The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-04-10

where so many people own private
water systems, wells or pumping
plants-in fact the only prospect of
the plant ever paying lay in the fu-
| ture growth of the city. The income
of the plant. must be much reduced
| by the existence of artesian water,
no matter who owns and operates the
plant The council had under consid-
Grafton various propositions Dr. Kin
singer asserted positively that the
present franchise was the best that
quests of men who own business
property had caused the council to
| work energetically to secure water
works for fire protection Rates had
been compared with those paid at
Amarillo, Ell Paso, Trinidad, Ration,
Albuquerque, Las Vegas and other
| western cities, and the Roswell rates
were less than those of any city men
toned. The company was able to give
Roswell better rates for fire protec-
tion for the reason that the expense
of pumping could be made less here
| than where there was no artesian
| flow. The natural flow of arteSian
wells in the lower portions of the
city would raise the water ten to fif
teen feet, and the company would
have to pump only for pressure above
the point to which the wells raised
the water. In other words the wells
would do about one-fourth of the
work of filing the standpipe. The
company did not take this fact into
consideration in the first proposition
and the rates then proposed were
higher than those of other towns
| but the council fought it out on this
| line and secured a large reduction
of rates. The rates in the present
franchise are from 25 to so per cent
lower than the rates paid in other
towns of the Territory. Our business
property requires more fire protec-
ton than we now have. In case of
fire, one night might destroy more
than the cost of the entire water
works plant. At present there would
not be 80 hydrants to be paid for by
the city The franchise provides for
tionateiy throughout the city, and
this could not be done until the mains
covered all the principal streets. He
was positive that the contract was
the very best that could be secured.
The proposition was now up to the
people.
c. c. Tannehill stated that he had
been through one fire in Roswell and
could realize the value of fire protec-
| ton. While $4,000 a year might ap-
pear high, he would prefer paying his
part of it to going ahead under the
present risks and conditions. With all
the free water here it would take ten
years to place the water plant on
paving basis He did not believe
there was a business man in the
| audience who would take the fran
chise as offered, even should a bonus
of ten thousand dollars be given for
building the same. He thought the
people would make a mistake if they
turned the proposition down.
Councilman-elect r. D. Bell declar-
ed mis- opposition to the franchise. He
| labored under the impression that
| the city was badly in debt and was
| not paying current bills, but was set
right on this matter by DIR. Kinsinger,
| who informed him that there was
still some four thousand dollars bal
ance in the city treasury as shown
| by the last published statement of
| City Clerk Beck Mr.. Bell also thought
| it would be impossible for the city
to buy hose and other equipments
for using the fire hydrants after they
were put in. He was altogether more
frank than Judge Bateman, who tried
to conceal his opposition to the fran
chise by making the plea of ignorance
and finally confessing that he had
not taken the trouble TO help the
council by giving advice and counsel
when all citizens were invited to
meet with the council and offer the
benefit of their judgment.
Mr.. Thomas, of the Roswell Hard
| ware Co., discussed to some extent
the matter of insurance, and said that
every business man on Main street
was constantly nervous about his in
surance. His company's book-keeper
kept a list of policies in little
book and watched them as closely
as he did the bank book The matter
of municipal ownership had already
been disposed of when it was found
that the city could not build the
plant There was no further use to
discuss that He had lived in Green
vile, Tex. for ten years. and for
eight years had known the munich
pal electric light plant to be a tire
mendous failure. At Dallas which
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