The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-10-10

Gentlemen Of the Boara:--
In my communication to you ON May
&, 1908, relative to the water works 81
tuation here, | stated to you that an
effort should be first made to acquire
by negotiation the equity of the Water
Company in its plant and if such cqui
ty could not be purchased ut Il salts
factory price hen the city should pro-
coed 10y condcmnat ON proceed ngs before
the Railroad Commission. Negotiation
" tn the Water Company have been had
and their best offer has been rejected
by the people. 1t was my opinion at
all mos that the price asked by the
Water Company was umrcaSonably
high, but it was my Judgement and al
SO your Judgement, gentlemen, that
the residents Of tn ; city ought to have
an opportunity to accept or reject the
offer before proceeding further
The next step now, rs above stated,
is to bring a condemnation proceeding
before the " scons II Ra lroad Com
mission. This proceeding must be
commenced by an action in he circuit
court and as the circuit court of this
county does not meet until january,
tho is at the present time no reason
for haste in commencing the proceed
I,.., tan a.,t l,,,
Commission until January or February
next.
The Public Utility laaw provides for
a valuation Of public utilities by the
Railroad Commission independent Of
valuation under a petition for condcm-
nation. Engineers and other assistants
Of the Commission are already at work
making a valuation of the local water
works plant. his valuation will be
made in substantially the same manner
as Il rsluat ion in a condemnation pro-
cccdiug and this valuation therefore
will give the city reliable information
as to the value of the plant. The en-
ginccrs and assistants of the Railroad
mission could find for this work. They
are independent Of both the City and
the Water Works Company and we can
be absolutely certain that the valua-
iton fixed by the Railroad Commission
will be the result Of careful and honest
efforts by thoroughly competent and
reliable persons.
Prof. W. ID. Pence, the engineer of
the Commission, when at the city last
Friday, stated that he and his staff would
Immediately proceed to make valua-
ton Of the local plant and we can reason
ably expect that this valuation will
be completed by the end of the ! resent
month. When the valuation is finally
made by the Commission complete
and detailed report and estimate max
ing up the valuation will be filed in the
Office of the City Clerk and this very
valuable information will then be ON
hand
A condemnation proceeding by the
City To acquire the property Of the Wa
ter Company must be commenced in
the circuit court and as that court does
not meet until January, the proceeding
will reach the Commission just as soon
if the proceeding is commenced byt
middle Of December as if il were com
mcnced at once, 50 that no time is lost
by waiting until the valuation is now
fixed by the Commission. would
therefore recommend that nothing be
done now excepting to do what can be
done to aid the Commission to Il cor
rect conclusion in the present valuation.
iccl very confident that in the va
luation made by the Commission the
value Of the local plant will be found
to be considerably less than the price
fixed by the appraisal. | do not wish
to suggest that the former appraisers
were incompetent or otherwise un-