Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-22
LARGE MEETING YESTERDAY AT
OPERA HOUSE AFFORDS EN-.
L,eHTMENT TO VOTERS ON
GREAT PUBLIC QUESTION.
SPEAKERS VIEW PLAN
FROM VARYING ANGLES
THREE MEN PRESENT EACH SIDE
AND GENERAL DISCUSSION Fol-
LOWED BY PERSONS IN THE
sAuDlENcE-MANY INTERESTED.

A large number OF Ottumwans de-
sirous Of learning something about the
most talked OF question in Ottumwa
at present, gathered at the Grand
opera house yesterday afternoon and
for three hours heard the waterworks
proposition discussed from various
angles. The meeting was presided
over by D. 3. Morey, who allotted about
TWENTY-FIVE minutes to each speaker.
Rev Father James Foley was called
upon to open the meeting with prayer,
after which the speakers in turn were
introduced. The program proper con-
sisted Of six speakers-three on each
side OF the question. Afterwards a
number of others were called upon ana
made remarks of varying length. Ques-
tions were asked freely and the gen.
eral trend Of the men present seemed
TO he the quest er information.
Mayor Opens oratory.
Mayor S. p. Hartman was the first
speaker of the meeting and led out
With refutation Of the charge OF
secrecy in the dealings Fof the council
with the waterworks question. He
stated that 5sneh was not the purpose
of the aldermanic body and that
secrecy obtained only where the deal
ings made public would jeopardize The
city's interests in the negotiations
with the water company. He reviewed
his service in the council and of the
continual fight for settlement of the
water question and mentioned the reso-
lutions and orders by the council try
ing to compel the water company to
render better service. He told Of
meeting with Mr.. Slingluff of the
water company whom he stated told
him that the company could not nor
would not make the improvements de-
sired. The offers of $235, 200 and OF
$260,000 were reviewed and their re-
fusal mentioned and upon the advice
Of Capt. w. II. c. Jaques, then sollci-
tor, the hydrant rentals were withheld.
Orders Investigation.
He then stated that Engineer ]. ~.
Brady was ordered to make an investi-
cation OF the PHYSICAL value OF the
plant to determine upon q price to
offer the company for it's plant and
this resulted in the $2S0,000 price
being fixed by the city. The advice Of
local bankers, said the speaker, was
sought and made use Of In the matter
Of bonds and the work of other cities
which had similar dealings to pass
through, were compared. All of the
properties Of the plant that were pos
sible to se~, were gone over and in
yentoried, ,eaving only the pipe in the
ground unseen. The condition OF
these was based largely on the
Mather plumbing firm, letter from
which was read by the mayor Letters
were also read from Sioux City, Water
loo and Cedar Rapids where the cities
own the waterworks and these letters
told of the success these cities have
had from their plants He said that
on investigation made in conferring
with engineers and others interested
in water concerns, he learned that
pipes in the ground eighteen to twenty
five years were better than new pipes.
Questions the Wisdom.
"If cleanliness is next to godliness
as we are told it is, it seems to me
that the discussion OF the water ques-
tion on this Sunday afternoonn is
quite appropriate sair Merrill c..
Gilmore in his remarks which were
second on the program yesterday
afternoon "f eloquence and perse-
verance were sufficient to buy the
waterworks, then the efforts already
put forth by its supporters should
have already built one. Mr.. Gilmore
then spoke on the matter of the re-
port of the citizens committee which
favored the purchase Of the plant and
said that If the law meant that only
a few leading citizens we're sufficient
to pass upon the wisdom of the coun-
ellis action in this matter, it were nm
necessary to hold an election Tuesday
to ratify the action of the aldermen.
But said he, "the law does not
mean anything of the kind