Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-02-25
MAYOR WINS FIGHT
FOR WATER SYSTEM
Continued from Page One.) q

(COntlnueQ from rage One.) rri
effected by the city administration,
with the consent of the city council,
between the city and the water COM
pany on the following terms and con-
ditions: =
"The city to pay into court $1O2,-
500 and obtain a clear abstract title
to the entire plant. This means that
the water company must pay its
$4,000 back taxes; that it must pay
its Swantown box sewer assessment
of about $780,; that it must pay
back the trust fund covering water
meter charges, amounting to about
$1,000, to the city; that it relin-
pushes whatever improvements and
connections it made in the water sys-
tenn within the last twelve months,
and that the city have possession at
once and collect the March water
rentals.
ut must not be understood that
this $1O2,50O is all the plant will cost
US, because we must add to this sum
the cost of the trial above stated,
$4,994.4S, also the fees of Mr..
Shorts as attorney in conenction with
the bonds litigation and transfer, in
Of New York City, $4,000; printing
Of bonds and expenses herewith,
$242: cost of three special elections
In connection with water works prop
osition, $1,348.31, q total of $113.-
0S4.79. OF this $113.084.79 the sum
of $4,994.48 and the sum Of $1.34S.31
were paid out of the general fund of
the city, but 1t is not more than right
and proper that the water department
should and must repay the general
fund this $6.342.79. and there is a
further sum of $6,023.67 which was
advanced out of the general fund last
summer to pay for the water mains
and connections and labor in the
paving districts of South Main street.
Maple Park, Seventeenth street,
Columbia street, Water street, Four
teenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth, Twen-
tieth street and the alley between
Eighteenth and Nineteenth between
Main and Water, Franklin street,
East Fourth street and Puget street.
"This $6,023.67 Is now assessed
against the local districts and should
and must be returned to the general
fund, either by the people getting the
direct benefit or by the water depart
ment assuming 1t and reimbursing
itself out of the district in a way to
be determined by the city council that
may be satisfactory all around.
"a close examination of the above
figures will show that we are within
the rules laid down by the courts In
handling this proposition and while
nominally the total runs above the
$4,000 mark, in reality 1t does not
because $12,366.46 of the sum total
is now paid out and charged against
our general fund and the earnings OF
the water department will take care
of this during the 10 months remain
ing in 1916. and when January LIST,
1917, arrives our general fund will
be in excellent shape; our floating
debt will be below the 100000 mark
in place Of $4,000 three years ago,
and the water department Will be
able to take care of itself.
"Thes administration is fully alive
to the fact that very close business
methods will be needed to pull the
water works through this year. be-
cause we must in addition to paying
back into the general fund of the
above sums also provide for $500
interest, besides paying running ex-
penses, but we will do 1t.
while we will have to delay a !
good many permanent improvements
needed in our water system until
next season, we will do what Is
urgent and the very best we can to
kive good service and improve con-
ditions as fast as possible.
II desire to congratulate the people
of Olympia on the acquisition of the
water works as municipally-Owned
utility and time will tell that 1t 10
the best investment ever made by the ,
city, and in the next thirty years 1t
will be worth i've times what 1t costs
~ today"