Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-05
TO VETO FRANCHISE
WATERWoRks PROBLEM is BACK
TO ITS FORMER STATUS.
Mayor Pickler States This Morning
That He Would Not Sign Franchise
of Home Water Supply Co., if coun-
Gil Should Pass it.

Gil Should Pass it.
Il will never sign my name to
franchise giving to the Home Water
Supply Co. the right to operate wat
erworks system in the city of Ottum-
wa" said Mayor T. H. Picker this
morning when asked whether or not
the council would grant franchise
to the home company in view OF the
action OF the Chicago parties last ev-
ening in withdrawing their proposal.
To pass the franchise over the veto
of the mayor it will be necessary for
the matter to be put to vote and car
ried by two-thirds vote of the menl-
bers OF the council, which, according
to several aldermen seen this morn
ing, is impossible as the sentiment OF
the body is strongly against giving the
franchise to the local capitalists Last
evening the council met and read the
Home Water Supply Co.'S ordinance
by title, passing it to the third read
ing. The council then retired into an
executive session. during which, it is
stated, the proceedings not being
known, it was found that it was the
unanimous sense of the body that the
franchise should not be granted to
the company and that the matter was
laid on the table indefinitely.
Too Late For Election.
At any rate the question will not be
put TO vote before the electors OF the
city at the coming spring election, as
today was the last day in which the
council could pass the ordinance and
fill the requirements of the law, which
renders publishing in two papers OF
the city once each week for four con,
secutive weeks compulsory. If, how
ever, the matter is brought up again
and passed over the mayors veto by a
! two-third's vote OF the council, a spec
ial election can be called at which the
electors OF the city will be called upon
to ratify by vote the action Of the coun,
| Gil. From the statements of the alder
men questioned this morning, however
it was decided - plgeonhole the Home
Company proposal, and this the mer
questioned say, win never be brought
4 UP again.
Pass to Third Reading.
. The special meeting OF the council
i last evening was called for the pul
4 pose of discussing the electric liSh
I and gas ordinances OF the Iowa Con
struction Co, .,and the waterworks ordi
nance of the Home Water Supply CO
l These were passed to the third read
ing, number of amendments being
tackled to each of them. There wa:
little interest taken in the reading o
the ordinance of the Chicago partie.
] as the mayof was already in receip
of a telegram from Attorney Fullen
announcing that his clients had reject
ed the proposition as amended.
! Show Different Front.
4 When the second reading of the
water ordinance was called, however
things took on a livelier turn. Alder
man Barnes made an amendment tC
| exact the same cash deposit from the
Home company as from the Chicago
firm which was adopted after short
!, discussion. This was added as a guar
antee of good faith and required thai
\ the sum of $4,000 be deposited with
) the city treasurer before the franchise
i should be signed by the mayor. This
was the only action taken on the mat
1 ter at the open session. 1t was upoI
Alderman Hoglund's motion that the
council went into a committee OF the
whole to discuss the matter. He stat
cd that he had several amendments t
propose What went on behind tn;
closed doors is not known, but it i:
said that several of the alderme,
showed a different front when alone
with their colleagues than wa:
cbour whom tbay .unro n1ayipo thi
galleries.
Bee Buzzing Again.
The withdrawal of the Iowa Con
, struction Co. from the race and tn,
prophesied downfall of the Home Wa
ter Supply Co. have alrea4y resulted
in bringing a return OF the municipa
Ownership bee, and today there is /;
, buzzng in many bonnets. While nom
of the members of the council ar
ready to say just what development
!, will be shown within the next few
weeks, yet the air is full of rumors 0
plans for the overthrow of the thre
; Einjunctions now against the city il
, the federal courts.
| Say Water Will Not Be Shut Off.
The aldermen have no fears of tn
S water being shut off after March 2s
the time when the conh2ct with tn
present water company expires. Al
derman Rankin, when asked about tn
matter this morning, stated that
such course was taken the court
would be full of injunctions agains
the company. He stated, however
that he thought the company would b
! ! wiling to supply the city with waite
indefinitely for the sum of $500 pc
month, the sum which is now bein