Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-12-15

changes In the present pipe lines throughout
the village during the coming season, wh'e"
with a 1000, 600 gallon reservoir IN Ices
ant Valley, connected with the present Ss
tenn by u 10 inch pipe through West n'a,
tleboro and westerR avenue, will give an al
a,ouna un,to,date water works system com
plete In all Its details and satisfactory 'h
every respect a., i,
When the work Is completed ana the ei'
aeiency Of tho system has been proved u
the town or village wants to buy the prop
er,y A will be for sale At fair price sun
iect 10 the following conditions ana guarah
,ees. First. Water In quality to be approved
Inv the state board OF health; second, water
In ouantity TO be ample for all the needs OF
the two villages and intervening territory ior
Are protection and domestic service ior tne
present and reasonable future; third, tne
water pressure for hydrant service 70 DC
approved by the chief engineer ana AZ 'eas'
n majority OF the board OF bailifs ana the
0re department; fourth, in the event OF
| disagreement as to the price we VIII agree
| IN submit the same TO courts commission
and abide by its decision
| A considerable portion of the committee
report was given to the consideration OF .no
present system as a possible purchase ny 'he
village. and various criticisms were made re-
parding its efficiency and value as hu'
| cleus for u larger and more complete SYSTEM
and quite a large amount OF discussion mas
been brought out over this phase OF tue si'u.
alton Now this bone OF contention can Just
as well be dropped now as at any other 'inhe,
| for there is not the most remote posslbiity
q, the town or village buying the waterworks
| in their present incomplete condition,
II il A difficult matter to fix price upon
any unfinished property that would be satis'
factory to the buyer and at the same tiihe
inst TO the seller, while in this case SO many
| factors would enter into far ana equitapie
adjustment OF its present worm tha' IL
would be practically impossible to fix price
that would be mutually satisfactory 10
mention only one OF many; complaint is made
that the present pipes are TOO sma'i anu
must be replaced and consequently 'heir
value is much impaired, and that the Pur'
chaser should not be asked to pay for the
mistakes made during the establishment OF
| the works. Now we claim that II the WI
Iape had built water works at the time TINS
system was put in the same mistake OF TOO
small mines would have been made as II was
made by nearly or quite every town or city
who built water works about that time, ana
there is no good reason for supposing tha'
Brattleboro would have been an exception
| Indeed. the committee itself admit TINS
lint saw substantially: 20, that's our luck
We have the experience and the other feiiow
has paid for 1t and the incident is cioseu.
We don't think it is, but believe tha' TINS
as well as other circumstances ana con
dtions should have bearing on the vaius
Of the iplant aside from the bare cost OF
the servieable iron in the ground, and so we
do not wish to name my price and DO no,
expeet to- be able TO accept any that wouio
he made on the basis of the committee re
port a.
Nevertheless, IL the village or town is de
sirous of taking the works in their present
state we won't stand in the way but wiz
leave il to courts commission 10 NIX inc
priee on condition that both parties agree
to abide by its decision.
| A word as to water rates. Inc committee
have made out a list of 20 water companies
out of some 1900 or more equally as aeees
s;hle-whose rates are less than those OF oui
company. Now il would be an easy matter
to make list Of several hundred companies
whose rates are in excess of those OF inc
Chestnut Hill Reservoir company, but neither
list would, be Of any value whatever IN de
terminine what would be fair rate ioi
water service in Brattieboro.
In all the towns and cities given IN inc
committees list, and in nearly every oihei
place of any considerable size, practically
all the population Of the pipe ihes are
served by the public water supply Whiie ~
our own town more than half are supplied
wholly, or in part, by the various smaller
aoueduct companies, wells cisterns OF
private springs, a condition which probabi,
does not exist in any other community nay
ing public water works, but which wouid
continue to exist here whoever owned th'
works, and this is factor which enter
very largely into an equitable arrangement
of rates and totally eliminates all fairness
from the comparisons made by the committee
The peculiar circumstances and conditions o
any community should and does determine
its rates of taxation, insurance, water ah'
gas supply and all other matters of pubic OF
private interest. A.
II has been our intention from the mrs
10 make some changes in the rates upon I'M
completion of the works, and this we sun
expect to be able to do-to what extent WI
depend upon the relative proportion OF IN
come and expense. We shall be satIsiet
with fair return from the investment, and
To sum up the whole matter, all we asi
and all we want is "a square deal.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE +. CROMWELL,
For and in behalf of Chestnut Hill Reservoir
company and Sunset Lake Water company