The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-08-19
Elk. Mayor German and z. G. Sim.
mons Work Out Plan To Secure
Purer Water for kenosha
TO GET MONEY AT LOW RATE
z. G. Simmons to Furnish Money to
Commission at -Four Per Cent
Interest and Buy Old Intake
at a Price of $4,000

Former Mayor James uorman, as the
leader of the Board of Water Commits
sioners, and z. G. Simmons, president
of the Simmons Manufacturing Com
pany, who has always taken the deep
est interest in the welfare of the peo-
pie of the entire city, the work of
launching the new intake will be start
ed within a short time land probably
before the close of the present year.
Mr.. Simmons has made a verbal propo-
sltion to former Mayor German and
the other members of the Commission
and as soon as this proposition is prop
erly reduced to writing it will be ac-
cepted by the Commission and with
the formal acceptance of the PROPOSE
tion the funds needed for the con-
struction Of the intake will be avail
aDle and a big pipe extending far
out into the lake and much larger than
the present intake may be built. 1t
will be built without the city issuing
any bonds to pay for the cost Of con
struction and the financial arrange
ment will be Of such nature that it
will be entirely matter for the Board
Of Water Commissioners to meet from
the income Of the water plant.
Stated in brief the proposition Of
Mr.. Simmons to the commissioners is
as follows: The Simmons Manufacture
ing Company will purchase the old in
take now In use by the city at the
estimated value of the pipe when it
was put in many years ago and this
value has been placed at $4,000. In
addition to this H. G.. Simmons will
furnish the money needed to construct
the new intake furnishing it to the
Board at four per cert rate of in
terest and giving, the Board the right
to pay off the notes securing it at the
rate of from $4,000 to $4,000 annu-
ally as the receipts of the company
may warrant. The notes are to be
the personal notes of the Commission
and Mr.. Simmons declares that his
faith in the city of Kenosha is suf
fcient to warrant him to make this
proposition
Since the agitation for purer and
more water in Kenosha former Mayor
German, as a member Of the Board of
Water Commissioners, has taken an in
tense interest in the solution Of the
problem of building the new intake and
at the suggestion of James III. Charles
and Matt Greenwald, the other mem
bers of the Board he took the matter
up as his special task. The former
mayor was a little unwilling to discuss
the matter this morning preferring to
have it come out from the meeting Of
the commissioners declaring that all of
his actions in the matter had been
under their direction. He at first
went to Chicago and conferred with
financial men in that city and arranged
to borrow money needed for the build
ing Of the intake at rate of 5 per
cent with the mortgage to secure the
payment OF the loan being laid against
the intake only when it was completed
He would have been able to complete
this arrangement, but after talking
the matter over with the Commission
he took it up with Mr.. Simmons. Mr..
Simmons was shown that the cost of
the new intake would be in the neigh
borhood of 100000 and that the Com
mission would be able to pay in the
neighborhood OF $4,000 at the time
the work was started.
Mr.. Simmons himself made the sug
gestion that it could be utilized by his
company and that the company would
be willing to pay reasonable
sum for it without the city going to
any further expense. The demands
of the Simmons factory for water are
growing larger all the time and there
has been considerable trouble with the
present plant of the company on ac-
count of its own intake becoming
clogged with refuse thrown into the
harbor from the big plants in the
neighborhood. All Of these can he
eliminated with the purchase of the
intake. In addition to this the water
system of the Simmons Company can
be SO arranged that it can be used as
an auxiliary system to the city system
at any time.
The first problem for the Board was
to find way for building the intake
without bankrupting the Board or
making a bond issue necessary. This
is the problem that the former mavor
has solved and there is little doubt
but that the proposition will be ac-
cepted. The receipts of the water
company run in the neighborhood of
$4,000 annually and only about half
of this is needed for the actual main
tenance of the plant. However, there
lis some money needed for extensions
and this will be left in the treasury
under the plan devised by Mr.. Cor
man and Mr.. Simmons.
The building of the intake will be
one of the most popular acts ever tax
en- by the Board Of Water Commission