The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-05

ny ~ nars W sell. vi what use is TINS aglIa-
eluu Inc whole city is disturbed on this
question. Mr.. Mayor and gentlemen of the
Board OF Public Works, remember the old
of evil DR. John M. Kitchen at the
meeting last night to further discuss the
water works purchase proposition.
At the end of the meeting held last night
at the mayors office to talk over the scheme
Tor the purchase of the water works and the
developments of public opinion since it was
put before the people it was not said that
any progress had been made. The same OBJ
jections were made to the Hord proposition
that were made at the public meeting few
weeks ago, and that have been made all
over the city since that meeting. The senti-
ment of last nights meeting was to ignore
the Hord proposition and search for a rea-
sonable one. City Attorney Kern said it
was his opinion that the foremost question
in regard to the water works matter is for
the city TO find some way to escape from the
"cinch contract that the water company
now holds like a sword over the head of the
city
There were present at the meeting the
committees appointed by the Commercial
Club, the Board of TT ade and the Central
Labor Union, councilmen, the members of
the Board of Public Works and other city
officials and a number Of private citizens,
including Charles A. Bookwalter, DR.. p. H.
James on, DR.. John NJ Kitchen, William A.
Pickens, George G.. Tanner Frank A. Maus
and William Patterson. Mayor Taggart
opened the meeting and the report of the
Board of Trades committee condemning the
water works purchase plan was read Mr..
Tanner arose to make a few remarks on
the committees work in preparing the re-
port Said he: when we found that the
water company was not a party to the
proposition to sell the water works to the
city we felt that there was nothing to dis
cuss: still we made an investigation"
Mayor Taggart said that Vice President
Davis, of the water company, had refused
to allow the books Of the company to be
examined. He would not allow the city to
rummage through the books unless 1t had
determined to buy the water plant, the
mayor said. The mayor asked John w.
Hill, the expert from Cincinnati who was
employed by the city to examine the water
works, to state what the quality OF the
water IS.
Your water supply is equal to that of
any city in the world said Mr.. Hill. AS
Stunning that the water supply is altogether
from the wells 1T cannot be condemned on
sanitary grounds. Some river water perco-
lateS through the banks into the reservoirs,
but that may be stopped easily, In regard
to the future water supply, Mr.. Hill said
that If it g Sa G to Use the ryer
may be obtained. OF course. 1t would all
have to be filtered; Mr.. Hill said that
i oeatv and dp large ay supply supp Of pure water
Obtained Fl" from them them. no amount of FL
tration will produce purer water than rock
wells produce" said Mr. Hill.
DR.. Kitchen claimed that every day the
water drawn from the taps in his house is
muddy and unfit to drink; Expert Hill re-
ION his honor" that his statement was true
Mr.. Tanner said the citizens object to the
price Of the water works because II IS pasea
The purchase of the water works under the
Hord plan, Mr.. Tanner said, would bring
on litigation, because certain men would ME
injunction proceedings.
PIPING FROM MAXINKUCKEE.
DR.. Kitchen asked Expert Hill what it
would cost to pipe water from Lake Max
inkuckee, one hundred miles away, to this
city, Mr. Hill replied that it would prob
ably cost $15000,000 DR.. Kitchen said he
had asked only for his personal informa-
ton. He then went on to say that he felt
that he represented many property owners
to whom he had talked about the plan to
buy the water works, and in their name he
condemned it, DR.. Kitchen seemed the
embodiment of sincerity and when he spoke
the words quoted at the head OF this column
he was extremely emphatic.
Mr. Patterson said that nine-tenths of the
people of this city want it to own the water
plant. What is the honest and fair value
of the plant and what is the quickest and
most satisfactory way to get it?'' cried Mr..
Patterson.
DR.. p. H. Jameson said he thought it
would be we'll for the city to own the water
works However, he did not believe that
any candid lawyer would say that the pur-
chase of the plant under the Hord plan
which establishes the debt limit. His opin-
ion was that the constitutional debt limit
should be changed by an amendment,
which it would only. take three years to
get through the Legislature" DR.. jane
son said that three years is not long time
for a city of 100000 He drew comparison
between the city's buying water works
under the Hord plan, and the poor woman
who pays $40 on payments Tor a sewing ma
chine which she might get for $50 in cash.
PICKENS HAS A PLAN.
William A. Pickens has presented the
Board of Public Works with plan for buy
ing the water works This plan is for prop
erty owners to be assessed as they are as
sessed for other public Improvements and
thus raise the money to buy the water
works, which, he says, may be appraised
by the city, condemned and purchased. Last
night he explained his plan and insisted
there were no legal objections to it, Mr..
Pickens read a provision of the city charter
forbidding any department of the admins
tlollOH DilluiHS the CITY 10 ueDL III excess
OF the amount appropriated for that depart
ment. Ihls provision he said, would pre-
vent the increasing of the water rentals to
buy the water works, as the Hord plan de-
mands Mr.. Pickens explained that under
his plan man owning forty-foot lot would
pay $40 as his assessment for the purchase
or the water plant, assuming that the
water works is worth 49, 900 and there are
w miles of pipe. Mr.. Pickens's plan was
denounced by Mr.. Patterson, because, as he
said the poor man who lives on the out
skirts and does not use the city water must
pay at the same rate as the man whose
property IN the center of the city is very
valuable, and who uses the water from the
water works
City Attorney Kern stated that he was
satisfied with his opinion that the Hord
proposition Is legal for he knew that his
opinion was borne out by decisions of the
courts. lie recalled the long period the city
would be tied up with the present water
rates, assuming that the present contract
between the city and the water company is
valid He urged that the most important
question for the city to determine is how
TO escape from the contract with the water
company.
In reply to a question Expert Hill said
that 1t would take three years to build a
water plant like the present one. This mat
ter was brought up by the suggestion that
a plan might be formed for a corporation
10 build new water works and sell 1T to
same time be water rentals Mr.. Hill said
it would cost about $3.50 900 to put the pres
ent water works in the condition it should
be if the city buys it,
Two hours discussion like that detailed
above was had of the water works pur-
chase question. Mayor Taggart said he was
thankful to the citizens for their opinions
The Board of Public Works, he said, will in
a few days begin to officially consider the
matter. The sense of the meeting was that
the citV cannot huV tha wafer works "A