The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-12-04
PRO BONO PUBLIco

Editor Star: n recent issue of !
your esteemed paper, / noticed that !
the city council had appointed corn
mittee ~ act with a committee to b.
appointed BY the board Of trad, 10
take under alvisement, investigate !
and report on the subject Of water
works for the city.
Now / am free u say that there is
no question in which the citizens 81
OcaIa. or any Other community where
people are congregated together.
should take more interest in that that
of the water supply. The interest Of
each one is doubtless multiplied by
the frequency of his or her additions.
We ought to have an abundant supply
and of the purest and best that the
scope Of our resources will enable US
to obtain. Water works is one of the
civic utilities which. l think, should
belong to the city, provided il can be
secured within such limits as will
make il an investment and not bur
densome expense.
But does il not seem that our city
council is little too previous? 1t is
not. just now, a theory and not
condition that cOnfronts us? The
city's contract with the Ocala Water
Works Co. gives that company the
exclusive right TO use our streets and
alleys for that business for twenty
five years from the completion of the
water works, and allowed that COM
pany until the first day of Novem-
Der. 1888, to complete its system and
be ready for duty. / was not here
when the work was done, hut assume
that the company completed the work
in the time allowed. If that be so, then
the contract has four years and elev-
en- months yet to run. Then on the
first day of November, 1912. if the
city council does not notify the Water
Works Co. that the city will buy the
present system at its then value, to be
determined by arbitration. then the
term OF five years more must be add
ed 10 the contract. So the city is in
this situation-at the end of twenty
five years it must buy the present
system, or add five years more to the
life Of the contract with the Water
Works Co. So there YOU are!
True the city must look into the
matter before the first Of November,
1912, but it would scarcely seem nee
essary for a committee of business
men to require four years to make an
investigation Of this matter. A great
many things can, and doubtless will
happen in four years and the citizens
of Ocala should not be bound by any
action taken four years in advance.
Salus populi est supreme lex.
The contract referred to may be
found in Green's compilation of the
ordinances and laws of Ocala at page
II to page "A.
l have heard it rumOred (whether
| true or not l do not know that there
/ is being discussed the prOpriety and
practicability of establishing a sys-
tenn by which the water from Lake
Weir might be used for our city. If
the time ever comes when that is un-
dertaken. unless labor. materials. etc,
shall greatly decline, then the people
of Ocala must make up their minds to
bond the city (and burden their prop
| ertY to pay off the bOnds) to the tune
Of. in round numbers, 100000, as will
appear by estimates / hand you here
with for publication. This estimate
was made up from calculations and
information received from parties who
are NOSE familiar with the subject
and best qualified to make estimates
OF this character obtainable in oui
city. This, too, is made up on the
basis of letting out the whole bust
ness my contract If the city under
took il, then from five to ten thousand
dollars more would have to be added
for purchasing machinery. tools and
implements with which TO do the
work To issue bonds for 100000
lbearing five per cent interest, the net
lreceipts from the system would have
to be $4,000 per annum to pay the
interest alone, to say nothing of rails
ling a fund to retire them. With sucf
IAN outlook burdensome taxation would
be evitable-and it is heavy enough
now.
But until the city IS out of the di
lemma it is now in with its contrac
with the Water Works Co. it is foil!
to talk about involving the city in an!
| greater expense than those We ar
now laboring under. Besides that
there are now existing which can anC
should be done for the betterment o
the city, without chasing shadows
Laurie T. Izlar
| Cost Of Water from Lake Weir 4
Ocaia, Florida
The distance will be about. neares
route. sixteen miles.
1t will require the following pipe t
properly bring in sufficient quantit,
of water:
5l-S miles. or 1886 yards 2O-in pipe
IL ~