The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-06
WATER CONTRACT HEARING
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 George M. Wallace came in at s o'clock and when he was informed of the ten minute rule he objected to it, complaining that he could not say all he had to say in that time. He then went on and recommended a contract for not more than ten years with purchasing clause plainly marked His remarks occupied three minutes.
 Charles Gay the next speaker, read his remarks from manuscript. He want ed inserted in the new contract clause compelling the company to install Altering plant. He read letters from the heads of water plants in other cities to show that the Altering had prevent ed typhoid outbreaks He also wanted reduction of 25 per cent in rates to consumers At the conclusion of his remarks he handed his manuscript to the committee.
 w. J. O'Brien spoke in favor of ten year contract. Ex-Judge Joseph Shel- don urged that the matter of municipal ownership be well looked into on both sides before anything was done,
 Elliott H. Morse, secretary and treas urer of the Connecticut Savings bank. S1iu eildt ilt lldu SAdllllltQ tie proposed thirty year contract and found that it was carefully prepared for the inter- ests of the city It would cost at least s5,Ooo,0O0 for the city to own the water works and the interest on this and taxes lost would wipe out the profits.
 Walter Leigh thought that it was the duty of the citizens of New Haven to say something. A man from Hamden, who was alleged to have been instru- mental in drawing up the thirty year contract, had put in an amendment in the constitutional convention to the ef- feet that no city town or borough could bond itself for over five per cent of it's grand list Mr. Leigh intimated that the water company may be interested in that amendment.
 Clarence Deming thought that if the continuous contract was adopted it ought to contain a clause permitting the purchase of the waterworks to go into effect ill not more than three years l He recommended that the company pay full taxes and that the city pay for wa ter used for public purposes at whole | sale rates to be determined by arbitra- 1 ton.
 E. D. Goodale didn't see why the city l should buy poisoned water of the water company when for half million dol | lars the city could put in a system of | wells for itself. He favored strongly a driven we'll system
 Frank Horan, representing the trades | council, spoke for short term con- tract, and a purchase clause. Robert | Hunter said that the sentiment of the l 1J. purchasing clause. Robert Grant said that he favored municipal owner ship and so short term contract with clause to permit purchase at any time. He said Tt is strange that citi- zens have to come here to convince of ficials to do their duty
 B. F. Lynch spoke for short time contract and a purchase clause. Will liam Gay said that the right to pur- chase at any time should be retained, also the right to sink wells or get water from another source.
 Professor Brewer of the Sheffield scientific school said that twenty years ago he had much to say in favor of buying the water company's plant when the city could get it cheaper than now He then believed strongly in municipal ownership. The question was submit ted to popular vote and he was horribly in the minority. To-day he believed that there should be a clause to allow the city to purchase, but not at any minute. The city. he understood, was not now ready to run into debt He would rather see a long term contract, say twenty years, anyway, with an en- phatic clause permitting purchase by the city. He never owned any water stock, probably never would be able to own any, and he expressed his views as a citizen. The money required now to purchase the plant was So large that the city had better hesitate about buy ing it now.
 Captain J. J. Kennedy favored city ownership to-day as he did twenty years ago. He thought that there was more opportunity to corrupt politicians through private ownership than there