Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-02-13
TO AMEND CHARTER
Counselor Melvin Introduces Bill
to Amend Charter of Annap-
oils Water Company.
SAYS Mr.. DOUW is BIASED.
Monthly Meeting OF the Mayor and
City Council ciI-DeIail of Business
Transacted Eastport Wants
to be Annexed.

TO be Annexed.
At the regular monthly meeting
] of the Mayor and City Council. held
| last night. q full Board being pres
ent. much business was transacted,
and it was lengthy business ses-
sion.
! During the progress of the meet
ing, City Counselor Ridgely p. Mel
vim introduced proposed bill TO be
4 introduced in the Legislature. enti
I tied an act to amend the charter of
! the Annapolis Water Company as
said charter was enacted by Char ar
1913 of the bills of the General AS
sembly of Maryland of 1866, extending
the powers of the said company to
hold real and personal estate providing
for the managemnt of said company
by board of directors, and making
other changes in the charter, which
was approved. Also empowering
the Mayor and City Counselor and
Aldermen>to borrow 500, 900 and is
sue bonds for the payment for the
stock of the Annapolis Water Com
pany and to operate the same, which
was approved.
The following resolution was adopt
ed to be presented with the bill:
Resolved, BY the Mayor, Counselor
and Aldermen of the City of Annap-
oils, that the accompanying bills sub
mitted by the Counselor proposing
amendments to the charter of the An
napolis Water Company, and for the
issuing of bonds whereby to raise
funds for paying for the capital
stock Of the Annapolis Water Com
pany, are hereby approved, and the
Senator and Members of the House of
Delegates from Anne Arundel county
are respectfully requested to secure
the enactment of the said bills into
laws as soon as practicable, and
Resolved further, that certified
copy of the aforegoing resolution be
appended to the said bills when deliv-
cred to said Senator and members of
said House of Delegates.
Much discussion pertaining to the
question of the city owning its water
stock transpired during the meeting.
The following letter was read:
Annapolis, Md. 9th February, 1912.
To the Mayor, Counsellor and Alder
men of the City of Annapolis.
Gentlemen:
The undersigned as a committee on
behalf of the individual stockholders
have already notified you that they
have selected Col. Johl A. Tompkins
as arbitrator in the matter of valuing
the Water Company stock.
They have been informed by the
Mayor, that although your Honorable
Body has not already definitely select
ed your arbitrator under the proposed
plan of arbitration, that you have
been considering the name of Mr.. John
dep. Douw, as such arbitrator on
behalf of the city,
Wesdeem it our duty. earnestly to
protest against the selection of Mr..
Douw, for the following reasons: In
the first place. MIR. Douw is a water
consumer, and one who has been advo-
eating the acquisition by the city of
the Water Company stock; he is one
who is more or less biased and preju-
diced in his views on the subject.
Whilst not member of your Honor
able Body, he was one of those who
has acted on your behalf, as commit
tee, in the purchase of the State
stock, and in arranging its details.
Therefore, he does not occupy that un-
biased, impartial and open-minded
position which such an arbitrator
should have.
In the second place he has taken
what we consider very radical posi-
tion in opposition to the views of the
individual stockholders upon this
whole subject, and has expressed
them both in the public press, and
orally; the last occasion being in op-
position to the whole scheme of arbi-
tration now adopted, when the indi-
vidual stockholders had the conference
with your Honorable Body, and when
the resolutions providing for the arbi-
tration were adopted.
We consider Mr.. Douw so abso.
lutely biased and committed in his
opinions on the whole subject, that
we deem it our duty to protest against
| his election as the arbitrator in this
| business.
Very respectfully,
]. WRIT RANDALL,
ELIHU S. RILEY,
NICHOLAS H. GREEN.
HARRY ]. HOPKINS.
JAMES NJ. MUNROE,
Committee, Etc.
The Council ordered the followin,
answer to be addressed to the gentle
men who indicted the foregoing let
ter:
Annapolis, Nd, Feb. II, 1912.
Messrs. J. Writ Randall, Elihu S
Riley, Nicholas 81. Green. Harry ]
HOPKINS, James NJ. Munroe. -
Gentlemen:
By direction of the Mayor, Counselo
and Aldermen of the City of Anapo
lis. I write, on its behalf. to acknowl
edge the receipt of your communica
tion of the 9th inst, protestin
against the selection of Mr.. John DEF
Douw as the arbitrator on the part O
said municipal corporation in the mat
ter of valuing the stock OF the AnnaT
oils Water Company and to transml
the following reply to said commun
cation. Under the plan of arbitratio