The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-08-05
I will be a physical impossibility

1t will be physical impossibility
for the city to purchase the water
works plant If the statistics presented
and statements made at the meeting
of the city council and board of works
last evening prove correct. Already
a number of councilmen are beginning
to believe that the purchase clause
which the city asked to be incorpor-
ated in bids submitted for a contract,
will not obtain results.
Declaring that the mayors idea for
municipal ownership of the water
works was a mere day dream" and
that no satisfactory plan could be
found whereby the city could obtain
the plant, Alfred Bavis, who has a
keen insight OF city affairs, gave a
number Of figures to bear out his
statement. Mr.. Bavis based his con-
tention on the report of Engineer
Maury. 1t will require 200 years for
the city to acquire the plant, Mr.. Ba-
Wis said according to the report of the
engineer employed by the city to as.
certain the value and profits of the
plant.
eavis Gives Opinion.
"The hopelessness of the city ever
receiving one dollar from the water,
works company under the proposed
purchase plan does not mean
that the company officials are dishon.
est" said Mr.. Bavis in explaining his
statements. "All that is necessary tc
prove what say, is to go through the
engineers report, which was made IN
1903. Yon will find that the profits
each year for the five years preyfoais
to 1909 was $4,000. The campany
under the proposed purchase clause
pany and the city will divide the prof
its between and s per cent Now
the profits for each year were just Z
per cent of the investment. In this
case the city would receive one-hal1
of one per cent, or about $500.
Several important items were omit
ted in the proposal as brought out last
evening, by various questions asked
Howard Dill, superintendent OF the
.plant, said that these items were not
omitted Intentionally but had been ov
erlooked.
Question Of Salaries.
One of the questions asked was
'Is there anything in your contract
that prevents you from raising the sal
aries of your officials
senting the water works company, an
swered in the negative. 1t was said
that in such case the salaries might
be raised and there would never be
anything above six per cent and con
sequently the city would receive
nothing. Mr.. Shiveley answered that
the very minute an excess of salary
was paid the courts would step in and
instantly decide what a reasonable
salary was.
+ This was not deemed satisfactory
by DR.. E. B. Grosvenor, who had ask
ed the question, and he declared in nc
uncertain terms that this is not salts
factory to the public. Last evening
you spoke of the courts settling the
controversies between the compan,
and the city in case any arose. Il
seems that you give this answer to q
number of questions. Now it would
be a great deal better if you would
the officers are to receive. 1t costs
money to go to the courts to settle
matters. Public service corporations
have ways of delaying such things and
they take appeals from decisions
Must State Salaries
Shiveley then asked city attorney
Ga-dner's opinion on this subject anC
Mr.. Gardner asserted that no con
tracts would be made with the city
unless it was specified in the fran
chise the exact amount officials were
to receive for their services. Mr.. Dill
said that this had been overlooked.
Mayor Zimmerman declared tha'
the board of works would be the judge
as to whether there should be an in
crease in salaries. The mayor als<
said that the board would be the judge
as to whether improvements in thu
plants should be made. Whether thu
company would agree to this is ques
tion.
During the discussion as to wfeth
er the city could ever obtain contro
of the plant the mayor expressed th,
wish that there was some way proyid
ed by the state by which the cit,
could purchase the plant. He sais
that lower rates would prevail ii th4
city could purchase the plant. He com
pared the lighting rates before and at
ter the light plant became the proper
|ty of the city and showed that thu
plant was big thing for the citizens
Maximum for Rates.
In speaking Of the clause referrinl