The Elk Mountain pilot., 1903-07-28
Proposed ch.rtsr .f.oy y,.lo~..
oAe OF the most lmsnftant, repo


yet submitted to the charter convention
is that.psssepted by the. committee. on
public. utilities, The report is divided
into four chapters. desfshAfed as fol-
lows: Public utilities, wOfkA and ways;
franchises for public utilities: fran,
chises. for particular utilities With Sub
DIVISIONS Treating of street. and other.
railwaya.. and operation. This last
chapter is still ineomplete. %, the CON-.
mittee Is awaiting .dats. sThe REPORT ia
very lengthy. @tovefink.ss oyer. thirty
pages OF typewriter matter. ~ !.
Section i of chapter l provides that
the city andteounty.. of Denver shall
hnve the power, within or. without Its
territorial limits to construct. con-
.demn, purchase, acquire. 1ease, add toi
maintain. own. conduct and operate;
water works, Tight aha power plants
systems. heating plants
and other public utilities or other
works or ways. local m tise;;and extant.
in whole or in part; ands eyfrythingere-
quired therefor for, the Use of said city
and .county.1hd for the inhabitants
thereof. The. section also provides that
no contract or agreement for. the acQpi-
sition. pr. for the leasing or disposing
of any public utility SO acquired by the
.ctfy and. county shall be entered into
by the council without first submitting
the same to the. voters, 1t is. provided
in section 2 that the oity may acquire
public utilities by--enforcing, proposed
purchases by proceedings m law as. in
the taking Of land for public use by
right of Eminent domain under the con-
'sstitptipIr and general 1aws 81 the state.
'Segtion.3 provides that within one
,yeE .{fdti the time the charter goes in
ito. effect sTrangements must 'be made
for the cifyfto acquire. its own water1
Works. and the mayor and engineer ard
aut tkOrized to enter into written COM
tracts upon the best terms possible for
the ACQUISITION of properties necessary
for the establishment Of the city. water
works. apd .th4t before the same shall
become dnNfhg it shall be Submitted to
vote of the people for approval. SIM
ilar-afFangerpents must .-alsQ be made
within suitable time for, the acquisition
by the ci&y. of:the other. public utilities
mentioned ip chapter L. 1t Is also pro-
vided that by means OF the initiative
and referendum five per cent of ithe
voters can call upon the commissioner.
OF, puhlics utilities to lsubmit PROPOSE
tions for the acquisition by the city of
any public utility desired. and that the
voters shall then ballot on such a prop
osdtkJN. - * %.t -
Z, In submitting propositions looking
toward the requirement of any public
utilities the estimated cost of scouting
the same must be made public to. th8
voters and the'amount of bonds neces-
sary ~to be issued for the purchase OF
the same. A. majority of the electors
voting shall be necessary to carry such
|. propositions No bonds ,cSn be issued
without the cousent Of the voters. Z;
II is alse provided thatsqs Indebted
ness shall be incurred by the city which
shall. at any, time ,exoeeA ten per cent.
Of the assessed value of all the real and
EbefsdnM propef$y n'the-ctty. and coun-
1 fy 1T .is further proSidsf that. no less
than sone-9hiftfeth part Of the whole
amount Of bonded Indebtedness issued
under the provisions Of this chapter
shall, be paid each year Among 7the
eduaf blfdefsN fof bonds. prefspenca
shall be giSensto residents. of the state;
fer. the smallest amounts and the.low-.
est denominations, The. bond must
bear not to exceed four per cent inter
est ifNftr' fss - FvEt2F rs