The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1906-01-26
GLOOMY OUTLOOK
OF LIGHTING PLANT
Bankers Definitely Reject Bonds
and Raise New Question
Constitutional Limit
NEW SEWAGE SYSTEM LIKELY
Plan Generally Agreed Upon
Provides for Septic Tank
and Filter Beds

The outlook for a municipal electric
lighting plant is not overly good.
The recent bond issue was clearly in
validated by the lack of sufficient
notice of election but, going further
into the matter, Messrs. N. w. Harris
s. Co., have raised a question of the
constitutionalily Of the bonds which
will have to be settled first.
The attorney for Harris & Co.
states that a decision of the supreme
court of the state must be had on two
points before the constitutionallty of
the issue could be determined. The
first question is whether or not sink
ing funds should be deducted from the
amount of the bonds outstanding in
determining the debt limit and the
other is whether or not cash assetts
and taxes levied but uncollected can be
deducted from Indebtedness outstand-
ing in determining the debt limit.
Mr.. Chapman, the attorney, states
that it appears from a statement
furnished by the city auditor that the
city's bonded Indebtedness now
amounts to $4,000, of which s25, 900
comes under the head of sewer
bonds allowable in excess of the S per
cent limit. The assessed valuation of
the city is So, 100000 and the bonded
limit would therefore be 500, 900.
Consequently the city today could not
legally authorize a bond issue for more
than $2S,000 (the recent insue was for
S35,OOO) and here isthe vital point,can
the money in the sinking funds be de-
Quoted from the total of the bonded
Indebtedness. At present there is in
the sinking funds $50, 900. Deducting
this from the amount of the bonds
and a wide margin would be left for
further bond issues. Mr.. Chapman
does not say that this can or cannot
be done. He simply says that until
the supreme court of the state shall
have passed on the point it cannot be
said positively that the bonds would
be legal. The other question raised
is similar and also depends for final
settlement on a decision Of the
supreme court of the state.
IHE SEWAGE QUESTION
A solution of the vexed question of
what to do with the city's sewage
seems in sight. A report from Profess
sor Marsten, the sewage expert, has
been received. He estimates the ex-
pense of putting in a suitable filter
bed and septic tank at $40. 900, though
local officials believe it can be done
for considerably less. The difference
arises from the fact that the professor
inquired On a system large enough to
meet the requirements of the city, as
1T grows, for some years, while the
local people think it would, possibly,
be well to put in a system sufficient
for the present and enlarge it, easily
done, as the city enlarges. At all
events a plan seems to have finally
been agreed upon and its adoption
we'll rest with the people.
SERIOUS ABOUT STREET CARS
The local business men who have
been figuring on a street car franchise
are in earnest and have been before
the council. a number of times this
winter in regard to it. The council
has hestitated about granting the
franchise only for fear that the enter
prise might not be properly financed
and prove a failure, thus rejecting
seriously on the city. The hackers OF
the proposition, however, are conf
dent that they can rec these
objections. They declare that the
proposition is a good one and that
they are backing it on its merits.