Norwich bulletin., 1912-01-16

Judge William F. Henney of Hart
ford and Attorney J. F. Carpenter Of
this city, counsel for the city Of Put
nam, appeared before Judge William
H. Williams of Derby, q judge Of the
superior court, in chambers in Rock
vile, Monday, and presented the appli-
cation Of the city of Putnam for the
appointment of a commission to APP
praise the value Of the plant and prop
erty of the Putnam Water company,
rendered to the city in accord with the
special act of the general assembly of
1905, providing for the establishment
Of system Of water works for the
city of Putnam.
Judge Williams appointed January
27 at 1890 o'clock in the superior court
at New Haven as the time and place
for the hearing. It is understood that
the firm Of Searls & Russell and
Boston attorney will represent the Put
nam Water company.
The action taken Monday forecasts
the taking over of the water company's
plant and property by the city, which
will make its first venture in munich
pal ownership of public utility. Pro-
ceedings leading up to the present step
have been under way for some time,
| but the parties-the city and the water
principals in the impending
| property transfer, have failed to agree
! up to the present time on all matters
| pertaining to the sale.
The water company has heretofore
rendered to the city its plant and
| property, fixing the value of the same
| at 100000. The local board Of water
| commissioners. Eugene A. Wheelock, J.
| F. Carpenter and Augustus l. Morse,
| on behalf of the city offered for the
nj MT oh
| than the price asked by the Putnam
| Water company. This offer,it is beiev-
! ed. was based on the value fixed on the
| plant and property by expert engineers
| employed by the water board to ap-
! praise the property. What the engi-
neers' figures were have not been CIV
| en- out, and will not become generally
| known until they are given as testi-
mony in the hearings that will follow
! the appointment of the commission, the
| personnel of which viii also not be
made known for some time.
Under the special act OF the legisla-
ture permitting the city Of Putnam to
| acquire a water works 1t was provid-
| ed that the Putnam Water company
| should have a right to tender to the
| city its plant and property, and that
! the city take 1t as just and equitable
| value. The parties being so far apart
| as to the terms of the transfer that it
| would be necessary to have q. long and
exhaustive trial of the issues present
ed, it has been decided by the city to
make application, as was done Mon
| day, for the appointment Of a commits
sion.
The first official action toward TAX
ing advantage Of the special legisla-
! tive act allowing the city to own and
operate a water works system was
taken September 6. 1910, wheE at a
special meeting of the common coun-
ell, called for that purpose, 1t was vot-
ed that a special city meeting be held
on September 27, 1910, to vote on the
proposition that the city establish and
operate water works as provided for
on the special act alluded to, the vot-
ers at that city meeting recording
| themselves in the majority as favor
ing the city's acquiring the Putnam
Water company's property.
October %, 1910, also in accordance
with the terms of the legislative act
the Putnam Water company rendered
it's property to the city and filed with
the city clerk detailed schedules as to
it's holdings.
The conferences that have followed
between the representatives of the city
and the representatives of the water
company have moi resulted in an
agreement, so the commission asked
for Monday comes next, for, under the
terms Of the special act, the city must
take the water works system now, but
what it will be called upon to pay fol-
II no man can say at this time.