Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-17
MASS MEETING
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$4,000 of those bonds are forever lock-
ed up in the hands of a trustee, and can
never be issued until the company can
produce contract for a hydrant rental
with the city of Hallowell, thing they
never have been or will be able to do.
So that about $4,000 of bonds were is
sued. bearing interest at per cent,
when the works were constructed. Later
on, a second mortgage for the same
improvements was put upon the plant
and $4,000 of second mortgage bonds
We're issued. In 1901 the company was
authorized to issue 100000 of bonds to
take up the old first mortgages and
second mortgages and to use such pro-
portional part of this 100000 as they
might need FOR extensions. 1 appre-
bend, though 1 do not know, that what
ever new bonds went out then We're for
laying the new service at the Soldiers
Home, but under the terms of that
mortgage no man could know how
many bonds had been issued. In 1886
the city, after full discussion, and a
popular vote, through the city govern
ment made a contract with the Au-
gusta Water Co., which is now rum
Ming 1t was the best thing and the
only thing that the people of Augusta
could then do, because it was impossi-
Bile, except by taxation, which was out
Of the question, to build or own a
proper system of water works of its
own. The contract will expire on Jan.
/, 1907
The contract provided that the wa
ter should be taken from "a point above
the dam, and you will recollect that at
first the water was taken from the ca
dam. But in year or two a long main
was laid from the canal out into the
river 10 the creek, so that shortly after
the beginning Of the contract it was
fully and completely lived up to in that
particular.
Now the fact that the city of Au-
gusta as city undertook to say that
it's source of supply should be the
Kennebec river does not, today, bind
the public legally in the slightest de-
gree, if, owing to changed circum-
stances and conditions, that has be-
come an unfit source of supply. No
city as city can trade away the rights
of her inhabitants, or of the great pub
lie who come here, more or less, and
who are as dependent on this water as
we are. The great contract that q
water company makes is with the
State, and if we can show that they
have failed to fulfill the primary eie-
ment of all water charters, and that is
that the water supply should be pure
then there rest on them the legal duty
of changing their source Of supply, no
matter what the terms of the contract
with the municipality may be. They
agreed to put in a pump of 100000
capacity, and l have understood that
their pumps have larger capacity than
that. They agreed to build a reser
voir with a capacity of 100000 gal
Ions, and / have been told, although l
do not know, that the reservoir will
hold more than that. They agreed
that the reservoir should be 269 feet
above mean low water, in order to give
us a good pressure on Water street. l
have been told, although l do not know
it to be a fact that the reservoir is 324
feet above the level of low water, so
that, if true, we undoubtedly have the
best pressure of any city in Maine.
They agreed to put in so non-freezing
hydrants. | live on State street and 1
saw the Jail on fire (Laughter). The
company in distinct terms agreed that
those hydrants should be kept in re-
pair and good order. and to satisfy
their claim that no man should be al
lowed to interfere with their hydrants.
city officials or otherwise, except upon
proper OCCASIONS, clause-a usual one
in all such contracts-waS inserted
that the city should have no right
hyy Iit,11 C wi a
the ground was frozen.
Now, for that we paid, gentlemen.
the lowest hydrant rental of any mu-
nicipality in Maine, l think. We paid
for so MIGRANTS $4,000 for the first five
years. and are paying $1S33.33 for the
last Is years. We We're to pay and
have paid for extra hydrants beyond
the so. $50. and the going price has
been $50. There is a provision in the
contract that at the end of the 20 years
the city shall have the right to renew
the contract for another 90 years for
$1,000 year, no matter how many hy-
drasts there may be, and no matter
how many new hydrants may be called
for. and there is a clause in the con-
tract that whenever the city will agree
to take a hydrant the Water Company
must run a main at least 6 inches in
size $50 feet to connect 1t. So that
there will be 275 feet of hose from two
MIGRANTS connecting with each other.
There was a further provision which
has been and is of no use to us. that
the city should have a right at any
time, during the running of the con-
tract, or of it's renewal. to buy these
works as city, at an appraisal to he
made by three commissioners to be APP
pointed by the chief justice of the SUI
IRENE judicial court, on terms favor
able to the city as a city, but good for
nothing practically as matter o.
business, because of our inability to
find the money with which to pay the
bills. There was further provision
that the rates should never go beyond
n certain schedule. But that does not
give the Augusta Water Co. a legal
right to charge the scheduled rates.
There was simply a provision that they
should never go beyond them. But the