The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-10
Water Works Resolution Arouses
a Hot Time.
! MUNICIPAL CYCLONE
The Discussion Lasted Until After Mid
niEht-A Remembrance Was Pre-
sented From Business Men.
The Vote Was a Tie.
Special Correspondence of the STANDARD

ing. The meeting had been looked FOR
"ard to with a great deal of interest
VI account OF the fact that it was ex-
peeted that the council would take i'm
the matter of the city's purchasing the
wafer WORKS plant. Quite number of
SPECTATORS were present to witness the
fireworks, and they were well repaid
Tor the time spent. After transactiny
routine business, allowing bills, etc.,
the matter of the ordinance submit
lins the question of municipal owner
snip TO vote of the pople was taken
up.
The clerk was instructed to read the
ordnance, which in effect proposes the
Submission of purchasing the present
water system for 100000 to a vote of
the people. After the document was
read, a motion was made to take an
INFORMAL vote on the passage of the or
alnance TO ascertain the sense of the
council on the proposition, and the mo-
bate. w
Alderman Robinson said that the
quesllon OF submitting the proposition
70 vote of the people had been dis
cussed for several months, pro and con,
ana he thought that the best way to
dispose Of the matter would be to sub
mlt It 70 a popular vote without any
further parley or delay, and while he
was Of the opinion that the price asked
by the company for the plant was too
h1gh, he nevertheless would vote that
lne question of purchase be submitted
TO the people. They could decide the
matter for themselves. If they wanted
municipal ownership of the water
works plant at the price named they
could say SO, or they could vote it
down If they saw proper.
Alderman Nelson was the next speak
er who favored submitting the ques
| ton 70 popular vote. He believed that
municipal ownership of the water
| works was the proper thing, and while
| the price asked might seem exorbitant.
yet under all the circumstances It
might prove to be good investment
| for the city. He would vote for sub
mNtlng the question to vote of the
taxpayers Of the city.
Alderman Harvey said he had talked
TO great many business men and lie
had ascertained that the prevailing
sentiment among them was one of op-
position to submitting the question to
the people on the basis of the price
asked by the owners of the water
works system He, therefore, would
vote against the motion to accept the
ordinance.
Alderman Doonan favored the pas
sage Of the ordinance. H. had llsan a
good deal Of thought to the subject and
was satisfied, from all the information
he had obtained, that municipal own
ership of water works was a good
thing, and while he thought the price
asked a trif1e high, yet he believed that
If the city should pay even 100000
for the plant It would be a paying in
vestment for the city, especially as the
n 10 nvrfo 1nI
period Of 10 years yet. He would vote
for the passage Of an ordinance sub
uniting the question to the people.
Alderman Jones didn't volunteer any
remarks on the question before the
council. He was asked Ii he had any
thing to say on the subject. Being
thus appealed to for an expression Of
his views, he promised his remarks ky
saying that no matter which side of the
question he might take he would prob
ably meet with opposition. He said he
had been accused by the Livingston
tons on municipal ownership. He sail
he was in favor of municipal owner
ship Of system of water works, hut
that he was not in favor of the, city
paying 100000 for the present system;
then he was opposed to submitting the
question to the people in its present
form. He thought the question should
be submitted SO that the people would
have a chance of more than one simple
proposition. Several propositions might
be submitted to them and they could
elect as to which plan suited them
best. He said he had been accused of
being unduly influenced by Alderman
Hefferlin, but If there was ANY such
firm as Hefferlin & Co." in the council
he didn't know it. The gentleman
made some remarks which were
warmly resented by members of the
hn foy ho r,ac Cos 90 nf O
ordinance, and considerable discussion
and some sharpshooting was INDUCED
in.
Alderman Hefferlin, president of the
council, who was in the chair in the
absence of Mayor Smith, took the floor.
He said he had looked over the propo
sition to bond the city for 100000 with
which to purchase the water works
plant, carefully and conscientiously,
and he had become satisfied that it
would be very poor investment from
business standpoint. He thought that
members who differed with him had
not given the subject sufficient consid-
Grafton They had acted for some time
as though they had water works on
the BRAIN and wouldn't listen to rea-
son, argument or logic. Mr.. Hefferlin's
remarks were considered personal and
were warmly resented by Aldermen
Doonan and Nelson, especially. who,
with Mr.. Hefferlin, had constituted the
committee to whom the matter of pur-
chasing the water works had been re-
ferred.
At this interesting stage of the game
DR.. j. E. Feste was asked by the chair
man if he had a remonstrance, signed
by the business men of the city, against
the passage of the ordinance. The VEN
cradle gentleman, who has always been
considered a persistent advocate of
municipal ownership, replied that he
didn't know the question of purchas
ing the water works was to be dis
cussed that evening. He had, however,
a remonstrance against the PROPOSE
ton, signed by many business men and
taxpayers; that he could get many
more signers IL he had time to inter-
view the people, but he would present
the remonstrance in its unfinished con-
dition to the people. The paper was
handed to the president of the council,
who proceeded to read as follows:
in view of the liberal offer of $4,000
made by the city council for the water
plant. Chat offer being generally con-
sidered too high, and the offer having
been refused by the water works com
pany, we, the undersigned residents