The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-27
Fight For Municipal Ownership of Wa=
 ter Works Re=opens

Hydraulic Company to l Obtain Adequate Legisla-
 ton Will Be Bitterly
 Waged-Chance for the
 People to Watch Their Representatives In Gen.
 eral Assembly.
 1 Again has the contest between the
 people of Bridgeport and the Bridge port Hydraulic Company opened. Once more an effort will be made to ob- 1 tain Legislation providing for the con- demnation Of water works, so that the question may be submitted to the peo- | pie of Bridgeport for their determina- tlon, and their will carried out. l Again the voters will have an oppor- | tunity to watch the conduct of their representatives in the General Assem- bly, upon this important matter. | The measure drafted by City Attor- ney Cullinan, in the form of an amend | ment to the charter, is in large part l the act which was adopted by the ] Common Council two years ago, the same act which,s under the methods l adopted by the Hydraulic Company, | was so altered in the General Assem- 1 bly, as to become absolutely valueless. | The act proposed by the city attor- ney was approved in it's original form, ges
 ] One change is unimportant. It pro- vides for a different term for water coQami ssioners than was originally | planned.
 The second amendment is of more consequence. It was originally pro- l vided that the question of condemna- ] ton should be determined by a ma- | jority of those voting upon the Ques- | tion. As amended, the vote in the affirmative must be equal to a ma- | jority of the total votes cast for the candidate for any office" at the cleo 1 tion at which such vote was taken. | This is m effect a. provision that tine proposition shall receive a majority of the votes cast at any election. | Although the most important mat ters with which the state, or the na- tion has to deal, are settled by ma jority of the votes cast for, or against them, this provision is acceptable to the friends of municipal ownership, who do not nevertheless believe that the purchase Of water company is as important as the election of a presi-
 
 of Connecticut, or the adoption of fun damentaI law, all of which are accom- plished Ey the will of a ma jority of those voting upon the question. ''The Common Council may vote to appoint a committee of citizens to bar gain with the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company for the purchase of it's rights, franchises, interests, contracts, real and personal property, estate, and 1 assets of every kind and wheresoever situated, who upon the completion of their duties, shall report their doings. to the Common Council. If said com- mittee shall agree with said company for such purchase, the Common Coun- ell may vote to submit to the voters of the city of Bridgeport the question whether the city shall purchase the said property, etc., of the company under the terms and conditions re- ported by said committee, and if said question so submitted is determined affirmatively by a vote equal to a majority of the total vote cast for the candidate for any office at the election at which such vote was become possessed of all the rights, franchises, interests. contracts, real and personal property, estate and as- sets of every kind and wheresoever situated, of said company, upon the performance by the city of the terms
 
 purchase to be by it done and per- formed, and the company shall execute all necessary transfers, assignments and conveyances to carry into full eff feet such purchase, or said council may dissent from the doings of said com mittee and may vote to take the rights, franchises, interests, contracts, real and personal property, estate and as- sets of all kinds, wheresoever situated, of the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company by condemnation proceedings, at what ever price and amount may be fixed and adjudged by appraisers appointed under the provisions of this section, and if they so vote they must submit such action to be voted upon by the voters of the city, at the next town or city meeting, in which city or State officers, or both, shall be chosen, as the case may be.
 "And if said question so submitted is determined affirmatively by vote equal to a majority of the total vote cast for the candidate for any office at the election at which such vote was taken, then the city at- tior of the Common Council, may aft CT reasonable notice to the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company, apply in behalf of the city to the Superior court for Fair field county, for the appointment of three disinterested and suitable per-
  ing sworn and giving parties in inter- est at least twenty days previous mo- tice, shall hear the parties with their witnesses and evidence, and ascertain and judge, according to law, the true and just value of all the rights, fran chises, interests, contracts, real and personal property, estate and assets of all kinds, whersoever situated. belong ing or appertaining to the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company, and shall report their judgment to the clerk of the Su- perior court for Fairfield county for confirmation, who shall file and record the same.
 Such report may be rejected for any irregularity or improper conduct of said appraisers in the performance of their duties. If the report be rejected l the court, or judge, shall appoint other appraisers. who shall proceed in the 1 same manner in which the first were required to proceed. Upon the filing of said report and it's final acceptance by the Superior court in the manner herein provided for. and upon payment | by the city to the company of the | amount as ascertained, the title in all l