The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-01-12
MAYOR STATES
HIS POSITION
ON PURCHASE Of WATER SYSTEM
Tells How Price of $4,000 Was
Arrived at BY Council and
N. w. l.. & w. Co.

Having been asked how the old
city administration arrived at a price
of 100000 for the present water
system, have this to say" said May
or Armbruster to the Herald Mon
day:
"At the time that the representa-
tive of the N. w. l.. & w. Co. met a
special committee of the council at
my office for the purpose Of coming
to some understanding as to price,
they offered to take $331,000 (their
former offer was $396,00O). This was
not accepted but another meeting was
called, at which it was agreed to Of
fer 100000 A committee was APP
pointed of which / was chairman. The
result was that the Water Co. offered
to take $4,000, I was willing to go
s305,000, and two members of the
council were willing OF go to 100000
to reach an agreement. l offered to
raise my bid $1,000, if the company
would drop an additional $4,000. This
they finally agreed to and the price
was fixed at $4,000.
81 am only going to give my reason
for arriving at this price.
Gas we were buying, it was nee
essary for us to dive as sharp a
bargain as possible. / intimated as
much to the city engineer. am,
therefore, satisfied that his valua-
ton was fully &c per cent below its
actual value-and that his examina-
ton of the pipe lines did not favor
the company (new joints often leak).
This being the case, I figured that il
he valued the works at $214,000, and
adding 20 per cent to his estimate it
would mean a valuation Of $256,000
| AS Mr.. Roberts and other experts
value the water right at $4,000 and
our ' llue being placed at only $12,-
900, the difference would make
$2S,000, add this to above valuation
and you have $2S4,000. AS 1t would
take about two years to install a sys-
tenn, and as money for this purpose
is worth a. 1T 5 per cent, this would
add for interest about $28,4SO,
making a total of $3132SO. That
this Will allow a margin of profit,
every fair minded man is will
il : to concede. l ahi we'll aware that
when you force a man to sell you
must deal justly with him.
THAT the people of this city will
never again get a cnance to buy the
water system for so low a price, you
as well as myself are fully aware.
and that the city must in justice to
it's people, buy the system sooner or
later and as delays are often ratal
and work a hardship on it's citizens.
would strongly urge that the voters
put aside all petty feeling and vote
the bond.
Why? The present system is not
ad quate for city Of this size, and
is a menace to our future growth
and will continue to be, unless YOU at
once pul chase and remedy the evil
| am satisfied Mr. Strahorn never
offered to put in Il certain amount
of money to make it an adequate
system. That is only newspaper talk
to pull the wool over your eyes. We
have put up with dead ends, and re-
fusal to make extensions long enough.
Every winter our citizens have
suffered and been put to great ex-
ncnse on account of frozen water
n'pes caused by slush ice getting in
the corporation cocks and shallow
laid pipes, which f. the city owned
the water would be overcome, as all
pipes would be laid on a s ,stem COW
cred by ordinance. and steps taken f.
prevent slush ice getting in the
mains, and pipes laid to a uniform
depth.
No corporation has the interest of
the people at Heart, and they are
only in the business to squeeze the
dollar out of you. AS water is life
as well as great convenience, the
people should be absolute master of
it. Eghty-five per cent of all cities
of any Importance own and control
their water system. 1t it was a losing
proposition do you think this would
be the case.
f'Mr. Taxpayer Garge or smalD, I
am not going to tell you what effect
it will have on taxes. I will simply
state that the gross receipts e
roughly speaking $4,000 per year
how can this increase your taxes
Does it not give you a surplus of
about $4,000 a year to use either
to improve the system or for other
purposes? ct would not go to Spo-
kane) 1t must necessarily stand ia
reason that If you vote the bond
You can Immediately build up an
adequate system.
You can reduce your insurance
from to 10 per cent.
You can extend your city limits
for you have something to offer them
which will also mean deduction OF
taxes to you and you instead of q
corporation will control this great
commodity.
THAT my estimate is not unreason-
able, I will refer you to Professor
Roberts report, who was engaged by
this city to among other things, ap-
praise the present system. His re
port to the council under date nj
May 90, 1909, valued these works al
$316,010 after deductng $43.7S5 fol
depreciation. AS soon as ge
through with the city engineers re.
port, l will return 1t to the city clerk
so that w. w. Robertson can picl
out the most damaging parts ant
publish them"
Very truly,
p. NJ. ARMRRUSTER
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