The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-05-18
ASK FOR MOTOR PUMP
City Suggests That water Company
Buy Fire Engine.

cShdIOOSd CITY z COuHSll, mas asked
: the Peoples Water Company to fur
nish the town with a motor operated
pump. .....
Attorney James A. Dewitt, Superln.
tendent Charles J. Fox and II. S.
Howard Of the Peoples Water Com
pany personally came before the city
council Monday evening to seek pay
ment of the rentals due the company
from the city for hydrant service
The moneys have been withheld by
THE city council and payment refus-
ed on the ground that the company
has not been fulfilling the terms of
its franchise in falling to give re-
CURED pressure at fires.
Mr.. Dewitt represented that the
company is in need of this money to
meet current expenses, that they
have not even been able to pay their
taxes, now past due, and asked that
the money due the company from the
city be. paid.
Council members present took a re-
cess for consultation in committee,
room and returning to the council
chamber presented the following
proposition to the Water Company
representatives:
Oskaloosa, owa, May Is, 1916.
To the Peoples Water Company:
In as much as there has been a
question OF the payment of the water
rents on the part of the City Of Oska-
loosa, to the Peoples Water Company
under the terms OF the latter's con
tract as evidenced by the franchise
heretofore granted, the City of Os.
kaloosa makes the following PROPOSE
ton to the said Water Company: -.
If the Peoples Water Company
will purchase a motor driven pump
for the use of the City of .Oskaloosa,
same to be used by the City for the
purpose of fighting fires and for the
of bringing the water press
ure up to the contract provisions rel
alive thereto, Nthe said City will re-
lease and pay over the water rentals
which the Peoples Water Co have
forfeited for failure to furnish press
ure and will release the said Water
Company from liability on its con
tract for iyts failure to furnish the
prescribed pressure for fire protec-
ton at all first alarm fires Said
pump to be Of sufficient capacity TO
bring said pressure up to the provis.
ions of said franchise. Said pump
to be the property Of the said Water
Company but to be under the control
and supervision of the said City.
o. Upon the adoption of the PROPOSE.
ton the vote stood three for and
three against, one pember, Penders,
being absent and Mayor Harold be-
ing given the deciding voice, voted |
aye and the proposition was adopted |
Mr. Dewitt informed the council
hat the Water Company was neither |
nor lebally obligated to the |
City of OskaloOsa to do anything of
this character and that il this was l
the sentiment Of the council the COM '
Dany would take the necessary steps |
in law to protect their rights He
stated that the Water Company is
and has been furnishing adequate
fire pressure as measured by the /
,erms of the franchise.
Talks We're made by Messrs. Fan |
,her Mendenhall, Snyder and Bell Of
he council Mr.. Fansher and Mr.. |
Mendenhall stated that If they were !
wrong they were willing to acknowl-
edge their error if so shown, and |
NOllu WlllIHSig NOLC W pay lllt |
amount due the company, but they |
believed they were right and desired |
o have the proposition tested out.
The statement of Fire Chief |. II. !
" cCracken was also called for.
Mr.. Fancher desired TO know If !
he company would object to a test
If the question as to whether or not f,
hey were furnishing adequate pres
ure for fires and test was asked
or by the city.
This test is for the company, to |
brow four streams of water from
,ne-inch nozZles through fifty feet of
lew two and a half inch fire hose, at /
ached to hydrants at the four corn
RS of the square and maintain the
our streams one hundred and TWEEN +
y feet horizontally or. eighty foot
critical streams.
Mr.. Fox who made a statement !
the property he repre-
ents and the service being given the
ity statedthat he would takeup the
ubject with his company. Oskalcosa
ity has recently received five hun
red feet of new hose and fire Chief I
was ordered to obtain
he necessary four, one-inCh nozzle !,
euuired for the test.