The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-04-05

Such Is Estimate Of Light Ind Water Plant
According to Figures suhnIttsd BY
Burns & Mcconnell.

OUuUS w WsVOV"uVuh
c. A. Burns, of the expert engi.
neering firm of Burns & Mcdonnell.
Hams ~ CITY, on the value OF the
plant and holdings of the Virginia
Electric Power & Water Com pany
as submitted TO the council at the
special adjourned meeting on Fri
day evening last was $579,59l.3S.
The report was most voiunl'nou+
covering full 200 pages of typewrit-
ten matter. but was summ ma rlzed for
v,-v digestion, and'Mr. Burns read
to the council and TO many citizens
present the salient features of the
same and the items comprising the
component parts, the physical val
ne of the plants, machinery. build
,nya, wires and water MAINS being
given at $366.O93 96. while the real
estate value a. submitted by body
Of local experts was given as 237,-
1913 ~. making total of $4O4 .692 49,
To this sum is added approximate
engineering charges and going
value, the latter based upon the
earning capacity, bringing the total
amount to the figure named.
The meeting was opened for gen.
er,l discussion, and Mr. Burns
made reply to many questions by
ci,izens regarding the manner in
which he arrived at his figures, and
many were the expressions leading
to~note disappointment on the part
Of the advocates of municipal own
ership Of the plant, which many
had been made to believe could be
acquired at price Of one-half the
figures named. at lea-t.
In reply to questions Mr.. Burns
stated it a \ his belief that the pre--
ent capacity of the plant was about
one million gallons per day, where.
as the requisite needs for an ade-
quate water supply for a city OF
$1,000 he estimated at a million and
a half gallons every twenty four
hours. Manager Grigxs, of the
light and water plant, however, was
present and took exceptions to the
idea, asserting there was plentiful
supply of Water and pressure at all
times. He also stated that in order
to provide for possible future needs
of the city the company had under
consideration the drilling of still
another we'll, but that action there
on had been deferred awaiting the
settlement of the municipal owner
ship question.
Mr.. Burns gave as his opinion
that in Gaze of municipal owner
ship prevailing he should recon-
mend the requirement of the pres
ent plant rather than the building
Of competing plant, and also gave
as his opinion, based upon figures
submitted from the records of the
present company, that a municipal
owned plant might be operated
probably at a 10 per cent reduction
in rates.
The questio n was further ccnsid
cred at the Tuesday evening session
of the council, Mr.. Burns remaining
in the city until then, at which time
the report was formally accepted
and payment made for same.
The report was a surprise to many,
the figures bearing out the figures
submitted IN the report of Engineer
Patterson some months ago and
also the figures submitted by the
light and water com pany tor a sale
of the plant to the CITY, the latter
figures beng $55O,OO cash or $685.
GOO on time. In case of purchase,
however, either on the basis of the
report or on condemnation pro-
ceedings, the bonding OF the city
for large amount will become t,
necessity, and this latter at will
lead to active opposition on the
part OF many taxpayers-nOt only
the larger Taxpayers bu, the small
home owners, as we'll, who desire a
careful analysis Of system hy
which the rates may be reduced
and at the same time care for The
';te-s .r> bonds w,thou, add,tiuna
4 r..os
an he shown, many will vote fav.
urahiy who Will otherwise be-. On,e
Il Sn~u ~ the oppo-itiou ranks
even though desiring n,un.c,, a
ownership under other cund,t,n. s