Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-11-10
THE PEOPLES FIGHT
Largest Public Meeting Held For
Years-Turn Out To Back Pro-
ject For Annapolis To Own
Her Own Water Supply.
INFLUENTIAL CITIZENS MEET.
Every Citizen Asked To Sign Petition
To Prevent Sale OF Water TO
Private Corporation.

In answer to the call of Mayor
Strange, a large and enthusiastic
meeting OF representative citizens
was held at the Assembly Rooms last
evening. From 160 to $50 ladies and
gentlemen attended and, from what
could be learned, all but six or eight
were highly in favor to the PROPOSE
tion for the city to acquire the States
holding in the Annapolis Water Com
pany.
The meeting was called to order by
the Mayor, who stated the object.
Mayor Strange was elected as chairman
of the meeting, with Mr.. John dep.
Douw, as secretary.
After a few remarks by the Mayor
in favor of the city's acquiring the
States stock, ex-Mayor Gordon II.
Claude offered a resolution requesting
the City Council to obtain the States
stock in the Water Company, and if
unable to do so. to persuade the State
to retain it.
Ex-senator John Writ Randall ad-
dressed the meeting and called atten-
tion to a number of points in opposi-
tion to the city's control. He stated
that, in his opinion, the stock of the
company would become worthless as a
result of political control and that the
interests of the private holder of stock
would suffer. He then offered an
amendment to the resolution of ex-
Mayor Claude's which would have the
effect of pledging the city to pay the
holders of stock the same price as the
city might feel compelled to bid to
secure the State stock.
Mr.. Claude then offered a substitute
which would bind the city to buy pri-
vate holdings at $65 per share. Both
substitute and amendment were lost.
Ex--Counsellor Hugh r. Riley offered
an amendment which pledges the citi-
zens to redeem the private holdings at
par-S5o-or better. This was adopt
ed. The resolution submitted by ex-
Mayor Claude, as amended by Mr..
Hugh r. Riley, was adoptedDand reads
as follows:
"We, the people, assembled in mass
meeting, respectfully petition your
honorable Board, the City Council, to
endeavor to prevent the sale of State s
stock in the Annapolis Water Com
pary of private individuals or corpora
tions, with view for the city to Sc
cure a controlling interest for the use,
benefit and improvement of the city,
and in order that from time to time,
as opportunity offers, the city may
secure the entire stock, and further,
that f the city cannot secure it for the
benefit of the entire public, to en-
deavor to get the State to retain it's
stock, provided, that if the State shall
sell its holdings to the City of Annap-
oils, the city will offer to purchase
individual holdings at par or better. +"
A resolution endorsing the action
of the City Council in petitioning the
Board of Public Works to allow the
City of Annapolis 10 become a pre- :
ferred purchaser or to withdraw the
sale of the stock until later date,
was then adopted. This resolution is
in the form of public petition and
was signed by large number of those
present.
Quite a number in favor of the SUBJ
ject left the hall without signing and
in order for them to have the oppor-
tunty to do so, together with all other
citizens interested, copies are at The
Capital office, the City Council Cham
ber, K. ]. Strange & Co., and w. H.
Thomas & Co.
Every one interested in the subject
that does not desire the water supply
of Annapolis to go into the hands of a
private monopoly, should sign the Pc
titions. Do not think that your name
will not have weight. The longer the
petition and the more people back of
it, the better the chance for a success
full campaign. This is the peoples
fight, and as you must use water, en-
courage those that are working for
you as we'll as themselves. Sign at
once and get YOUR friends to sion too