Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-25

ne from Waterville through the Ken
nebec river. 1t was well UNDERSTOOD,
and there was substantially no colllrO-
versy about it, and there cannot De any
controversy about it, that we are sub
ject to that same tendency right along.
Last year we were fortunate IN gettinS
through the year without an epidemic
from the fact that there was no ty-
phoid fever above us on the river. This
winter we are having, today. an cpl
demic of typhoid fever, although not
so serious. New cases are breaking
out substantially every day; and while
| it is enough to be alarming, it is not
Ofrightful as that of two years ago.
| Still an epidemic of typhoid fever is
| here, and it is here because there are
now cases of typhoid fever in Water
vile to produce it, although no seri-
Gus epidemic, as such in that city. You,
| perhaps, have noticed that the State
| Board of Health has called the atten-
ton of the public to it, as well as the
| local board here and strangers not
| familiar with the conditions have been
warned not to drink the river water
unless ii is boiled.
| The award. interest and Ill, as we paid
it, was some $433,00O. Then, of course,
| there were the costs of the commits
| siOners, and costs of court, expenses
| of engineers, counsel, etc, to add to
| that. The income here is about $40,-
| 900. We have put out an issue of
| 100000 of 4 per cent. bonds. We are
| required, under the enabling act to
raise each year, i'm addition to the in
tereSt. one per cent. to contribute to a
sinking fund, so that the annual fixed
charges are per cent. That eXhausts
| $35,000. The operating expenses OF
the old company averaged about $4,000
a year, and if we can operate it at
| $4,000, we shall do good work. That
would require an annual earning of
| $4,000 to meet the fixed charges and
| operating expenses, allowing nothing
| whatever for depreciation; so that
| upon the face Of it, the trustees are
! dealing with Il financial problem where
they would seem to be about $4,000 each
year short; but they believe that the
| Introduction of better water will make
up that $4,000. That is not n matter of
| loose estimate; because our case was
| 81 ou,IIN anu So prepared,
that we knew to a house and to a
| single customer the field that there is
| for the introduction of better water;
| and that field indicates that it is fair
| 1y reasonable to believe that we may
get that $4,000; so that the trustees and
| the gentlemen who have bought $780,
| coo of those bonds feel as if the in
| come Will be sufficient. You understand
| that this district has no power of tax
| ati0n-nOne of the districts have. II
| is simply, as you might say, Coop
| eratiVe aSsociatiOn-the water takers ;
their bonding power-their debt-bor-
rowing power is to be measured by
what they can earn. In this city it is
a grave legal question whether the
water rates can be raised for a period
| of % years by reason of a contract
With the city; but that would be no
| relief to us. because the water rates
row are higher than they ought to he
| They have been and are unreasonable
| high.
! We have sold $46O,O00 OF these bonds
| They We're sold at 4 premium Of about
$ per cent. We have a small balance
| left from the proceeds of these bonds
| but that balance Will he needed entirely
| in measures that must be taken to re-
| strict the consumption of the water
! We have left ut our disposal to nut
| into the plant for the purpose of get :
| ting pure water. simply what we can
realize out OF 100000 of unsold bonds
| What those bonds will realize when
| they are put upon the market this
| spring, no man can tell. The first sale
| was considered a rather remarkab Bile
sale, 100000 of bonds that were sold
upon basis, practically of 3ia per
cent. 1t was $3.5i. No man can eX-
| poet that the unsold bonds Will sell anv
better. The District will be fortunate
! if they are sold as well. If they should
sell As well. we should have approXi-
mately $2G0000 with which to do bust
| ness. 50 that we come here in that
| position. The new supply must be
pure. 1t must not cost over $2G0.000.
Here is Il great people, the capital OF
the State of Maine. Thousands come
| mere every year upon public business
Today il is taking its water from a
| place 50 foul that every day, every
drinker of that water who takes it in
adVertently iand no man. today. will
drink it purposely who knows about it,
is liable to typhoid fever, ANA 20 the
lesser bowel troubles that come from
drinking diluted sewerage. 1t has. n;
its command, S260O00 of cash with
which to remedy that trouble. 1t is not
an issue of wealth, but of the right to
| live.
[ want the committee to understand
the gravity Of our situation and | am
a little SLOW about it because of its i'm
portance. | Would like to have you I'M
derstand how thoroughly and exhaus-
lively we have gone into this question
of new source of supply.
we received title to the property and
franchises OF the Augusta Water Com
pany in the month of May last, getting
! a good title by decree of court. a still
better title by deed from the company,
and by deed from the trustees under
the various mortgages. During the pre-
pafatory work of the case in the sum-
fner and fall of 1908 We were dealing
with double problem. knowing that
we mad got to go somewhere for wa
ter. All the engineers were under the
direction of the trustees and of myself
working not only upon the questions
connected with the trial, but also were
doing everything thew cOIIld uDOn tho