The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-02-17
Not Good Policy to Let the
Company Know City's
Strong Points.
PRICE OFFERED IN
EXCESS OF VALUE
Reasons Why the Immediate
Possession of Plant is
Desirable.
IF WATER COMPANY REFUSES
PRICE OFFERED THEN MAYOR
is IN FAVOR OF BUILDING A
NEW PLANT WITHOUT DELAY
VALUE OF PLANT AS AN IN
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. TOO
UNCERTAIN.

Mr.. Mayor, what is the excuse Of
the council for Withholding the report
of Engineer Hatton from the public"
asked a Journal representative tof
Mayor Chas. H Bliss yesterday.
The reason the report of Engineer
Hatton has not been made public is
because the report contains consider
able matter which would not be for
the best interests of the city to make
public at this time In entering into
negotiations with the Water Company
for their plant it is not good policy
to let the company know the city's
strong points and the company's weak
points. 1t is possible litigation NAV
arise and We had better keep our
Information until the proper time.
Il desire TO state in this connec-
ton that / do not know what the re-
port of Engineer Hatton contains in
its entirety. l have not seen the re-
port. neither has IT been submitted to
the. council, nor to the committee APP
EpointsdL 81 rs council. 80 far as
am informed the report is tkncwn only
10 Engineer Hatton and the Board Of
Bond Trustees. The council could
demand the report, but it has not seen
fit TO do so. What was submitted to
the committee was only portions of
the report
Il desire to say further there is
nothing in the partial report OF En-
gineer Hatton submitted to the CON-
mittee but the public should know.
The report contains some important
disclosures which the committee did
not think should be made known to
the Water Company"
In Excess of Value.
DO you not think the price of $751;
10000 rather high?" asked The Jour-
nal man.
Il do. The figure is far in excess
of the physical value of the plant, and
this view is shared by members Of
council and Board of Bond Trustees.
But there are other considerations
that make it advisable for the city 10
pay that sum. providing the city car
/ will mention some of these things
eve are paying the Water Company
about 100000 year for fire pro
lection. The contract has twenty
nine years to run and will aggregate
in that time 1920, 100000 BY buying
the plant we save this large expense
and the interest on the purchase
money each year will amount to less
than one months water rent Then
instead of having an expense we will
have something that will produce a
revenue If properly managed.
But 100000 year does not rep
resent the outlay of the future for
water under this contract. We are
installing a sewer system that will
call for double the present system and
under the contract with the pres
ent company it will mean s2000O.OG
a year instead of 100000. IL the
city grows and prospers, as it is GER
tain 10 do, in few years the water
rentals would reach 100000 and be-
fore the end of the contract it would
probably exceed 100000. So the
ACCESSIBILITY of early ownership is APP
parent.
In the statements | have just
made l have assumed the contract
with the Water Company to be bind
ing on the city and that the city
would use no other water to the end
of the contract As matter of fact
The Water Company does not. and
cannot, live up to its contract with
the present facilities and the contract
may be annulled whenever the city
cares to carry the matter into court
There is absolutely no question on
this point But this means two things
expense and delay: how long de-
lay no one can conjecture. while the
city needs an improved water System
and needs it right now and has needed
it for years Avoiding expense of liti
CATION and uncertain delay is worth
considerable 10 the city and this I
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