Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-11-26
City May Buy Plant.

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to make it.
City May Buy Plant.
But my principal reason for favor
ing the ratification of the franchise is
because by that means the city may
become the owner of the plant with
out spending dollar, excepting the
money in the treasury. 1t was by
this scheme, that Sioux City, Cedar
Rapids and Dubuque became the own
ers of their water plants. Some say
the price of $275,0O0 is too high a
value to set upon the plant. As to
this am not competent to say. do
not know whether the price is too
high or too low. According to the
Dyovisions of the ordinance the COM
pany will put in its intake at Turkey
I Island, rebuild its pump house, erect
sedimentation basins and assure the
4 city a good supply OF water. Then
the city may purchase by paying $275,-
900, plus the cash cost of repairs.
The Plan in Detail.
Nov there is $4,000 in the city
treasury. the amount in the water
sinking fund. raised by two mill an
nual levy begun for the purpose of
providing money by which the city
might secure it's own waterworks. This
amount would be credited in decreas.
ing the amount of $275,00O, plus the
cash cost of the improvements, which
the city would pay for the plant with
the money in this water sinking fund.
City Not Bound.
"By this plan the city does not as
sumo any Indebtedness whatever, but
only buys the plant subject to the
mortgage, as you would buy house
subject to mortgage. II you do not
pay the mortgage you lose the home,
but you are not under obligations to
pay the sum. The city is not bound in
any manner by this plan. | am in IA
vor as soon as the ordinance passes of
notifying the company that We are
making preparations to take advantage
of the purchase provisions, and to op-
crate the plant ourselves.
Concerning the Dams.
This is one reason why favor the
ratification of the ordinance, but there
are other reasons. l heard an objec-
ton today that was not well taken.
1t was that the company should re-
pair entirely the two dams. The sit
uation is this. The company made a
proposition to the council before the
high water last spring, when only a
small portion of the two dams was out,
to sell the plant for S275,000 After
that a considerable portion of the dam
washed out, and we could not ask the
company to do more than put the dams
in the condition they were in when the
original proposition was made, and
this they have agreed to do.
City Cannot Build Plant.
Gentlemen it seems to me that
there is nothing left for us to do but
to ratify this franchise. We are run
ming chances of a pestilence. We have
come to the parting of the ways. We
cannot build our own waterworks. The
city council tried to do this and was
restrained by injunctions, even in the
baby waterworks' case which con-
templated but a small expenditure.
There is no appeal from the decisions
OF the court. 1t has been ruled that
the city cannot build waterworks at
cost greater than the amount in the
water sinking fund and the only way
we can secure municipal ownership is
to vote for the franchise when il
comes before the people for ratifica-
ton or rejection"
II. L. Waterman's Remarks.
At the conclusion of Captain Jaques'
remarks. H. l.. Waterman was intro
duced. Mr.. Waterman spoke in part
as follows:
AS has been well said by one of
e the speakers this is not,at least should
not be a political question. The fact
is am getting tired of political talk
IN the administration Of the city's af-
fairs. The business Of the city should
be carried on as any other business
and the aim should always be to safe
guard the city's interests.
Suggestions Adopted.
The waterworks' matter was talk
en- up by the Commercial association
and committee was chosen to in.
vestigate this matter thoroughly and
to make any suggestions which were
deemed best for the interests of the
city. This was non-partisan com
mittee, if remember right there were
four democrats and two republicans
on it. The statement has been made
that the council ignored the sugges.
lions Of the committee. want to say
that practically all the suggestions
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