The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-17
The Water Company.

To the Editor see in your edi-
torial of yesterday you say, By name,
certain members of the board of aid
ermen should be reimbursed for the
vote they gave against paying claim
of the water company. which should
not have been paid. | wish that you
would have also published list Of
those who voted to pay the claim
as i was one of this number | beg
to differ with you as to whether the
claim should have been paid. 1t was
o Just debt owed by the city to the
water company per contract for SIX
months hydrant rental Tor the protec-
ton of your and my property from
fire. The city had used the hydrants
and the rent was due. This is alt
there was to it. 1t is true some COM
plant was found with the water for
drinking purposes. as there was too
much acid or alum in The water.
While it was not pleasant by any
means. yet the water was used with
no bad effect, and the company reme~.
died the matter as soon as possible,
and from that day to this / have
heard no further complaint. Now do
you think it was right to hold UP the
water company's pay for the amount
due thereon for services rendered for
fire purposes, simply because of a
little too much alum in our drinking
wafer?
/ was on the Finance Committee
that held the claim UP but upon in
Vestigating the matter we saw there
was no reason or justice in holding
UP the claim longer and the board
promptly ordered it paid as they
should have done. | take it that YOU
do not wish to do the water company
any injustice and at the same time
look oVt for the citys interest. This
is exactly my position now, and when
/ was a member of the board. /
agree with you that good safe men
should be selected for aldermen. Men
who have no interest personally or by
connection with the Wake Water
Company or the light companies for
l think it equally of as much if not
more Importance that Raleigh should
have her own lighting plant as that
she should own her water works. See
my report to the board OF aldermen
as chairman of the Light COMMITTEES.
when a plant could be built for $780,,
000 which at 4 per cent would only
cost $1,000: whereas, we are paying
about per cent on 100000, or about
SIS, 600 per year for lights. When
shall this stop? When you get
board of aldermen that will look after
the citys affairs on business pTinci-
pies, and not pay more or six times
provide them for. DanVille, Va. has
a plant of her own, cost 100000; and
the city is we'll lighted. 1t is not
necessary fer She city to go into
competition with private lighting
companies, but by all means she
should have her own plant for city
purposes alone.
Now / take it no one wants to do
the water company any injustice and
an w OF n
praiser certainly no one should have
any voice in selecting him who has
any interest in selecting him, for YOU
car rest assured the water company
will be careful, very careful, in select
ing their appraiser, and you see these
two select a third appraiser. SO
say the city should be careful, very
careful, in selecting aldermen who
will select one of the appraisers who
will help select one other appraiser.
The water company is bonded for
10000 which pays promptly per
cent every six months. | don't know
what these bonds were tloated at, but
their value now-and any easy sale
is for interest The stock of the COM
pany is 100000 and until the alb
sorption of the Raleigh Water Com
many by the Wake Water Company
was assessable. 1t is now on-assess-
able and is fully paid up. [ know
not how much was originally paid for
the stock. / have sold large blocks
of it at So The present value is so.
Few dividends have been paid on the
stock so holders have not realized
much. / think about 35 was paid in
by holders on the par value of S106:
don't know how much of this stock.
if a was issued as q bonus to hold
ers. The question now is: Can the
city afford to buy this plant? or would
it be better to contruct a new plant,
Can q new plant be constructed at
less cost than the present plant;
taking into consideration labor and
material? | take it that the city will
we'll look into all of this matter and
not go it blind. 1t is a matter worthy
of serious thought.
Should the city decide to purchase
the water company a light plant
could easily be part Of the same
plant, and save cost of operating two
plants
As I said before select good bust
ness men for aldermen and these
matters will be inteliigentlv solved.
G. c. MCDONALD.
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