Evening journal., 1906-10-23
STUNG THIS TIME TO
TUNE OF 100000
n Secret Session Water Com
miSSiOnerS Put Through
Astounding Deal
CITY OPPOSES BUYING
OF LEA WATER RIGHTS

Nearly two years ago there WIS brought
ap In a meeting Of the Water Commits
sion The question OF the advsbinty Of
purchasing the water rights 20 The Bran
dywlne. owned by hhe Lea Milling Conn
pany, and az that time It was decided
that The concern In question. dd not care
about selling hs rights to the stream be-
cause Of the almost prohihitivc price it
asked. The sum demanded was some-
where between s2o0Oo0 and Ssoo0O and the
public held up lis hands aghast.
Tho general opinion then was that the
bmndywine contained enough water for
both the Lea Milling Company and for
Wilmington, ard nothing has happened
since That might materially change this
belief Yet the present Board Of Water
Commissioners have decided that tho city
should own the exclusive rights to tho
stream and yesterday entered into an
agreement with the Lea Milling Com
pany 70 pay that concern 100000 DO re-
lcaco lis rights
There Is condition attached. how
ever, which will no doubt, result In the
Water Boards action being wiped out.
The 100000 needed for this extravagence
Will have to be allowed by the next Log.
islnture IN the shape OF bond issue ana
/ from present Indications this win hardly
come 10 pass.
How Deal Was Contaminated.
Tho Water Commissioners held ther
regular weekly meeting yesterday aftor.
noon, and strangely nothing was said
about the deal secret meeting was hoid
before tine regular session. however ana
Il was at this mcct.ag that the business
was done. Il was the Intention OF the
beard ~ keep the thing quiet but Il
leaked out
From what could be learned to-day, tho
purchase OF the water rights was made
on condition that the Legislature provide
Tor bond issue 70 pay for the same The
T purchase includes the entire water rights
at the third dam. where the city draws its
, water supply, and also an OF the water
rights on the north side OF the Brandy.
4 wine and the real estate owned bv the
Lea Company which comprises a race
running from the third dam 10 a point
near Hutton street. below the nour mills.
It further includes the real estate between
Race street and the Brandywino and from
Market TO Hutton streets on which the
mills OF the Lea Company are situated
President Ford's Statement
When President ePter J. Ford Of the
Water Beard was seen to-day he said:
"This board, as the preceding one was,
, Is unanimously OF the opinion that the
e future requirements as well as to safe.
guard the city's future needs makes II
essential that the city should acquire
+, these water rights. The only question has
I been the amount to be paid After con-
( Siderable dlckerng the agreement was
: made as was published in a morning
y newspaper These are the facts In tn,
case. and for further information I re
= fer you TO Colonel Benjamin Nields, coun
q sci for the Lea Milling Company"
. Public is Aroused.
;. The action of the Water Board I'm agree
e ing to pay s2O00OO for water rights in ao
d dition to the large sum needed to com
o pleto the proposed new water system. ha
J. aroused the public and is causing consi,
4 cradle comment SO bitter is the feeln
against the loan that It is hardly nkel
8 that a representative from New Cast
% county at the next General Assembly wi
Ie vote for the measure
is a prominent Market street man a,
h largo property owner speaking OF IN
matter this morning, said:
OF III the people Of Wilmington win stan
ID by and see S2oo,Ooo gouged out Of the cit
Us treasury for a property that az public cal
tt to-day would probably not bring 5000
ei then there is nothing that can shock the
Sc serse Of civic pride or civic Righteousness
IL Tney will deserve 20 have their propertic
vn cpTen up by high taxes. The deal is al
Ie- outrageous one. and would have scandal
lts lied even Philadelphia in its palmics
ST. days of iobbery under the McNicho-Dur
an hom-Ashbridge regime. Why were no
OF the people told that such a scheme was oi
he fcetf Why was the deal put through a
m a secret session Of the Water Commits
soncrsY Why did President Ford and
high official Of the Lea Company decline
70 Talk or explain the matter after sad
We ding uron the city this enormous 5000
he lcsd? Tho public should assemble in
rs town meeting to- protest against the ruth
nd less. bold grab, and express their opinio
of the men responsible for It,"