The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-21
IN CONTROVERSY
 BOWIE SAYS SELL, :. ISALL HT---bUT
Local Attorney Attempts to Explain Matters of Gen. eral Interest-Says Sec
 Ond Election Possible

l sydney J. Bowie local attorney. taking
 issue with John N. Sibey on the jus tice in coupling the question of municipal ownership with the candidates of an in- dividual, writes the following long state ment to the editor Of The Age Herald: l Any communication from Mir. John N. Sibley is entitled to serious and respectful consideration. Mir Sibley IS gentleman of whose public spirit there is ample proof and of which there can be no question. Mr Sibley, it seems, however. has fallen into the error which he asks the city cofnmis- sion to avoid in his open letter ad- dressed to MT. Ward a few days ago. Mir Sibley opposes undue haste and makes certain statements which indi- cate that he has been guilty of the error from which he seeks to save the commission. MT. sibley says
 "T think a large majority of our people believe that the city should own its waterworhs plant both from the standpoint of efficiency and economy for itself and the citizens but in mat ter of such magnitude and importance it is a safe plan 10 make haste slow ly,' and not be guilty of 1eap in the dark.
 MT. Sibley has evidently himself made the mistake of overlooking the fact that the waterworks company has absolutely refused to make a price upon it's plant prior to 1921, at which time, as it's franchise in the old city will then expire. the people of Birming ham will be at it's mercy as t6 price and terms. All that the Birmingham Waterworks company wants is that ac- ton be delayed until such time as that lit will be too late.
 Agrees With Sibley
 T thoroughly agree with MT. Sibley that it would be a wise thing to buy the present city waterworks if a price reasonable and fair could be obtained.
 Ut l am not willing to wait to lock the barn door until after the horse has been stolen. l am not willing to wait until such time as that 1t will be im- Possible for the city to build com peting plant and leave our people to the tender mercies of the waterworks Icompany. Inasmuch that company
 has absolutely refused to name any price at this time there seems to be no rational method for the city to pur- sue, except to go ahead with the au- thorization of the bonds
 | "Of course. We should expect the lcommission to exercise due discretion as toNthe commencement of actual work on the new plant and as to the sale of the bonds. If we cannot trust the commission, a majority of whom we will have ourselves elected, and the third one of whom has the entire con fidence of our whole community, whom can we trust in such matter? Ger t-. h. 1 q. t.&,~ works corporations, for 1t is an inter-
 ested party. Clearly we should vote the issue of bonds as authorized by the action of the commission at it's meet ing on the 18th inst, and having done so, the commission should. and no doubt will. take the necessary time to make a-full and careful investiga on and survey of the whole matter. know ing that the majority of the people is behind them.
 Second Election Possible
 'If when the wishes of the people
 have been fully made known in an elec- tion the significance of which cannot be doubted. the waterworlxs company is then willing to reconsider it's de- clared intention of making no offer of a price on its plant, and will then make an offer which is fair and req sonable to the community as well as to itself then l doubt not that the commission will give serious consider ation thereto, and if in their Judgment lit is fair, they will submit that prop losition to the people for ratification or. rejection. The authority to issue bonds Tn that event will merely put the commission on terms of equality with the waterworks company in the negotiation of trade and certainly nothing short of this would be fair or reasonable.
 If, upon the other hand, the water works company still refuses to make an offer on It's plant, 1t would be the | duty of the commission, under the di- rect mandate to the people to go for ward with the movement to build inew waterworks plant, to the end that the people shall not be remediless and at the mercy of the present company when it's contract expires in 1921. | q have no doubt that 1t would be en- | tirely feasible to put a new plant in op- eration even earlier than 1921. l have no doubt, as reported by Mr. Kendrick. the city engineer, that the prices could be reduced to the public cne-l,alf and at the same time the city would have large balance in it's private account, after al lowing for depreciation and taxes, which are now collected.
 l Municipal Ownership Grows
 
 the United States are now under mu- | nicipal ownership, and the number is T constantly growing. The idea that d l necessity so great IS that of water should be controlled by a private monopoly and that it should be allowed indefinitely to !, continue prices to community of near l 100000 people, which pric ss were fixed Tn | 1888 for a community of about 20,000 peo- I pie, and which were high then. Is simply preposterous.
 "The exorbitant price charged for water in the city of Birmingham has had a di- | rect and prejudicial effect dpon our pros- l perity. It has enhanced the cost of living,
 and, without regard to the merits Of the
 present controversy between the city and the waterworks company, it Is certainly the duty of the commission to take steps as early as possible within the city's
 own legal rights to protect itself and the public from the continuance anc
 maintenance of a monopoly which charges
 on an average something like twice as much <as that charged the citizens il
 communities of like size in the United States
 The city now has an appeal pending in the supreme court from the decision of Judge Crow. If the appeal in thai case should be determined favorably tt the city. the franchise of the Birming ham waterworks here Will be declared forfeited. It is thus of the highest ncs- to grant to the city the necessary au.
 thority to deal with this situation. Delay will only play into the hands of the water --1~-