Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-09
FAIRFIELD.
FAIRFIELD JOINS WAreRWlLe
And They will Flint Tor manipulating Their
Water Systems.

~ nv pIiHBfdAIbIi HittiltS Utfu dA kiit
Engine hail. Saturday afternoon. for tn,
purpose Of taking final action on tn.
question Of Misunderstanding the water sys
TEN. much more Interest was manifesto
than at the former meeting and goo
number WAS present. After Moderate:
Emery had called the meeting to order
r. J. Lawrence opened the business by
asking how the plan first originated, ana
On motion of IL. r. Burgess. Lawye:
Eaton OF Waierv.ile. the author Of the
plan. who was present, was asked 70 ex.
plain.
Mr.. Eaton said THAI in all his dealing.
with the Maine Water Co he had conc
OUT behind. When he became city solicitor
Of Watervlle and had made an examina-
ton Of the contracts between the city
in the same box. The Water Co was
composed of non-residents and naturall,
squeezed as many dollars az 1t could out
Of its patrons. He considered 1t an abso-
Lutte monopoly of a prime necessity of
life and one that should no, exist He
had always found the company very
sharp in driving a bargain. Other place.,
had municipal control of the water sys-
TEN and had always been able to make a
grea. saving in the expense.
The Maine Water Co. he believed.
charged high prices for their services.
He had been unable 10 exactly fix the in
come OF the company. The company op-
Grated seven water systems and most Of
these Were acknowledged 10 he unpro-
duct!ve. Nevertheless. in a pamphlet is
sued by the company for the benefit Of
prospective bond purchasers. IL had
stated that In five years surplus Of S6i.-
Vb had been accumulated and that SIG. 600
Of this had been accumulated in one year
1896 As many of the other plants were
Acknowledged to be profitless he thought
a large share Of this surplus had come
from this district.
In view of these facts he believed that
the four places. Waterville, Winslow.
Benton and Fairfield. would be greatly
benefited by taking possession of the
plant by judicial process of condemna-
tion and appraisal. The company, he
stated. now has bonded debt of $500. go
on which . per cent interest was being
paid. mostly. it would seem. by the four
towns mentioned. As 3 per cent. rate
was possible on good municipal bonds.
the towns could in this way save about
5000 by talking control of the plant Then,
too, he believed more than 2 per cent.
could be saved or the surplus He be-
lieved that from $4,000 to $4,000 had un-
necessarily been taken from tins plant 10
the Gardiner office
Personally, he had been paying 81 for
% cents worth Of water. As a rule he did
not favor municipal control. but he
thought that a necessity of so much i'm
portance as water should be directly con-
trolled by the people themselves. At
present the water was unfit for human
beings and the towns were paying double
for something unfit for use. BY the new
plan the source of supply could be
CHANGED to any of the tributary ponds. a
thing which the present company was un-
able to do.
In reply to a question from V. r. Con-
nor chairman of the local investigation
committee, in regard to the depreciation
of the water system. Mr.. Eaton said that
would have to be settled by the APP
praisers. In reply to a question a little
later, Mr. Eaton stated that If the plant
should be appraised the towns could re-
fuse or accept the price set as they
saw fit.
After Mr.. Eaton had completed his ex-
planation the report of the committee
appointed at the last meeting was called
for Mr.. Common. the chairman, reported
that Mr.. Eaton had covered the ground
and that tine committee could add little to
what had been said.
After considerable discussion during
which Mr.. Eaton was cross-auestioned
pretty thoroughly. the meeting voted
to unite with Waterville in
promoting the plan and in putting the
bill through the Legislature.
The committee of investigation. which
was composed of V. r. Common. F.. ].
Robinson, f. Kelley and II. F.. Burgess.
was appointed to confer with the similar
of Waterville and to unite
with them in promoting the plan.
The result of the meeting was gener-
ally satisfactory and Fairfield is now
to aid in pushing the plan along.