The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-08-25
WOULD HAVE CITY
EMPLOY AN EXPERT
To Check Up The Items of
The Maury Water
Works Valuation.
PREPARE FOR A FIGHT
Commercial Club to Take an
Active Part in Water
Rates Case.
As Richmond was the pioneer city

AS Richmond was the pioneer city
of Indiana in the fight for cheaper
gas so will it be for cheaper water.
While the gas case covered several
points which the commission had not
yet touched upon, the water works
question will cover the most import
ant and vital of all of the points which
must be determined by any public ser
vice commission, the question of val
uation.
The case of the city against the
Richmond City Water Works will be
the first of its kind to come before the
commission, and consequently the &C
tons of the city and the rulings of the
commission will be watched with in
terest by other cities in the state.
Will Ask for Expert.
While it has not yet been dehnltely
decided, it is probable the public ser
vice corporation committee OF the
Commercial club will recommend to
the city officials that an expert be en-
ployed by the city to check up the fig
ures of the Maury report, which was
made at the expense of the city. This
correct and if there are not items in
the Maury report which should not be
included in the actual valuation or the
plant.
At a meeting Of the public service
corporation committee of the CONNER
cial cIb, which was held today at
noon, the question of plans for carry
ing on the fght before the commits
sion was discussed at length, and
while no definite action was taken 1t
was the concensus Of opinion that the
city should employ an expert to as
sist the city attorney and the commit
teen in their fight before the commits
sion.
What Cost Would Be.
1t is estimated that the cost Of an
expert would be in the neighborhood
of 50, 900, but it is argued, that since
the action of the commission will de-
termine the rates for long period of
years, the cost of the expert would be
a saving eventually.
The committee and City Attorney
Bond have not yet completed their
plans for the hearing before the COM
mission, but will probably have all de-
tails arranged inside of two weeks.
In 1909 the city employed d. HI.
Maury, an expert engineer, to make
valuation of the property of the Rich
mond City Water Works, but after 1t
was completed the citizens and some
of the city officials objected to many
of the items which were included in
the report.
A short time ago the company was
required to file tentative report with
the commission and as it took it facts
from the Maury report, showing that
the company is very well satisfied
with the report.
The commission next asked the
company to file a complete report of
it's condition, and the cost of service,
together with other facts which the
commission will need in making de-
cision.
In a statement to the Palladium to-
day, H A. Dill, superintendent of the
company, said that he had not yet
filed the reply and did not know how
soon 1t would be ready.
Commission Handicapped.
The public service commission is
handicapped by not having enough
money to hire competent experts in
compiling data, but 1t was announced
today that the students of Purdue uni
yersity would be used for this pur-
pose. which would reduce the ex-
penses.
The local committee feels that with
inexperienced engineers there would
be doubt about getting the results it
hopes to get before the commission,
and therefore believes the city should
employ a competent engineer to rep
sent the city before the commission,
when the case comes up for hearing.
The value placed on the plant by
Maury was in excess of 100000,
which included going concern of
$4,000; also number of items
which the committee believes should
be greatly reduced If not entirely
eliminated.