The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-06-16
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MAYOR SUGGESTS 1T IN MESSAGE
Election PetitiORed For On Question of
Buying Water Plant Option Not
Yet Acceptable.

The regular council meeting Monday
evening and an adjourned meeting
tuesday evening were marked by two
messages from Mayor d. Mcdonald,
one asking the council to call an
election to submit the question of
purchasing the local water plant at a
price of less than $40, 600 and the other
suggesting the possibility of floating
the $50, 900 bond issue for the new
municipal plant locally by popular
subscription, and petition from SO
citizens, asking that an election be
called to vote on the proposition of
buying the present water system for
$40, 900 for which the company has
made an offer to SELL
In the message submitted to the
council Tuesday night Mayor Mcdonald
suggested that owing to the weakness
Of the bond market, steps should be
taken TO insure the sale of the $50, 900
municipal water bond issue and he
believed that a popular subscription
for the bonds might be made which
would buy them from the city in case
there were no better offers made
when the bids were opened. The
mayor stated he had Investigated the
matter to some extent and that he had
received assurance from local in
stitution that they would take $40, 900
of the bonds and from private in
dlVidual that he would subscribe SIS, 900
of the issue. The two parties making
the offer to the Mayor were the The
First National Bank and Fred S.
Stanley, president of that institution.
The mayors message was referred to
the judiciary committee with instruc-
tlons to investigate the feasibility of
the proposition.
According to the suggestion of the
Mayor, the bid made by the subscrib-
ers would be on basis of 81 per cent
interest and when the whole amount
had been subscribed the bid would be
made in a lump along with the others
and If an outside bidder offered more
the popular subscription would not
be necessary. II, however, would have
the the effect of assuring the sale.
The petition, which had been cir
culated by A. C. Buck, and which
contained SO names, asking the council
to call an election, to the vote on the
question Of buying the local water
plant for $40,O was read to the
council Monday night and referred to
the fire and water committee with the
instructions to report at an adjourned
meeting the following night. The
committee already had under consider
alton the revised option which had
been submitted by the Light & Power
company last week and the Mayors
message recommending that the coun-
Gil call an election to vote on the prop
osition of buying the present water
system for $50, 600 or less was also re-
ferred to the committee. Mayor Nc
Donald said in his communication that
he did not believe the present plant
was worth more than $40, 900 to the
city.
In the report of the fire and water
committee submitted Tuesday evening
it was stated that the petition of the
citizens was such as to justify the call
ing of an election, but that proper
option should first be secured from the
water company. The report said, "The
amended option does not comply in a
very material point with the recon-
mendation of the city attorney and
the former report of this committee in
this, that they have struck out that
portion Of the option providing for a
bond to be given by the vendors 10 the
city Of Hood River to be forfeited to
the city of Hood River as liquidated
damages in case the Light & Power
company were for any reason unable to
give clear and unincumbered title to
the property in question, should the
citizens Of Hood River vote to buy the
same. In view of the protest which
has been filed with the council by
N. G, Evans, your committee feels that
it is upon notice concerning this liti-
cation threatened, which would of
necessity involve the title of the prop
erty." The committee recommended
that no election be called until the
company made the provision for bond
which would safeguard the city in the
matter. The report of the committee
was adopted.
An ordinance was passed Tuesday
night for the improvement of the north
half of State street between Sixth and
Ninth. Monday evening it was re-
ported to the council that the last
block of Twelfth street improvement
was completed. City Engineer Morse
reported that there was no street on
the east side of the High School and
he was instructed to bring grades for
streets within the fire limits.
Fire Chief William Ganger appeared
before the council and asked that they
buy fire hose needed by the depart
ment. The council instructed the fire
and water committee to buy hose to
suit the wants Of the fire boys. The
street committee was intructed to buy
a proper attachment for the water
wagon to be used in spreading oil on
the streets, which would be loaned to
the citizens living on State street be-
tween Sixth and Ninth, who have
agreed to buy oil for the experiment.