Evening journal., 1903-11-03

While the decision of the court u f.,
expected to be in favor of the city. it
may be possible that the Filtration
Company win win. Supposing that it q
does, it will then be up to the Water
Department to pay the concern $lSI5OO 1
or Sl22,500 more than is asked for now. q
Beside this the whole matter will again h
be thrown back to the beginning, and
as / understand new water system
is needed at once. this will only delay \
matters. There is nothing further to
be gained by keeping the matter in the
courts, and am one. as a private citi-
zen, who would like to see the matter
settled"
Mr.. Ball interviewed.
This morning Mr.. Harman's inter-
view WIS read to J. b. Bell, one of the
citizens who is bringing the suit to re-
strain the Water Department from
paying the money. After listening to
the reading OF the interview Mr.. Bell |
said:
In the first place what is the neces-
sity for such haste. We have never
had an answer to this. Even if all the
contentious could be proven. which is I
not the case this question of haste in I
a matter of such great Importance to
the city remains unanswered. / can /
see nothing to be gained by rushing
into a bargain now and regretting 1t /
later IS is almost sure to be the case.
Neither the Water Commissioners, the |
Sand Filtration Company nor Mr.. fIar-
man have ever given anyone the slight |
est reason why we should rush in a
milibn-dol venture in advance Of
the decision of the Chancellor as tol
the validity of the contract.
. I,., ,.-fos. a, fI.,l
decision, for as it has been contended
all along the city would be in just as
good condition to make a bargain for
the plans and patents in question even
z if the contract be sustained?
- Whereas if it is thrown ont a
= probability admitted by the best legal
talent in Wilmington and even by Mr.
Harman himself, the city will be i'm a
position to go ahead on q new basis i'm
accordance with the law and with due
regard to the interests Of the taNpay-
ers who seem to be crowded out of this
p case by the Sand Filtration Company
e and its advocates.
"As to Mr.. Harman's contention
with reference to the secret meetings,
r IL would be in order for him to explain
r why he is so tender OF the sand Filtra-
= tion Companys interests. In the
s known circumstances of the situation
e it does not appear TO me that it is en-
e titled to such tenderness. It is entitled
to fairness and justice and no more.
t "A foreign corporation which comes
a here without the shadow of right to
'- do business In this State and entraps
1.-The Water Commission into a bargain
I, that is admitted by every unpreiudiced
l. person to be injurious to the city's in
J. terests is not entitled to have any one
here lying awake at night to protect it
from the consequences of it's own act.
H MIR. HaTman confirms the statement
- made in the Star that the citizens
agreed to no compromise at the con-
a ference OF October TO- AS that confer
~ ence is the only one at which the cit
IN liens We're present. it is therefore plain
as that the charge made by the Sand Fill
tration Company and some of the COM
missioners that they, the citizens were
nd responsible for the conclusion to COM
Ter promise is without foundation.
nd Mr.. Harman says he never made
MS statement that the. contract was lille.
gal. We would like to know if Mr.
Harman means by this that he has nev
Of er given his professional opinion to thi
ay effect or whether he never made tha
,us expression privately for If he meant
-er the latter I think it can be provel
nK btfOh0 AhNoAAoiA that AN 10 AAAAoAtAtANAAs
al Mr.. Harman undertakes to say wha
is fair valuation for plans and pat
ents of the Sand Filtration Compan
me and places that value at S65,000.
ors ''Will Mr.. Harman inform us wha
he special knowledge he has Of plans an
in 4 especially Of these patents which woul
I'VE lead him to be so positive as to thei
on worth? He is an excellent attorne,
but If he has had any special trainin
that makes him competent to judge {
.o,, such matters no one in this communit
has heard of il.
1T was attempted again and agai
TO commit the citizens to an estimai
s,r Of the value of these patents but the
refused on the ground that i'm the frs
M place they did not know. and I'm III
second place it was none OF their bus
ness.
Two OF them Ia my judgment ana
the judgment of all men who lno
W. them are far more competent to pa,
nto on this question than Mr.. Harman, "
up he decides off-hand what they as car,
me ful men refused to determine.
ar MIR. Harman has something TO sa
a about the excellence Of the Indianaps
Ind lis plant. Let it be understood clear
cen that the citizens have at no time a
in tackled the system of the Sand Filtr;
rg- tion Company They have no preji
rhe dice against the company. and IL Il
vas contract i'm question should be throw
me out and It afterwards transpres thi
CHI the Sand Filtration Company's syste
IS the best we can get. ! say FOR myse
the and believe I speak for the other cit
aid zens that there would be no objectiC
cad on our part to the adoption of that sy
to tenn.
ase Want Business Methods.
ned "All we are contendng for and
rea we have contended for is a transa
my tion Of public business in lawf
manner and with consistent regard 4
ned the welfare of the taxpayers.
ga "The citizens who are parties to th
ne controversy as il now stands are ju
was as anxious as is Mr. Harman or an
~ one else to see this matter settled o
ime Of court. but as Mr. Harman says, Il
'ar- decision OF the court is expected to
in favor OF the city with a remote po
'ver sibility Of an adverse decision. The
ntly does not seem to be any good reaso
'ery as I have already said, for rushing in
! to a bargain to buy filter patents tn
rhis have only n problematical value al
by which so far as is known ever had o
ong practical test.
as "Now then. let me ask again. viii {
for commission or Mr.. Harman give to [
and public one single reason why the ci
should be in a hurry to make a de
reat for these patents in advance Of "A iut
,,.o,s cial darfufop nc to fhp vnlidff.- of ~