Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-31
WATER HEARING.
Made by Counsel
Of Opposing Sides.
They Very Ably Present the Situation
As They View It..
One of the Most Interesting Sessions
of the Hearing.

Watervil!e, Me, Oct. 30.-(SpeciaD.-
The appraisers in the water hearing
opened what will probably be the last
day DIT o'clock, Friday morning, the
of the attorneys. That of Mr.. Thayer,
the associates of Mr.. Eaton on the Dis
trict side, was given first and occupied
the whole of the forenoon. No attempt
at oratorical effect was made, but the
facts and figures as developed by the
evidence were marshalled with Il mas
ter's touch and in Il way that made
every detail count for all it was worth.
1T was a very able argument,
given in quiet business like
manner. The heavier parts We're
frightened by occasional witty hits at
the company or a bit of sarcasm that
started a general laugh. 1t was a
splendid discussion of the position o.
the District.
Mr.. Thayer began by contrasting the
two points of view. that of the company
and that of the District. The former
claims that it has q very valuable
franchise, a plant that is in excellent
condition and capable Of doing its work
for the present while there is a tire
ntendous future ahead with the profits
increasing at the rate of $1,000 per year
and the city growing very rapidly.
To the district, however, the fran
chise is practically worthless, the plant
in rather poor condition and inefficient
h. fo,, hot
large expense will have to be incurred
in reaching a pure one. He though
that the District could as fairly say
that any price it may be asked to pay
will be too high as for the Company tc
say that any. price it can get in view of
the possihi1fties of the business will be
too 1FowsssT The franchise which has been
receiveSk from the public, held at the
will of, the public and used for the
benefit of the public the company now
wishes to rnakesa source of profit to it
self. But for the present case he be-
lieyed that the people would force Q
Better service from the company.
He first discussed the physical value
Of the plant as estimated by the experts
Oh both sides. The District. he said
getting data for this as the Company
could furnish as much or as little as il
desired while free swing could be giver
to their own experts. He spoke rather
sarcastically of the view of the system
which had been made at the beginning
of the hearing. AS the Company also
has the right to take water from the
Kennebec river why would it not have
been, as well to have investigated the
sources of that as of the Messalonskee
In the drive about the city many of the
statements as to buried pipe lines had
TO be. taken on faith and could hay
been demonstrated as well perhap~
from plans He also mentioned in pass
ling the way the pumping station hae
been aNeided while the diver was a.
work nnEthe dam there. He had dis
lowered that while each service in thu
estimates had been equirped with cor
roration cocks and goose necks If
eTea lity not nv any means all OF them
were so furnished.
He used bit of good natured sar-
casm in explaining how the Company
had refused to allow a practical test OF
the system for fire purposes. In the
estimates of rock estimates he found
that some that could be handled ver'
we'll with a pick had gone in with the
more difficult Other instances of thi
nature were quoted in this connection
Continued on page 81