Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1911-02-15
ACCOUNT OF THE LIGHT AND WATER LEASE

| specifications which were not in accord
with the plans. He provided that the
street was to be brought to grade
with clay or gravel. The contract
was awarded to Mr.. Anderson. Mr..
Jacobs at once began to do the work
| His putting in the clay or gravel
clause, gave him place to put the
dirt he had to dig out Of the trenches.
which otherwise he would have had
to haul away The result was that tie
street was almost impossible and ad
| to be macadamized.
| Council requiring the engine and
dynamo past repairing, requested bids
| from number of the principal engine
| builders. A number of bids were sent
in The late Professor Freudenber-
| ger was employed to look into the
matter, and report his findings as to
which was the best for the toTns use.
lie made his report, recommending
! several makes and condemning others,
among the latter was the Russell
engine, as not being suitable for the
| towns work. Shortly after this, Mr.
, Jacobs offered resolution that Cour.
Gil purchase the Russell engine Proi
| treudenberger again protested, but
the motion prevailed ard MIR Jacobs
built the foundation for tic same This
engine has been unsatisfactory ever
since, and although the company has
had its experts here time and again.
it never has been made satisfactory.
They say there should be harmony IN
the town, and | agree most heartily,
provided that it is not the harmony
between the lion and the lamb, when
they lie down together in peace with
the lamb inside the lion. If this town
thinks 1t is for its best interest to ds-
pose OF its water and light plants. or
either OF them, let us have a free and
iull discussion OF it. submit the ques-
ton to the voters, and do what they
think best, with no snap leases with
unknown parties, and the terms fully
understood and properly advertised.
Resolutions were presented and
adopted as follows
BY. FRANCIS COOCH.
Whereas, at a special meeting of
The Council OF Newark, held ON
Wednesday evening February g. 1911,
The Council OF Newark" voted to
lease for a period of twenty or twenty
five years, the Light and Water
Plants, belonging to the Town of
| Newark, to the Newark Water and
| Electric Co, the members o. Coun-
ell processing to be in ignolanc OF
the names OF the real owners of said
company, and the attorney for the
company refuses to divulge the same to
the citizens and taxpayers OF this
| town.
And Whereas, This lease was exc
cuted by Council against the advice
OF the towns attorney, as being con-
trary to law and not permitted by the
Towns Charter.
| And Whereas, No bids were adver-
tlsed for prior to the execution OF this
| lease,
| And Whereas, In spite of the fact
that the proposed lease of the Towns
Franchises was not advertised, ano-
ther and a better Bid was received,
which was ignored by Council for
purposes best known to itself. bu,
which can readily be surmsed.
And Whereas, The citizens and tax
payers have carefully been kept in ig-
nnrance OF the terms OF this lease.
therefore be it
Resolved, By the Citizens and Tax
payers of Newark in Town Meeting
assembled, That we denounce the at,
tempted lease OF the Light and Water
Properties as Wanton Betrayal OF
the rights OF our people, as a con-
spiracy the steps of which can be
traced in misleading and garbled fin
ancial statements, in which the re.
celpts and expenditures o fthe Light
and Water Plants were averaged for
period of eighteen years
Whereas, 1t is matter of common
knowledge that owing to the large in
crease IN the number of consumers
OF both light and water. the ratio OF
receipts and expenditures has beer
steadily and is constantly increasing
In the recent raise in the light aud
water rates, which it was announced
was Tor the benefit of the taxpayers
down to the last and crowning act oi
injustice to Our citizens. namely, the
lease of the Towns Utilities for an in
adequate consideration, at a hastil,
called meeting of Council, at an unus-
ual hour, and on stormy night.
Resolved, That we. the taxpayers
and Citizens of this Town insist upon
the cancellation of the above men
toned lease and that no further steps
be taken to lease either the Light OF
Water Plants until authorized by the
State Legislature, to do so in law
full mnaner, and in the event OF the re.
fusal of Council to cancel said lease
we do hereby resolve to use all lawfr
means to prevent its consummation
Resolved, That copy of these reso.
lutions, signed by the President ant
Secretary OF this meeting, be trans
mitted to The Council of Newark
and published in the two newspa pers
, OF Our town.
HENRY G. M. KOLLOCK,
President.
Attest
ADOLPH THOMAS,
Secretary.