The Republican journal., 1919-10-09
THE BELFAST WATER DISTRICT

lie Incorporation OF w ateT DlSlTlCl
is not novelty. There are great many
of them in the United States and there
are several in the State of Maine Our
last legislature granted the privilege of
incorporation to six, of which the Belfast
Water District is one, and last Friday the
voters of our city accepted it.. This is
charter tells us what must be done further
and is as follows:
can the affairs of said district shall be
managed by a board of trustees, COM
posed of three members, who shall be
elected by the city council of the city of
Belfast annually, on the third Monday of
March, or as soon thereafter as con-
veniently may be; but the first board of
trustees may be elected by said city coun-
Gil at any time after the acceptance of
this act. AS soon as convenient after
members of said board have been chosen,
said trustees shall hold a meeting and
organize by the election of a chairman
and clerk, adopt a corporate seal, and
when necessary, may choose a treasurer
and all other needful officers and agents
for the proper conduct and management
of the affairs of said district. They may
also ordain and establish such bylaws as
are necessary for their own convenience
and the proper management o. the affairs
of said district. At said first meeting the
trustees so elected shall determine by lot
the term of office of each trustee so that
one trustee shall retire each year and
whenever the term of office of trustee eX-
pires his successor shall be elected by said
h. l.
dinate officers of said city are elected I'M
der its charter. The trustees so elected
shall serve the full term of three years;
and in case vacancy arises in the mem
bership of the board of trustees, it shall
be filed in like manner for the uneXpred
term. Said trustees may procure an office
and incur such expenses as may be neces-
sary The chairman shall be the execu-
tive officer of said board and receive a
salary of TWO hundred dollars per year in
full compensation for his services, the
other two members of said board shall
receive a salary of fifty dollars each per
year At the close of each fiscal year the
trustees shall make det allied report OF
their doings. Of the receipts and expendi-
lures of said water district, of its financial
and physical condition and of such other
matters and things pertaining to said dis
trict as shall show the inha bitants of said
district how said trustees are fulfilling the
duties and obligations of their trust, such
reports to be made and filed with the mu-
nicipal officers of the city of Belfast on or
before the first day of March of each year
The report of said trustees shall be print
ed in the annual report of said city,"
After the City Council has appointed
bair
board has been completed and seal has
been adopted and obtained, the Belfast
Water District will be competent to do
business The purchase of plant at the
price of $160, 900 would be but trifle for
the United States, but for municipality
no larger than the city Of Belfast it is a
business venture of such magnitude that
initial mistakes might delay if not prevent
a satisfactory result. In the selection of
the trustees there should be no favoritism,
no partlsanship. The men chosen should
be business men VINO have made their
own business a success. They should
also be men who have civic or municipal
patriotism in such high degree, that they
will give to the Belfast Water District
the wisdom and attention which their
own affairs have received. We believe
there are men in this city who can make
the purchase and administration of the
affairs Of the Belfast Water District to
the advantage of the city But it must
not be forgotten that the trustees must
have the support of our citizens while the
initial problems are being solved We
must not expect the water district to
have an Immediate era Of great prosper
ity, and we must each be patient and
work with the trustees.