Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-15
Intense Interest in AIbuQuer-
que'S Great Problem Ex-
tends Beyond Limits of City,
Discussion Is General,
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
IS STRONGLY OPPOSED
Santa Fe Attorney FayorS
Properly Restricted Fran
chise Looking to Welfare of
People Of All Classes.

The intense interest that is felt in
the question of municipal ownership
Of the waterworks which is now agi-
Eating the people Of Albuquerque has
extended beyond the boundaries of
the city. The Journal yesterday re-
eeived a letter on the subject from
A. Il Renehan, a member of the city
cbuncil of Santa Fe, and also enc
from George Roslington, president of
the traction company. Both writer's
strongly oppose municipal ownership.
Mr.. Roshngtons letter follows;
Editor Morning Journal: | have
read with much interest the article
published in your paper this morn
ing by Mr.. Summers Burkhart, in
which he very ingeniously endea 3ors
to show how the city can go into debt
three or four hundred thousand dol
lars and yet not increase the taxes.
The fault in Mr.. Burkhart's argu-
ment is that he does not deal in facts,
but in glittering generalitles and pos
sibilities. The tax payers are asked
to vote on a bond issue which pro-
yides for property tax, and wiiit Il
ordinance was, | understand, pre-
pared by Mr. Burkhart himself and
as al inducement to so mortgage their
property are offered the pleasing
prospect that the Legislature, not over
two or three members of which would
have any interest in the matter, VIII
pass an act relieving them Of liability
under the said 100000 mortgage.
Ii is clear that as matter of bus
mess procedure, property owners in
terests would be served best by refus-
ing to pass such an ordinance until
the legislature in its turn had done its
share. The probability Of such bill
being passed after our tax payers had
assumed the liability would be eX-
tremely slim.
Mr.. Burkhart further says that It
is not necessary under the law to levy
taxes to pay interest and create sink
ing funds. If not, why did he insert
such condition in the ordinance.
The fact is that it is necessary
Case of Roswell.
Roswell. which is frequently quoted
as having cheap water on account or
municipal ownership, taxes its prop
erty owners $4,000 annually to pay
interest and sinking fund on its water
bonds, and has never shown any m
clination to charge water rates suffl-
GENTLY high 10 prevent the need uf
this tax and | wonder if any think
ing taxpayer can make himself believe
that any city council, elected largely
by nom property owners, would voiun-
tarily fix water rates sufficiently hieh
to allow $S5, 600 being appropriated
out of the same for the purpose or
relieving property owners from pay
ment which they are obligated TO
make.
Mr.. Rurkhart further tries to show
that the plant can be ACQUIRED, or a
new one can be built for s3OO,VoV
The city engineer reported the cost
Of a new nlant at $4l265O, and II by
no means follows that because the
water plant could have been pur-
chased ten years ago when 1t was
Improbable and almost bankrupt, for
less than it's real value, that it could
now be purchased at any such figure.
Physical values of all kinds of ma =
terials the world over during the last
ten years have increased from thirty
to forty per cent. and no person has
any reason to believe that the city
can buy or build q water plant at u
less figure than Mr.. Gladding's esti-
mate, and if past experience is any
criterion for the future, this estimate
would be exceeded from thirty u
fifty per cent and our water plant
would cost us considerably over the
100000 provided for in the bond
issue
1t is also commented that while
the cost of new construction has been
$4,000 per annum there should be
subtracted therefrom the amount of
depreciation, $4,000, which is not a
fact, the depreciation is offset almost