Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-17
Mr.. WOOlsey Presents More
Views on Water Question

can arrive al equitable franchise rates,
or 4 fair purchase price. There are
specialists who make this their pro-
fesslon. why not employ them? Al
ibuquerque, If it is 10 grow into great
city ana il 1t is to be the mecca OF
! health seekers. must have pure water
in sufficient quantity, It is probably
not generally known that the quality
OF the present water supply has not
been sufficiently investigated to Justify
the assertion that ii is satisfactory 1t
may be satisfactory but we do not
know. il Is necessary, before this
! question can be answered, to have both
la qualitative and cumulative analysis
I by experts As | understand it a quail
/ itatiVe has been made but not guam
iitative. An expert would ang%er this
problem Of quality as well ~ others
which might arise.
/ Personally l have not arrived at
! definite conclusions as to whether II
I would be better to have municipal
/ ownership, new private company or
the old private company It must de-
( pend on circumstances, 1t would be
I fair and logical to first offer the new
franchise TO the present company az
the scale recommended by our expert
If this were refused then we would
have to decide OF appropriate Action.
Expert assistance is necessity in any
case no one can say authorauyly
what rates are .air because we do not
have the facts and figures. If the
problem Is 6oing 20 be solved cor
rcctN. we must realize that besides
expert asslstanle probably a law suit
to determine values Will be Il costly
adjunct. Too often in cases of this
kind. property owners feel that 1t Is
not worth while to investigate; that
"a high or low rate only means fifty
cents q month difference and it is
easier to pay II. 1t seems to me THAI
this aside from being untrue It UNI
American and not worthy Of the
AVERAGE citizen. When one considers
the value Of a franchise for twenty
five wears, the difference between high
and low rates may mean more than
a million dollars. Can't the city afford
TO spend five or ten thousand dollars
to secure facts? Talk of values is
premature until mora Of the facts are
known Very likely the Water Supply
company will show its books to an ex-
pert simply 10 get fair hearing; to
do otherwise would be TO court dis
aster
The writer has III his possession the
name Of one Of the most reliable en-
cheering firms in the United States,
who could furnish a good man at rea-
sonable terms TO study the problem
for the city. The firm in question Is
above rcproach Under date of Feb
ruary Sth, the writer received from
an engineer who was consulted in re-
gard to San Francisco's water supply
and in regard TO the Chicago drainage
.canai-(a man of national reputation
whom the undersigned knows person
.ally)-the following suggestion
Whatever Albuquerque does, don't
allow them TO let a private water COM
pany come IN to supply them with
water That would be fatal--they
would charge high rates and finally
sell to the city at four times the cost
Take the best advice YOU can get, Get
IAN expert, disiuterested. and able to
block ont the lines of your course.
find It difficult to select one for you.
This letter is significant. but not
necessarily conclusive since municipal
ownership under present political con-
.dirons might be unrearable. Then,
too, initial costs are often undercstl-
mated lay amateurs a good many
people feel that the battle is lost
that McAIilleu controls the situation
ana that Albuquerque has little or no
chance. This, 70 my mind, is ridicu-
lous. II the problem can beedivorccd
from politics and the city is willing
TO pay for ~ technical investigation,
the people can secure their equities.
do not use the word win out be-
cause, too often IN controversies OF this
kind. water companies are not treated
fairly. What We want is 10 break
cven--a good old-fashioned square
deal