The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-05-13
Bond Says Formal Com
plant to Be Made Against
Water Rates Should Be
Filed With Commission.
CHANGES WILL BE
MADE IN THE CODE
Reading of Proposed Build
ing Ordinance Not Com
pleted At Special Session
of City Council.

At the special meeting of city coun-
Gil last night, City Attorney Bond pre-
sented the water works situation to
the councilmen and asked that action
towards making formal complaint
against the rates of the company be
taken at the regular meeting next
Monday night.
Mr. Bond stated that he had issued a
call for citizens who objected to the
rates to come forward and be signers
to formal complaint. Although many
persons advocated the plan and ex-
pressed favorable views on this meth
cd of securing hearing of the public
utilities commission on the question,
only two persons expressed their will
lingness to sign the protest. The law
requires that there must be at least
ten signers.
The Richmond City Water Works
yesterday filed formal notice, releas-
ing it's franchise and contract with the
city and taking in lieu of an indetermi-
nate permit. A copy of this instru-
ment was filed according to law with
the public utilities commission and
the city clerk.
In accepting the indeterminate per-
NIT, the company is held to have con-
sented to a future purchase of the
plant by the city. In SO doing, it also
releases all rights of requiring the nec-
essity of such a purchase to be etsab-
lished by jury. The utilities commits
sion law provides that the city may
purchase the plant with the consent OF
the commission and no condemnation
proceedings are necessary to make
the purchase should the holders in the
company refuse to consent to the sale.
The city may issue bonds amounting
to per cent of it's taxable property
for the purchase of such a plant.
Mr.. Bond asked that council take
complaint against the rates of the wa
ter works company. There is no use al
lowing this thing to hang in mid air
any longer" he said. ''By next Monday
night, each member of council should
| have formed some definite plan or op-
inion on the matter and decided whetfl-
er or not formal complaint shall be
sent to the public utilities commits
| sion.
Il do not feel that should take the
responsibility in this matter as it has
been one of general complaint from
the citizens through the council. A de-
cision of the commission on the rate
may be favorable to the consumers
and it may not be. If the citizens want
hearing on the matter by the COM
mission, council should make formal
protest against the water rates.
81 believe that the city could draw
up a complaint embracing every rate
for every service furnished by the
water works company. In this way the
commission could take the entire mat
ter in hand and while some of the
rates may be too high, others may be
found to be too low. This would not be
known until the commission made it's
final report The complaints should be
sent soon as similar complaints from
other cities will be made within a
short time.
Changes In Code.
A few minor changes were made in
the building code, the reading of
| WHICH, was hOI SOAhplctcu ne ISduihS
will be completed Monday night. 1t
will be several weeks before any ae-
ton can be taken on the code.
Many of the councilmen are not in
favor of the proposed building ordi.
nance and state that they will probab.
ly vote against it. They claim that it
is too stringent for city of Rich.
mond's size. The general opinion is
that the code will be defeated
Speeders in City.
An informal discussion of the viola
tions of the automobile and motorcy
Gle speed limit law was held. Mem
bers of council contend that the police
are not enforcing the speed limit but
the police say that it is impossible tc
Iprosecute such a violator unless posi-
tive proof can be furnished that the
driver of an automobile has been ex