Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-12-28
THE CITY TRIES TO BUY
WATER COMPANY STOCK
The People of Annapolis Want to Control Their Own
Water Supply-SaIe VIII be Made Tomorrow
ALL HONOR TO MAYOR STRANGE.
Board of Public Works at Noon To-Day Opened Bids
and City is Highest Bdder-The People Rejoice.

Treasury. it was done for the benefit
of the city that is the capital of the
State. 1t was certainly not created
to be the benefit of private individ-
uals intent on putting in one dollar
and getting out two. 1t was certain
ly not in the minds of the Legislature
that the property and franchises of
the Annapolis Water Company
should a. any time in the futurs be
buffeted about in the stock market,
and perhaps go to somebody or
some selfish combination, to whom
the providing of a water supply for
the safety of the public buildings
of Maryland and for the use of the
citizens of Annapolis would be a mat
ter of secondary Importance so long
as dividends were large.
The water supply of Annapolis is a
thing in which every man, woman
and child of the city has the deepest
kind of an interest; and in a measure.
perhaps, it is true that the poorer
and more inconspicuous any man,
woman or child here may be. the
more vital is the interest The man
of means is more or less independent
of municipal conditions. If he can
not provide for his own convenience
and comfort in the city, he can do
so out of it; but the great majority
of our people, or of the people in
any other community, would be call
ed upon to suffer extreme hardships,
through inattention on the part of any
public service corporation to the pub
lie welfare.
The Mayor, Counselor and Alder
men, sustained by the dictates of good
judgment and the best interests of
the whole citizens of Annapolis, and
backed by the almost unanimous SEN
timent and wishes of the people, have
taken the position that the city's
water supply is for the public owner
ship and control and benefit, and is not
to be made an article of merchandise
in the hands of private ownership and
control and money-making.
The city of Annapolis is the people
of Annapolis, and if the people of
Annapolis want to own their water
supply, it is right and proper that
they should be allowed to acquire it
without interference. With the City
Council, the Chamber of Commerce
and the sentiment of the large mass
meeting held to consider the subject,
all favoring the purchase of the
States stock, thus giving the city
eight hundred shares and the absolute
control of the company, it would seem
that those private stockholders who
have been laying their plans to gain
control of our water supply have been
acting counter to the public desire, as
we'll as to the public interest.
The question is clear and bold; the
city's water supply is for public own
ership and control. The city's water
supply is not to be made an article
of merchandise by private ownership
and control. Heretofore, although
under private management, and with
what success and adequate attention
to the public welfare can be readily
judged by any user of water in the
city--the holding of six hundred shares
by the State and two hundred by the
city has kept the rest of the stock
from market fluctuations and nanipu-
lation. With eight hundred shares
owned by the city, the Water Com
pany will be a public utility under pub
lie control.