The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-03-15

the matter into court.
! However, l do not regard sucf
action ADVISABLE at the present
time
! l want to put myself on record a
this time Of being in favor of buyinI
the physical property Of the Pensa
cola Water Company.
/ l am in favor of paying every CEN
that the property is worth.
| am in favor of submitting the
question of the value of the physical
property of the Pensacola Water Com
pany to just and fair appraise
ment committee.
/ want to go further and say thai
will not oppose the giving to the
Pensacola Water Company a bonus OF
Twenty ($20,000) or twenty-five
! ($25,000) Thousand Dollars, to get
them to give up their contract ana
get out of the road peaceably. But
am decidedly opposed to paying
! three or four or five prices for a junk
| pile, and leave the people without
money to build them an adequate and
sufficient Water System.
A great many people have imagined
/ that this provision in the Water
! COmpany's charter providing for the
appointment of an Appraisement
committee means that the appraisers
will set a value on the Water Works
according to the condition Of the ply
steal property of the Water Com
paty. Reference to the charter shows
that the city has the right and option
to purchase the properties of the
Water Company together with its
rights. together with its incomes. to-
gether with emoluments and to-
gether with its hereaitments. This
means nothing more nor less than
this committee shall take into consid-
Grafton the profits of said company
and the value of it's franchise. The
committee cannot do otherwise When
the committee is organized and the
water Company comes before it With
its books and shows that the Water
Company Is bonded for One Hundred
and Fifty Thousand ($15O,0O0) Dol
lars. and that it has pail interest on
these bonds. and that it has made
large moneys outside of this which
have been divided into salaries of in
vested or otherwise disposed Of; in
other words the Water Company
shows that the profits of the COM
pany make a paying investment at
Two Hundred Thousand ($200,00O)
Dollars, or perhaps more, then the
committee has nothing to do but to
decide that the price Of the Water
Works shall by Two Hundred Thou
sand ($200.O00) or Two Hundred and
Fifty Thousand $3.50. OOO) Dollars or
perhaps more. and the city is bound
by the terms Of the contract to abide
by the decision Of the committee.
Furthermore. l consider it very I'M
wise for the city to give any notice
tn the Pensacola water Company Of
any intention to buy the Water
Works and to appoint such apprais-
ing committee as provided for in the
franchise granted to said company;
because. as before outlined such ap-
praisens must take into consideration
all the various things mentioned, and
must place a value on the Water
Works accordingly, and the city Is
bound to accept the same.
A much better plan for the city to
follow is for the city to proceed to
make arrangements for the cOnstrUc-
ton of an entirely new plant. It Is
very probable that the present com
Danv would become very DESTROYS Of
selling and would probably make
figures at which the city would be-
willing to buy. If it did not do So
there would not be very serious OBJ
iections to it continuing in business.
I recommend to the consideration of
the Council the advisab.lity of pro-
ceeding at once to get estimates upon
the construction of a new Water
Works System.
| think that the new system should
be built at the earliest possible mo-
ment, in view of the fact that wei
neeT abundant water for our sewer
system and need fire protection, and
the people need water for domestic
purposes at a much reduced rate.
In the meantime, If the Water
Company sees fit to sell their works
for a reasonable figure there is
nothing to prevent the city from buy
ing them. q,
In view of II sse facts l return the
resolution passed at the last session
o. the Council. giving notice to the
Water Company that the city is ready
to buy without my approval.
Respectfully submitted,
CHAS. H. BLISS,
Mayor
Referred to Bond Trustees.
49, mi aar# i'm