United labor bulletin., 1914-01-31
Labor Opposes Water Scheme


must carry the burden, for this tax is
added to house rent, to room rent, board
bills and very item in the cost of living.
The scheme of the company primer
Ipally. is in the appointment of the APP
praisers. Should the Water company se-
cure the support of one of the city's ap
praisers to vote with their four for the
RAINING of the ninth member of the
board Denver's four appraisers still coul9
be apparently true to the trust imposed
in them by voting for just valuation
of the water system, and yet the cor
rupt act of selecting in the ninth member
a person known to them to be favorable
to the company would cost the city many
millions of dollars.
Then, again, should the Water COM
pany deadlock in the selection of the
ninth appraiser, said member of the
board would be selected by the Judge OF
the United States supreme court for the
eighth judicial district, who is Judge
Willis Nandeventer.
SHOULD the arbters fix an unreason
ably high value land your committee be-
lieves it is safe in saying it will, i:
/
refuse to vote the bonds necessary to
purchase the plant. and the Water com
pany mayA collect its exorbitant tax for
water for twenty years. at which time
the city MUST purchase at the value
fixed by a packed board.
People Given No Show.
Since the Water company has named
all of the eight appraisers in the pro-
posed contract with the city. it is GER
tainly fair to say that the Water com
pany felt safe in its position in doing so.
The elected representatives of the people
had nothing to do with making the pro-
posed contract or in writing the amend
ment to the city charter. and to adopt
them would he giving our very birthright
to those who will keep us in bondage and
collect from us an unreasonable and an
unjust tax for another twenty years.
Municipal ownership should be se-
cured by purchase. should the company
set a reasonable price on the plant;
otherwise anew plant should be built
ut once.
The Retail association scheme Will not
settle the water question In case the
Retail association plan should carry at
the polls. and after appraisement the
city should elect not to purchase. We
would probably have continual agitation
and a proposition for purchase coming to
the. city every six months.
1T shouldNbe patent to everyone that
the proposed scheme would not reduce
water rates, yet the Retail association is
deliberately deeeiving the people by say.
ing in their advertisements that if you
want your water rates reduced vote for
the adoption of the amendment and con-
tract.
Stand for Municipal Ownership.
''If the Denver Trades and Labor As
sembly were to recommend the adoption
of the proposed plan. it would not he
true to the people it represents. 1t is I,
part of the constitution OF the Assembly
that we stand for municipal ownership of
public utilities, and the only way to get
municipal ownership OF our water syster,
is to vote down the proposed amendment
and contract, and allow the consummu.
ton of our ideals to remain in the hands
of those men who we believe have been
answering in their duty to the public
eve recommend that the proposed Re
tail association scheme be condemned.
and that the Trades aud Labor Assembly
call upon the laboring people of the city
to vote against both the charter amend
ment and the contract.
"Your committee further recommends
that the salient points OF this report be
embodied in circular to be sent to every
labor organization in the city. organized
and unorganized. said circular letter to
be compiled, printed and mailed by your
legislative committee"