The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-02-24
WATER WORKS CERTAIN.
City Council and Water People Prac-
ticaIIy Get Together.

This morning the water people and
the proper Council Committee got
together and talked over the points
of difference, and The Record under
stands ON the best of authority that
the opposing forces finally arrived
at an agreement satisfactory to the
Council, and that Roswell is at last
to have a system of waterworks, pro
vided the franchise is agreeable to
the voters.
The City Council met last night
in adjourned session at the office of
City Clerk Beck, with Aldermen
Church, Wyllys. Ogle, Johnson.
Brooks, Whiteman, Burns and Mayor
Hinkle and Attorney Scott present.
The meeting was called for the con-
sideration of the waterworks fran
chise ordinance now pending Mr..
G. P. Allen, the Denver capitalist
who is TO furnish the means TO put
in the works, arrived on the after
noon train, and desired to meet the
Council and settle the question of a
franchise for good and all.
Messrs. Allen and Reynolds were
present. 1t was at once discovered
that the points of difference were the
fact that deposit of three thousand
dollars was required by the City, the
demand that the mains be laid in the
alleys and not the streets, and a diff
erence of opinion as to the rates to
be charged for water.
Mayor Hinkle made little talk on
the proposed franchise. He said that
he was convinced that the mains
should be in the streets and not in the
alleys as asked by the Council, main
ly on account of the fire hydrants.
He, personally favored municipal
ownership, but as that was, for finan-
cial reasons, impossible at the pres
ent time, he favored making such
concessions necessary to get the
franchise before the people for their
decision.
For the water people, Mr. Allen ask
ed that the points of difference be ta-
ken up and discussed.
Mr. Ogle, of the Committee on Wa
ter and Lights, said his committee
could not make a report at present.
The meeting had been called at such
a late hour that they had not had
time to prepare a report, due of
course to the unexpected arrival OF
Mr.. Allen.
The first matter taken up for dis
cussion was the question of depos-
it. The reasons for requiring it were
given by Mayor Hinkle. 1t was to pre-
vent speculation in franchises. The
city had one example of that kind on
us ndilQS AOWs IhS gas PAOIOSAeAOA
The Council wanted something in re-
turn for the granting of the fran
chise, something to show that the
terms of the franchise would be car
ried out.
In reply to this, Mr.. Allen said he
only asked a short time in which to
begin the work. This was hard pro-
position here. 1t would take lots of
money to put it through. The mains
IN hk, q long
distance to the high lands, and the
business his company would receive
was scattered over great lot OF
land They would not consider put
ting up a forfeit at this time. Plans
would have to be prepared, and spec1-
fications as well, and they already
had spent at least a thousand dollars,
and he thought had shown their good
faith in the matter. If the City would
put in a clause giving thirty, sixty
or ninety days after the franchise be-
came a legal document before the for
felt was to be put up, he would not
object to that, and would have try
at the proposition. He would have to
have at least thirty days after the
in which to put through his plans.
After a short discussion, the Coun- |
Gil agreed to give Mr.. Allen time on
this matter.
The question of when the election |
on the ordinance would be held came |
up, and it was decided that as the
laws under which the election would
be held differed from those of the
regular spring elections, it would be
necessary to hold a special election
for the water franchise.
At this time Dr. Kinsinger arrived.
A discussion, as to the district to
be served with water arose and as
the result, will be from Washington
avenue to the railroad, and Summit
avenue on the south to College Bou-
1evard on the north, and extensions
are to be run out from this district
to several of the outside populated
districts.
At this point, Mayor Hinkle re
marked that he would sign whatever
kind of an ordinance was passed by
the Council so as to put the matter
,squarely up to the vote of the people.
As Mr.. Allen was to leave this morn
ing, the Council decided to go into
executive session, consider the fran
chise and make the final alterations, |
then call back Messrs Allen and Rey-
uplds. submit the document to them
for their final approval. This was
agreed to by Mr.. Allen, and the Coun-
ell then went into executive session |
Later Messrs. Allen and Reynolds ]
were called and the altered franchise |
submitted to them It was then deter |
mined to have the proper Council |
Committee meet Messrs- Allen and
REYNOLDS i'm the morning and then
reach q final decision The Council
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