit
OF the water fund, beginning on the LIST
day of November, 1898. the annual sum
Of s2,6s2 payable semi-annualiy on the
first days of May and November of
each year thereafter This is another
disclosure of the present method of
managing the water system. In other
words, it is a plain offer on the part of
the water company to suppress all agi-
tation of the water question, and if the
city council should be so foolish as to