Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-03
WHAT is THE ANIMUs?

Inc city OIL OtJumWd Is lOudy ldCilF
the most critical situation in it's entire
history What is the animus actual
ing majority of the city council in
the waterworks matter? Why should
City Solicitor Jaques, who is
recognized as one OF the
best lawyers in Iowa, be
turned down and practically suppressed
ed by the present city council.
Why do reported Chicago cap
italists or their alleged repre-
sentatives come to OttumWa IN
secrecy to consider the matter
of building a waterworks system and
the securing of a franchise from the
city? Why are secret caucuses and
conferences held? Why is not all this
business, which is of such tremendous
importance to the health, business
and growth of the city, brought out
into the open and handled in the
broad, comprehensive and business
like manner that it should be? why
is there determined effort on the
part of certain parties to force the
city council to burn the bridges be-
hind them, and bring about condi-
ton that will render it practically i'm
possible for the council to act hereaf-
ter in the best interests OF the COM
munity? Why this determined effort
in certain quarters to render it i'm
possible for the city council to come
to any terms with the City Water
Supply Company, utterly regardless OF
the interests of the public at large?
Why these persistent rumors of pro-
posed midnight meeting of the council
at which, it is said, franchises are to
be granted to certain parties, as yet
unknown to the public with pro-
viso that the parties obtaining the
franchises shall not under any Cir
cumstances purchase any or all OF
the existing plant?
Whose interests are being conserv'
ed by all this fatalistic folly?
Let it be granted that the; city coun
Gil started out with an honest effort
several months ago to give the city
new system of waterworks under mu
nicipal ownership. The result wal
the Fruin-Bram brich contract, which
was approved by the voters, bu
which the courts have decided canno
be carried into execution. The court:
have also decided that the city canno
build a baby" plant for the purpose
OF affording temporary fire protection
in a portion of the business district
while a new and large plant should
be constructed The people of Ottum
wa should realize, and the city council
should realize that this city is FAC
ING A CONDITION, not theory. Thu
2Sth day of March, the date upol
which the existing temporar
contract with the water com
pany expires, is near at hand. The
what will be done? Some say tina
the water will be turned off; some sa
that it will not. We think there i
one thing that can be safely depend
ed upon. The water will not remain
turned off more than day or two a
most, because the public will not pc
nit it. They will not invite pesti
lence they will not see their propert
jeopardized, they will not stand by an
see their business go to ruin.
What, then, in the light of actu;
physical conditions, in connectio
with the decisions of the courts, is
be done?
The first thing to be done is to sto
all this mysterious, secret nonsens
this dallying with the impossible
come out into the open and get dow
to business: There is just one thir
to consider, and that is the best i
terests of this community. The healt
and comfort of the people of this cit
and their property and business int
ests, are the first and only conside
alton. 1t is not the City Water Su
ply company, it is not the city counc
or the city administration, it is n
this lawyer or that lawyer that is
be considered. 1t is the true welfa
of the people of Ottumwa. To ia
now Of building new plant with Il
old plant shut down is worse tn;
folly; it is simply idiocy. And y
there are those, as reported in Il
Courier's local columns yesterda
who want the council to .'burn
bridges" and attempt to do this We
thing. What, we again ask, is t
real animus of this kind of talk? w
somebody please rise up and expla
In our opinion, the city council h