The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-12-20
By Clarendon WaterYOrks Com
pany to The City
Win Sell Plant for S15O,GUO, Property
10 bc Turned Over to Municipality
January 1st-If This ~ Not Salts
factory VIII Submit Question TO
Arbitration.

Mayor w z. Springer yesterday r.
| ceived a communication from the Clar-
| endon waterwOrks company, suggest
| ing a compromise between the city and
| the company as TO terms for the city
taking over the plant OF the company
the compromise being along the gener-
al lines as foreshadowed in the morr'
ing papers Of yesterday
1t is probable that a special meet
| ing OF the board of aldermen will be
| called either for Thursday or Friday
nights to receive and consider the cOun
| ter-proposition Of the Clarendon Com
pany.
The formal communication to the
| mayor and board OF aldermen from
| the Clarendon company delivered yes
terday was as follows:
| December 16, 1907.
To the Honorable Mayor and Board Of
| Aldermen, City.
Gentlemen:
| With a desire to close the long stand
ing negotiations between company and
city, we offer to deliver to you or
! January 1st, next our plant business
and franchise for $3.50, 100000 payments
as per previous offer. This is COM
promise between last two prices con-
sidered.
| While most highly respecting the
| Judgment generally Of business men
| who suggested the offer of $40, 900. 90,
we have been told that this was large
ly arrived at on sole basis Of earn
| ings. On this basis, with present
and future earnings considered, the Of
fer seems to us unreasonable and err
1cneous as no compilation Of values
on such plants can properly ignore re-
placement values and municipal utlll-
ty. Many of the best and largest plants
Of this nature are run at loss, ana
yet are worth much TO the owners and
would cost much to replace. We ',noW
that the committee intended absolute
fairness, but this being an unusual
duty imposed upon them, may have
overlooked the matter to which we
refer
II the above proposition does not
rleet the approval of your Honorable
| Board we again offer to put the whole
matter in the hands of two good busi-
ness men and citizens, one to be select
ed by you and one by us, they to call
in third if needed, none Of the three
to have been in anywise heretofore con-
nected with these negotiations. We are
perfectly willing to settle the matter
in this eminently fair and customary
way.
In making these offers we waive no
existing rights, but in a natu-"' desire
to avoid unnecessary and expensive lit
igation, costly to both parties, and
in the hope that the matter be AMIGA
| bly, closed without further delay.
Very truly yours,
The clarendon WaterwOrks Co.,
JOHN F. DIVINE
President.
The terms of sett'ement suggested
in the communication to the mayor
which were foreshadCwed in yesterday
mornings papers, appear to be TAR
and equitable and it is believed
that the aldermen will act favorably
en- the proposition.
The special meeting of the board
will be called either for Thursday or
| Friday night, of this week and the
entire subject will be threshed out in
| open meeting, it being stated that
the waterworks committee will not
make any recommendations as to the
| acceptance of the property.
From what can be learned it ap-
pears that majority of the members
Of the board Of aldermen will vote
| favorably on the proposition to give
| s15O,OOO for the Clarendon company s
rIant, which is to be taken over on
January 1st.
1t appears from what is known now
| that something definite will be done
by the aldermen at their special
meeting, either the offer Of the Clar-
endon company will be accepted or
it will bo finally refused and steps
Twill be taken looking to the city
establishing its own plant.
IsICTITRE OF RUDDER STATION