The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-13
E. M. Campfield Says That
City Should Take Steps in
Awarding Or Rejecting
Bid Now Before Board.
BELIEVES NEW LAW
Is NOT BIG HELP
City Attorney Says 1t Would
Be Unlawful TO Reject
Present Bid Unless Ser
vice Is Unsatisfactory.

E. NJ. Campfield. local representa-
tive of a large eastern engineering
company stated todss that the E. NJ.
Campfield company will submit bid
for the franchise TO furnish the people
of Richmond with water il the Public
Utilities act provides for the readver-
tisement of bids or in case the board
of works rejects the bid of the Rich
mond City Water Works. He stated
that A. c. Lindemuth, attorney for the
f. NJ. CampHeld company is at India
napolis today securing legal advice as
10 what steps to take in making up
the bid and getting il before the city.
Mr.. Campfield stated that he desires
some changes in the city's proposed
franchise before a bid is submitted.
He did not state the nature of these
changes but criticized the action of
the people in condemning the mini
mum rate as fixed in the bid present
ed by the present company.
On Minimum Rate.
1T is unfair that the city should
object to the minimum rate as the
Richmond City Water Works has
fixed it," stated Mr.. Campfield. The
city has a minimum rate of so cents
a month for electricity, although the
people of the city are paying for the
city light plant and paying the taxes
on the money which they hold.
Should the city complain on a min
imum rate for water of As cents per
month to the smallest consumer" he
asked.
He stated that the minimum rate
in the bid which he had prepared. but
did not present to the board of works.
was 80 cents per month but that he
was of a different opinion now and
believed that 80 cents per month was
too low for the minimum rate with
the advantages of addition fire protec-
tion and the improvements which the
proposed franchise and contract de-
mand.
Before making up our bid" said
Mr. Campfeld. I'VE investigated the
insurance rates and found that with
the addition FIRE protection and other
improvements which the new contract
demands, the insurance companies
would lower the rates of insurance
here at least ten per cent which is
worth more to the people of the city
than lower minimum rate would be.
foolish to Wait"
"The city is foolish for not taking
some steps in awarding or rejecting
the contract No harm can be done
now in awarding ii and IL it is reject
ed. other companies as the Z. NJ. Camp
ffnl hn
chise. 1t should not be left hanging
in the air as il is. / think that City
Attorney Bond is right in his state
ment that the rates of the Public Util-
tiles commission can not be put into
effect for about four or five years.
The most expert lawyers In the coun-
try are now at work trying to see IL
the act is constitutional and legal.
"If the commission should order q
corporation TO open its books for i'm
spection and the lawyer of the corpor-
alton found loopholes in the act. the
corporation would refuse the commits
sion access to the books and a law
suit would follow. / believe that the
law will have to be tested in the high
est courts before the commission can
thdhse IdtSS Ol puDllG stTflCe COIpOI-
ations.
we would buy the Richmond City
Water Works out in a minute II we
could. II we should be so fortunate as
TO get the franchise. the law will pro-
tect US on that. IL will take a mil
lion dollars to finance this thing and
we are taking that matter up with
eastern capitalists.
Some immediate action should be
taken towards getting the new water
main from the pumping station to the
city as the present main is insufficient
should large conflagration break out
Rejection Unlawful.
City Attorney Bond stated today
that the city would not be justified in
rejecting the bid which the Richmond
City Water Works presented for the
franchise. The water works company
is serving the city satisfactorily as far
as the present franchise demands and
by the new contract a new main is re-