The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1909-08-12
WATER cos PROPOSITION
Declined by City Council as Exces,
sive and an Election Order
ed to Vote on Bonds.

co TO VOte on Bones.
An adjourned meeting of the city
council was held last Friday night for
the purpose of considering the water
question.
Maj. Dunlap, city commissioner and
engineer, who made surveys and esti-
mates of the plant of the Watauga Wa
ter Company, was called on for his re-
port. The estimate made by Major
Dunlap and agreed to by the water
company's representative, r. l.. Blev-
ms, of Britol, on the present cost of the
pipe now owned by the water company
was approximately $l25,00O, but, as to
the value of its riparian rights, privil- |
eyes, tanks, etc, no agreement could !
be reached. The value placed on same
by the water company is $4,000 esti-
mating the riparian rights at $4,000 |
The report of the engineer showed that
water supply could be had of five
times greater volume and of better
quality for about one-fourth of the val
ue placed by the water company on its
system. The report further showed
that the route surveyed for new sup
ply would require the laying of eleven
miles of large main, and the laying of
two distributing mains. The cost of
pipe, laying, ETC., would be about $780,
600, or $4,000 to augment the present
system to make an intake of sufficient
size to hold seven million gallons. The
the total cost of installing an entire
new system, bringing the water from
above Unicoi, a distance of eleven
miles, to build intakes, acquire ripari-
an rights, the 1876 acres of land now
optioned, erect a stand pipe and cover
the city with large mains, give more
fire hydrants-in fact, give supply
and system sufficiently large for city
of fifty thousand people, is estimated
not to exceed $375,OOO. This would be
$40, 0OOless than the price asked by the
water company, after the expenditure
of $4,000 to augment its system by the
100000 gallon intake above referred
to.
The report of Mr., Blevins stated that
the net earning capacity of the water
company was $4,000 year, and that
the plant should be valued high enough
so that the earning capacity should be
at least per cent. The water compa-
ny made report by its president, Col.
w. +. Burbage, that to purchase at the
prizes at which it offers to sell, the
earning capacity would be per cent
Or, if given new franchise, it agrees
to give bond to furnish 4, 000 600 gallons
daily of good pure water, and to main
tain an average pressure of from 80 to
100 pounds.
Alderman Wofford moved that the
reports be received and filed of record.
S. B. White spoke on the urgent ne
c9ssity of immediate action, the need
of more and better water, and said that
he thought the value placed on the
water company's plant by the COM
pany was entirely too high. Mr.. Wof-
ford said the matter must be submit
ted to the people, and an agreement
reached as to the value to be paid by
the people for the water company s
plant, and thought that whatever price
was agreed on by the board would
stand as recommendation to the pee.
pie.
Alderman Cox stated that he would
like to present to the people clear
i proposition, an exact figure or price by
the water company, so that they could
vote on it intelligently. Finally an
agreement was reached by the entire
board that the price asked was toe
high. He made a motion in writing
on the back of the water company's
report, that the price was unreasona.
BILE, and therefore could not be consid
cred. The motion was unanimously
u adoped, and the water company's prop
q osition turned down. A resolution
was next offered calling for an election
to be held on Saturday, September H.
e 1909, to vote to issue 1915, 600 in bonds
IS for the purpose of acquiring an ade
O quate water supply or system, baseC
on the figures submitted in the com
. missioner's report for the building of {
e new system and getting the water from
j. Indian Springs, above Unicoi; or as tt
whether or not the city would pur
:, chase at fair valuation, the present
u water plant, and augment it. This