The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-08-24
A CONFERENCE
City Council and Municipal Owner.
ship League ON Waterw0rks.

| = SHIP LCdUuC OAI
The executive committee of the
Municipal Ownership League, by in
vitation, met the City Council in the
city hall at 10 o'clock this morning
in conference over the waterworks,
arising from the receipt of letter
by Commissioner Mccullough from
A. NJ. Lynn of Pittsburg, Pr, presi-
dent of the Shreveport Waterworks
Company. The letter reads:
Pittsburg, Pa, Aug. 10, 19!i-John
Mccullough, Esq. Superintendent
Public Utilities, Shreveport, La:
Dear Sir-Answering your commu-
nication of the t4th ult., I beg to
state that the Shreveport Water
works Company is willing to have
appraised its plants, properties and
works in the manner provided by
| the existing contract between the
city and the company, provided the
city will first enter into binding
contract with the company that it
will take the said plants, properties
and works at the amount of the YER
dict of the appraisers or of ma
j0rity of them, the understanding,
however, being that the appraisers
shall be competent engineers entire
ly disinterested.
The contract aforesaid shall be
entered into within six months from
this date. Yours truly,
SHREVEPORT WV. co.
A. M. Linn, President
Instead of holding mass meeting
in the court house on Friday night,
as first projected by Commissioner
Mccullough, notice of which had
been given in the Journal, confer
ence with the executive committee
of the Municipal Ownership League
was substituted for the mass meet
| ing.
At this conference it was made
plain that the City Council had no
authority to make such a contract
as was suggested.
1t was decided that the City Coun-
lcil should proceed on lines already
advised as expressed by resolution
adopted in mass meeting held July
6 and by report of the citizens COM
mittee.
The line of inquiry suggested is in
brief that the City Council employ
a competent and unbiased expert
First: To estimate the cost of
erecting an entirely new waterworks
System, adequate, for the present
and future needs of the city of
shreveport.
Second: To estimate the value of
the plant now owned by the Shreve-
pert Waterworks Company.
Third: TO estimate the cost of ex-
tending the present waterworks sys-
tenn so as to care for the present
and future needs of the city of
shreveport.
Fourth: To estimate the cost of
maintaining waterworks and sew
erage system which is adequate for
the city of Shreveport.
AS provided at this July 6 meet
ing of citizens, the Council is re-
auested after having obtained all
the data desired, TO treat with the
officials of the Waterworks Com
pany with view towards obtaining
the price for the purchase of it's
lplant at this time. That after OBJ
tanning the data showing the cost of
a new plant, the cost of its mainten-
ance and the price of the present
Iplant, with the cost of necessary ad-
ditions thereto, all of said matters
be placed before the people in such
form as to permit of an intelligent
decision in regard thereto.
The executive committee of the
Municipal Ownership League in
lfcrmed the Council of their willing
mess and readiness to cooperate
with them in the requirement OF 6
municipal waterworks plant.
The conference was pleasant anG
the best of fellowship prevailed.
L