Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-18
Council Bluffs
EXPERTS ON PLANTS VALUE
Taking Of Testimony Concerning the
Water System Under Way.
TWO SIDES ARE NOT AGREED
Company's Attorneys Hope 10 Get CITY
witness TO Within n Hundred
Thousand Of Figures they
Have Fixed.

Have Fixed.
| The court OF condemnation engaged in
hearing the testimony upon which the valu-
( alton OF the Council Bluffs city water plant
Will be based got down to the real work
/ Of the task yesterday when the city began
to present its evidence. Judges Thornell
\ fIobson and Ellison who constitute the
/ court expressed their favorable opinion
/ and hearty appreciation Of the manner
| in which both sides have decided to pre-
sent the evidence.
| This is in the form Of complete schedules
/ including every part OF the plant with the
/ footlngs for each tabuIation. Each Of this
members Of the court Is given copy in
a compactly formed pamphlet The wit
ness. who is 20 give expert testimony con
corning the value Of the property, is also
supplied with a copy and likewise the at
torneys.
The questions asked by the lawyers are
based on the schedules opened before them
and the witness replies, using the data
contained In the open copy in his hands.
The judges. follow the question and read
from their copies the figures given by the
witness.
city Schedules Opened.
Oniy the SCneGuIeB OF the CITY were
opened yesterday Similar neatly bound
volumes are in the possession Of the at
torneys for the water company Messrs.
John L. Webster and Judge MoHugh Of
Omaha and George s. Wright OF Council
Bluffs. but they are zealously guarded, as
are those of the city. The opposing at
torneys are widely separated, using diff
ferent tables. "a there can be no peep
ing" over the shoulders of the citys repre-
sentatves to secure advance Information
in relation to totals When the company's
turn comes the same course will be fol-
lowed The judges said last evening that
this admirable method Of presenting the
facts greatly simpiified the work and would
reduce the time required one-hah
The schedules are all prepared upon an
inventory made by the water company. or
ignaliy for the use OF Engineer RIersted
and checked over by both sides with the
additions that have been made since 1908.
All sorts Of alleged advance information
has been doped out and some of II may
appear in print. but 1t cannot be relied upon
as authentic.
The summary OF Mr.. Burns testimony
for the entire afternoon showed his val
uetion Of the thirty-four and a half miles
of cast iron and eight miles of wrought
iron pipe to be Si1725t; the cost OF laying
Il S49740 and the cost of the $50 fire
h, drants to be SS,762, making a total OF
S11016l for the entire distributing system.
Mr. Kiersteds estimates. which included
valves and a number of other things not
50 far included by Mr.. Burns was 1886, 1855
for the distribution system The addition
OF practically $4,000 TO the value Of the
listed real estate WIN make Mr.. Burns
estimate run very close to that of Mr.
Kiersted
The attorneys for the city and Mr..
Burns last evening authorized the state
ment that the city's appraisal will be APP
proximateiy $4,000 for the entire plant.
while that Of Mr. Kiersted was $5OO.94S
II was also stated by Mr.. Burns and the
city's attorneys, Messrs Kimbal and Tin
ley that the depreciation would be quite
large, probably as great as % per cent
Inndeauacy of system.
City Engineer Etnyre was on the stand
for a large part OF the day. His testimony
related to the inadequacy OF the system
for supplying the wants OF the city, which
reduced, IL it did not wholly destroy the
going value" OF the plant Attorneys
Webster and McHugh fought hard to pre-
vent this testimony going in. and instanced
a uGNlhlou III Ailt GuleH olhleh COURT OF
appeals where similar evidence was ad-
mitted in the record Of the Omaha water
case and was excluded. Judge Hobson.
chairman OF the condemnation court,
stated that the Iowa law provided for no
such review, and as the court had TO pass
finally on this phase of the matter the
judges had decided to permit the widest
latitude In the Introduction Of evidence,
seeking everything that would in the re-
hottest degree bear upon the actual value
OF the plant at the present time. and that
such motions would be uniformly over
ruled. The same objection was raised
when City Engineer Etnyre testified to the
condition OF the Broadway paving that
the street had been ordered repaved and
that nothing should be charged as cost
( for relaying pavement above water pipes,
and It was likewise overruled.
The judges decided to convene court each
morning at 10 o'clock. as that appears to
be as early as the attorneys for the water
company can reach here from their homes
/ IN Omaha. Mr.. Burns will resume his
testimony this morning and Mr.. Etnyre
/ viii again take the stand.