The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-12-31

At a special meeting of the board
of aldermen last night saloon licen- !
Sc was granted to 81 saloons n
one distillerY for the six months |
from January LIST to July 1St, there |
having been no opposition to an
of the applicants, and all the al
derInen voting unanimously in favor
OF granting the licenses. The water
works matter was brought up
through a communication from the
Clarendon WaterWOrks Company, of
fering to sell their plant for $14O,-
900, the amount named in the clty'S
last offer, and after some discussion
action was deferred. Under undn-
inOus consent several other matters
were brought up and disposed of.
When the meeting was called to
order shortly after 8 o'clock by
Mayor Springer all the members ex-
cept Alderman Ellis, who was re-
ported out o. the city, were pre-
sent, and acting city attorney ]. d.
Bellamy Jr., being also in atten-
lanes.
The mayor stated that the board
had been called in special session
to act on the report of the license
committee of the board Of aldermen
and to take up the waterworks mat
e If it was presented in any man
ner.
The action of the board on the
report of the license committee is
told of in another column.
THE WATER WORKS QUESTION.
The following communication from
the Clarendon Water Works Com
pany, addressed to the mayor and
, board Of aldermen, under date Of
December 27, was read by he clerk.
Wilmington, N. c., Dec. 27th.
To the Mayor and Board Of Alder
men:
Gentlemen-Desiring to bring to
a close the long pending negotiations
between the city and the company,
we will accept your offer Of $14N,-
900 for our plant, business and fran
chfse to be delivered to o January
LIST, 1908, payments as per previous
offer.
In making this acceptance of your
offer, we waive no rights hitherto
acquired but heartily desire to avoid
litigation and then to close the mat
ter in an amicable way between the
city and us.
JOHN F. DIVINE, President.
q Alderman Bolles stated that dur
ing the day he and Alderman WOOD,
of the water works committee after
fer with members OF the
water commission, had decided that
it was best for the city to defer &C
tion There was at this time he
stated no outstanding offer and he
orr ~Would be wiser to attempt
tn selpfhe bonds and get some money
before going into the purchase of a
Giant. After the sale of bonds the
matter could be taken up again and
either the Clarendonas plant could
be purchased or a ne~ plant Install
ed .
Alderman Bolles, stated in res
ponse to a question from Alderman
King, that he considered that the
bond issue bill required that the
bonds be sold. before anything look
ing either to the purchase or install
Iation of a plant could be done and
that only money derived from the
bonds could be used in any purchase
of water works. Again he urged
that the matter be deferred stating
that nothing would be lost by this
course and after the first of January
he suggested that an effort be made
to sell the bonds, the bone market
being reported as picking up and
in better condition.; much improve
ment having been made during the
past several weeks.
Acting City Attorney Bellamy stat
ed that he thought the city would
have the right, in a legal way, water
works being a necessary expense, to
purchase the plant and later reim-
Nurse itself from funds derived from
the sale of the bonds. Mr.. Bellamy
stated that the proposition from the
Clarendon Company was very am
biguously drawn and hat it appear
ed that the proposition was a flat Of
fer, no reference as to conditions or
terms being stated. He gave it AS
his opinion however that the COM
many evidently intended to act under
the terms of the previous offer, but
he thought that everything should be
definitely stated.
City Clerk and Treasurer Fowler,
stated in reply to a~.-question from
Alderman King, that he would not
make any payments oIAEity funds in
the water works matter unless the
question had been adjueiated in the
courts or acted on by sd6aes judge,
he considering hat the bib Arevent-
ed any such disbursements~except
from funds1derived from the sale of
the bonds.
The section of the bill which
seemed to prevent this was read n
discussed by Mr.. Bellamy and Mr..
IBolles, the attorney still ~contending
that the city could make payments
from it's own funds, reimbursing it
self later from the bond sale.
Mr.. Rolles argued however that
even if the city had all such rights.
the time was not ~expedient now, bel
cause there would be no funds OF
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