The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-05-21
DISCUSS
HOPES AND FEARS
Of MUNICIPAL
OWNERSHIP
Council Hearing on Water
Supply Question Last Night
Shows Considerable In
crease In Attendance.
CITIZENS PROPOSE TO
R THE PROPERTY
Think Canvass of City Will
Show What Water Com.
pany Earns and It's Expense
Under Present Franchise.

GENERAL and insistent desire on the
part OF the public. as made evident
at the hearings before the council.
I" learn What the earnings Of the
water company aro has led To the
Shaping ~ plans for q survey Of the
company's business designed to show
the amount Of money II takes in and
the expense "a which II r. nut in de-
hVering water ard maintaining the
plant A. D. McMlllcn. president and
owner OF the water has
stated To council that his book. are
not open 20 the public. bat the citi.
zcna buCk of the movement tn take
the survey think they have means 90
secure the hgurcs necessary to IlNo
thcm an accurate idea Of what the
company Is now earning
The plan was laid before MAYOR
h"hiright today hy Clydo TiuElcy. A.
" proposed To- anvass the cts house
by house, and get "a statement from
every consumer regarding the bills
received from tho "A
many 81 the bills as can De secured
VIII be taken Tho canvass will Dee
taken after the people have been
asked o. save their bills Tor the cur
rent month.
WIZ Ash Council to Pas IgiII.
~ was stated today hy those be-
mind the movement for q survey that
data ON the eXponsoa Of the ompany
are o~htainublc The planners Of tho
Investigation are confident that they
chn assemble figures that viii show
as accurately as AN examination ui
the books just about what n costs
the water company 10 furnish tn,
s%crvir, and what 10 makes.
Council viii probably bee asked Co
appropriate 500 for the rost of the
survey. ~ is figured thut tI5 q ward
VIII cover the expense of the canvass
u % ease where % pronounced
siandpattcr who refuses Co state what
his Wutcr bills are b. encountered the
house wIll bee put boa the $3.50 class.
which viii prccrnt any Injustice To-
the company iu totalliuE tho gross
receipts.
Al last nights hearing before uuuu-
gu, the third iu the weekly series,
~" attendance was larger than 90
either oi tho previous ones The uut-
standing feature Of the meeting wus
t vote ON tho question Of municipal
ownership
CA Municipal Ownership.
Twenty eft hose present declared
In favor Ut O. municipal plant Less
than half f. dozen voted in the mega
tive.
Louis MrRuc was one OF those who
voted against NJ o.. iic said he was
not in favor 81 city ownership n n
satisfactory franchise couid ho pro-
vidcd CLYDE Tingley said he took
the same position.
one point ~ importance from the
viewpoint Of those OPPOSED To the
franchise suggested hy Mr. McMiilcn
was brought QUA by Mayor Boatright.
The mayor asked MIR McMillen who
was present to answer questions u h
hve cents O. gallon 10 oo paid hy the
city under the proposed franchise
wouldn't offset the reduction la hy-
drant reutal' Mr.. MrMillen said he
thought b. would.
A. "a matter % statistical fact. 40
city clerk Hughes afterward pointed
out The water charge would exactly
equal the hydr3nt reduction, The re-
du'iIHu iu hydrant rental On the first
100 hydrauts. from 500 tn $50 u year
amounts 20 $500. The city uses
4, 500, 600 gallons "a month, tho rity
clerk stated, and at Q cents "a thou
sand monthly the charge would
amount to $500.
g. T.. Reeves. who has had charge
of two municipal plants, asserted thai
municipal oW nership was the only
answer 10 Alhuquerque's water prob
lem. He knew Of no city he said
tina, was more fayorahly situated