Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-17

charge only such sum as is reasonable
Their franchise comes from the State
of Maine. not from the city of Augusta
and the Water Company is, in the con-
ception of the law, like a railroad-ii
is a public servant. 1t has the right
temporarily, to do the States business
The primary conception of all these
matters is that the State in the first
instance acting through itself, OF
through city-which is a subdivision
of the State-has the first right to put
in water works and run them. Finding
itself unable to do it, it simply selects
this water company as it has, to do the
public's work until the public gets
ready to do it for itself. Now, while
that water company is acting as the
agent of the public and is doing its
work as public servant, 1T has a law
full right to charge such rates as will
enable it, first, to pay operating eX-
penses: second, a fair allowance for de-
probation; and, third, to give it a fair
return upon the actual cash invested.
And whether the rates that are charged
to private takers in this city conform
TO that primary rule of law which gov
ems water companies, street railroads
and other public servants and We're
lust and lawful, will be determined,
when, in accordance with the terms
of this bill, the Augusta Water Co.
produces it's books before the apprais-
erS.
1t seems to me that from now until
the time you hold your election the dis
cusson should not be complicated with
Of no of CIJy1p1xy
except upon the general proposition,
which hardly admits of argument, that
not one day should be lost in abandon
ing the Kennebec river and in going
wherever engineers and business man
find, after due investigation, we can
get an abundant supply of pure water
But inasmuch as something has been
said about these different lakes,
might say word upon their general
availability for the purpose. China
lake is 1913 feet above low water mark
of this river right here, so that there is
no earthly question but that its height
is ample. 1t would not furnish water
except by gravity, for fire purposes. 1t
would carry water probably to the top
of the State House, but the pressure
W
poses. 1 apprehend, therefore, that any
engineer would recommend that the
water be piped to Augusta and pumped
to the reservoir. and I apprehend, fur
ther. that no engineer would ever per-
nit this city to any longer endanger all
the property that there is upon Water
street by clinging to water power de-
velopcd at the Kennebec dam.
At the tire of the ice freshet there
was considerable period will not
say how many hours or how much
when, owing to back water if a con-
fagration had broken out upon Water
street, you would have been dependent
upon one steam engine. We use a vast
amount Of water. l have been told, but
do not state it of my own knowledge,
that we consume nearly 100000 gal
Ions of water day on this system. 1t
is certainly more than 100000
that l should say of my own knowledge
of other work systems-but whichever
figure be true, that reservoir is not
large enough TO carry us through some
seasons of back water that we all have
seen flow out the power at the Kenne-
bee dam.
Now as to the capacity of China lake.
1t has an area of over six square miles
about 1000 acres. The watershed is
$500 acres, so that there is water
enough there to supply Portland and
Lewiston and Bangor and as big a city
as we hope the city of Augusta may
ever be- What the distance is l could
only tell from the map. 1t scales about
II miles.
Weber pond has an area of two
square miles and a tenth and in size,
if the water is good, is ample for the
purposes of this city, Its height must
be upwards of $50 feet and therefore is
ample, and its distance is about nine
miles. Cobbosseecontee is the largest
Of the lakes. 1t has an area of eight
square miles, and there are more than
20 square miles of water in the series
of ponds Which flow into it. 1t is 16S
feet above low water mark and there
fore amply high for our purposes.
I should estimate its distance at about
four miles. Silver lake, l understand,
is very small.
Mr.. Heath then reviewed the eXper-
fence of Auburn, a city less than two
thirds the size of Augusta. where they
have no State House, no large post
office, no Insane Asylums nor Soldiers
Homes, showing that their municipal
water plant, without any of these large
contracts. or large takers, $30,1S4.86.
Their operating expenses We're SS542.SS.
Their profit was $21,64S.9S. The going
rate of interest, today, upon all high
grade municipal bonds, such as would
be the bonds under the present bill, is
3 IL per cent. That sum pays IL
per cent on $61S,342. They are setting
aside but / per cent. into their sinking
fund, with the idea of letting posterity
pay for part of the burden. Last
year. they set aside $35S3.62 into their
sinking fund. leaving them a clean
profit over everything of $1S,05S.36, or
, IL per cent on $507,300 1t is Il
safer proposition for the city of Angus
ia thai it was for Auburn. Mr. Heath
showed that the rates for private TAX
els were lower in Auburn than in Au-
gusta.
He further reviewed Judge Savage's
attempt, While in the Senate, to secure
an amendment to the constitution pro-
vidng that moneys invested in water
works should not be reckoned as por-
ton of the per cent. debt limit, and