Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-30
COUNCIL TO MEET
THIS EVENING
EASTERN OWNERS OF PLANT
STATE THEIR PROPOSITION is
A REASONABLE oNE-M'NETT
GIVES HIS VIEWS.

The committee of the whole of the
city council will tonight in special
session be presented with letter
from the directors of the Public Water
Co., setting forth the reasons why the
amount of $275,0O0 plus the rentals
withheld by the city is none too small
for the Ottumwa properties. Attorney
William McNett, acting for the water
company will not be present at the
meeting-it is for the committee of the
whole, the mayor and the city solici-
tor. In the letter received from the
eastern capitalists, the figures first
suggested by the waterworks people,
that of $275,0 900 is held as the offer the
company will accept, and accompany
In this assertion are reasons why any
lesser amount received would be un-
reasonable. What action the commit.
tee of the whole will take on the mat
ter Is yet to be determined.
When interviewed, Mayor Phillips
refused. to say what were the specific
reasons of the committee meeting to-
night, but that tomorrow, the action of
the meeting would be made known.
When asked especially about the
waterworks proposition, he stated
that he did not know what would be
done relative to that item. One alder
man interviewed said he did not be-
lieve the committee would act on the
waterworks proposition for the reason
that he thought the company had not
yet been heard from. He did state,
however, that the committee would
meet to transact various matters, and
that in all probability, the question OF
better telephone service would be dis
cussed.
Relative to the matter of bettering
the service of the Ottumwa Telephone
Co., City Solicitor Clyde G. Sparks
stated this morning that he had receiv-
ed letter from the eastern owners OF
the company that improvements tend
ing to better the service would be
made as soon as the necessary amount,
$4,000, could be raised. This matter
will doubtless be given some attention
by the committee tonight.
Says Plant is Gift.
The sale of the Public Water Co.,
properties to the city of Ottumwa for
the sum of s275,OO0 plus rentals held
i back is viewed by Attorney William
I McNett as a gift pure and simple.
~ 1 uG ctohCuy pAtO,OOO dld
rentals by the Public Water Co., for
the Ottumwa plant" said Mr.. MeNett
this afternoon, appears to me more
in the nature of gift of the plant to
the city than a sale. The amount ask
ed has been put into the plant to main
tain it, and the city would simply be
reimbursing these men with money ex-
pended, and the plant properties, in
cluding the pump houses, machinery,
ETC., would be simply gift. No p:cce
of property has ever been offered for
sale at greater sacrifice to its owners
than the Public Water Co. holdings"
Should definite action be taken on
the waterworks proposition by the
committee of the whole tonight, the
report Of the committee would doubt
less be presented at the next meeting
of the council ,and there aconcurred in.
In this event, petition would be cir
culated for at least 200 signatures of
citizens requesting a special election,
at which the action of the council
would be rejected or ratified as the
majority ruled.