The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-30
NEW WATER CONTRACT
AN AMENDMENT THAT KILLS THE
"PERPETUITY- CLAUSE.
The City May Buy the Plant at Any
Timc-The Contract Will Be
Signed To-Morrow.

The water contract that has been hang
ing fire for many weeks will be signed by
the Board of Works and officers of the
water company in the office of the board
tomorrow morning. This was the state
ment given out by Chairman Sahm, of the
board last yesterday afternoon after a
long conference between the members of
the board, City Attorney Kern, Mayor
Taggart and Vice President Davis and At
torney Albert Baker, of the water company.
in the private Office of Mr.. Kern.
The board considered the report of the
Commercial Club committee on the water
contract and where it was deemed advisable
made changes in the contract to meet the
views of the committee. The principal
change in the contract is clause that
will cause the contract to end at the ex-
piration of its term, instead of being per-
petual, as was alleged with the old con-
tract. This question was considered at
some length by those present at the con-
ference and finally City Attorney Kern
made draft of clause to be inserted in
the new contract that met the approval Of
the board and the representatives, of the
water company The section pertaining to
the expiration of the contract will read
This contract shall continue in force un-
til the 31st day of December. 1908, and in
case at that date the said parties shall be
unable to agree respecting the rates or
price to be paid for fire hydrants or plugs,
and water for public use, then the matter
of such rates and prices shall be sub
mitted TO arbitration in the manner and
form provided in the ordinance of Jan. 8,
1870, hereinbefore referred to; provided,
that the terms and provisions of this con-
tract shall continue in force from Dec. 81,
1908, until such arbitration is concluded.
Provided, however, that nothing contained
in this contract shall in any way affect the
right of the city pursuant to the laws and
ordinances of the city to purchase all the
buildings, machinery, and pipe and entire
plant of said Indianapolis Water Company
and all it's corporate rights and privileges"
Chairman Sahm explained that this sec
ton will cause the contract to expire at
a certain time instead of being perpetual.
and will also provide means whereby the
city can purchase the Indianapolis Water
Company plant should it so desire. This
section will meet the views of the Com
mercial Club committee on that question.
ANOTHER CHANGE.
Another important change agreed upon
at the conference was the shortening OF
the term of the contract from ten years,
as specified before, to eight years. The
Commercial Club committee desired to have
but a fve-years contract, but the repre-
sentatives of the water company would
not agree to such a short term and COM
promise was finally reached on eight years.
The question of the city not receiving
enough free water was then considered
and after much debating the water COM
pany agreed to furnish the police station
with 100000 more gallons month free Of
charge than at first mentioned, which will
bring the total Of free water for that in
stitution TO 100000 gallons a month and
also extra 100000 gallons for Tomlin-
son Hall, bringing the total for that place
to 1000 gallons a month, which is in
cluded in the free lists.
There was some discussion on the ques-
ton of reducing the hydrant rental, which
has been placed at SIS a year for each
hydrant but the water company represent
tatives would not listen TO a lower rate.
and it was finally agreed that there should
be change in this charge. The public
rates and also the private rates were also
considered and ii was agreed by the men,
bers of the board and those present at the
conference that the rates as set out in
the contract when published a few weeks
ago could not be bettered and no changes
were made in them.
The contract with the amendments and
changes as mentioned will be signed to-
morrow and will be sent to the Council
next Monday night for ratification by that
body. 1t is not believed that there will be
any serious obstacle thrown in the way of
the contract being ratified as it stands
amended.
The board also decided to make an
amendment regarding the amount of pipe
that can be ordered laid each year: The
former amount was 10000 feet, and it was
raised to 10000 feet. with fire hydrant
every five hundred feet.