Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-12-03
Mr.. lIVFZEY PRESENTS
FIGURES ON COMPANY
Records Introduced to- Demonstrate
That Community is Getting Water
at Cheapest Possible Rate-Street
Sweeper Purchssed-Want Cars
Stopped On "Near Side"

OF Inc proposed uituSutc' uu'ihS 'hS
course of which statements were
heard from Walter Il. Liyezcy, audi
tor of the Newport News Light G. Wa
ter Company. and Mayor Marquis
Jones. the city council committee on
health last night recommended TO the
council that 1, do no. adopt Council
man Harris ordinance requiring wa
ter companies to furnish all of their
consumers In this city with meters
TO regis ter the consumption of water
and reducing the amount oil the adj
vanced payment by consumers from
81 per quarter to S150 per quarter.
Mr.. Harris voted against the return
of the measure with an unfavorabie
report. the vote being four to one.
He insisted that the people should
be required to pay only for what
they use helms and Jackson. Cooke
and Reyner voted in the Affirmative.
Action upon this measure was de-
ferred for a month at the last meet
ing of the committee so that repre-
sentatives of the water company
might be present. Mr. Livezey ap-
peared for the company and spoke
at length. In the very outset he ar
nouncSd that his company "recogniz S
neither the right nor authority of the
council to regulate by ordinance IFS
operations or fix its rates. and rore
than intimated that IL the measure
was passed the matter would be TAX
en- to the courts for final settlement.
He said that the principle involved in
the method of charging by his COM
papy was one long recognize and
had been upheld time and again By
the Supreme Court of the United
States
Many Facts and Figures.
In the course OF his remarks. Mr.
Livezey gave many facts and figures
showing that his company. has nor
realized one cent Of returns in ;'e
way Of dividends paid to Stockholders
on the investment of 81 $40 800. which
the company has made in establish-
ing its plant. This investment is rer-
resented, he said. by capital stock
of 1880. 500. first mortgage bonds
bearing FIVE per cent. interest sasi.-
GOO and floating debt CT 100000 IN
notes. He declared that the net earn
ings from the operations Of eighteen
wears amounted to Sl5.2sS.6t, or less
than an average of $1,000 per year
Nv way of conclusion. Mr.. Livezey
said That "the NewDort News light
& Water Company has always been
an essential factor to the deveionme"t
of this community. II has quite re-
Gently been considered an essential
factor in Connection with a large. indus
trial development plan for this Sec
ton. The interested parties in these
b!ans. on investigation. were satisfied
OF the engineering and physical abiI-
Nv Of this company 10 evpand 10 mees
their requirements. The financial
ability 10 provide for large physician
development is yet 10 he determined
n can only be accomplished with the
co-operation of the council and the
people of this community.
Would Hurt City.
Mayor Jones told the council that
inst at this time much depends upon
the ability of the water company 10
develop its plant and that he would
strongly urge that the council take
no action that would in any way tenc
70 embsrrass Ut binder the COMPANY
In this undertaking and the conse-
'quenf development OF the whole citv-
When the mayor bad conciudeo-
Councilman Cooke showed the con-
rnittee q copy of the water ordinance
of the city of Richmond showing that
there tho consumers pay the same
rates and the same advance navmentI
A. here. II was shown tina; the cos'
nj ayoducsug the water IN Richmorr
was much cheaper than the cost IN
Newport News.
Ate some further discussion. Mr..
Cooke moved that the measure 20
hack 70 tho council with the recon
mendafion that II be not adopted and
Joseph Reyner seconded the MOTOR
Reseiao Part % Ordinance.
by a unansmcrs vote. the commit
tee decided 10 send 10 the Council an
ordinance repeating the ordinance re-
Gently adopted requiring all Of the
city employees to 20 10 the treasurcT's
Office for their pay on Saturdays IN
50 Ear as that ordinance applied 10
employees OF tho health department
Superintendent Of Garbage Harris ex-
planned 20 the committee that the
men who collect garbaEc lose two
hours from work cach saturday By
reason Of the fact that they must get
10 The Office % the treasurer before
y o'clock. noon. 10 get their pay.
This loss 81 time represented a loss
10 the city per year IN dollars and
ccnfS Of approximately 500. he said.
Dr. Jenery. nc city health officer.
was givca aatEoriiy 10 pnrchasc q
larger r1ruulv Of anfffotin than he