Norwich bulletin., 1920-04-14
DANIELSON

resolution presented to the annual | borough meeting by Judge M. A. | Shumway Monday evening and havingi to do with the proposal that the warden and court Of bargesses, or 3 | committee to be appointed by them, l confer with a committee of directors | of the Crystal Water company rela- tive to the proposed increase of water rates, in order that advantage be 1 taken of every opportunity to avoid 1 litigation over the matter and in the 1 interest of economy. The text of this resolution. which | was tabled by vote of to 4, until the first Monday in August next follows: Resolved, That the warden and burgesses, or a committee to be ap- pointed by them, are hereby author ized and directed to confer with the directors of the Crystal Water con- pany in an endeayor to settle the mat ters of the proposed increase of water rates and the use and rental of hy- drants for fire service in the borough. l But, however, if the water company 1 shall neglect or refuse to enter into l conference for the purpose named, or shall neglect and refuse to give free 1 access to all of its books of accounts, I it's corporate records, it's plans, sur | Neys and sqnaps. showing the size 1 and location of it's dams and reSer- veirs and all waterpipes belonging to l the company or any documents in the possession of or custody of the com pany to the burgesses or it's commit l tee or legal counsel, or any civil en- l gineers or accountant employed or l designated by the burgesses or it's l committee. then the warden and, the court of burgesses are authorized f0 T1To ooIIto ou iuS Sf "a If 1 water rates before the public utilities 1 commission or the court of the state, ] if necessary, and to expend for the purpose such sums as may be re- quired mot exceeding $2,000 until fur
 ther appropriation is made"
 Il In presenting the resolution Judge Shumway laid particular stress on the fact that he did so not as at
 torney for the water company, not as
 8 director of the company, nor as a
 stockholder of the company, but mere ly as citizen of the borough of Dan ielson and in the interest of bringing about a settlement of the water rates controversy without resort to hearings before the public utilities commission, if this be possible. and from the standpoint of economy in handling n the matter.
 4 Judge Shumway also stated that he
 presented the resolution upon his own
 initiative and without authorization or direction from officials of the Crystal Water company. He did not know how it would be received by the of- flcials of the water company, he said but he believed the court he outlined to be proper one to follow.
 If we believe that the water com pany is profteering we should be will k ing to spend our last dollar to protec' our rights" Judge Shunlway told tn, E meeting, and that it seemed to hin best and least expensive way to ge at the facts pertaining to the watel E company's earnings was to seek sucl
 an arrangement with the company al was provided for in the resolution. In presenting his statement in fave E of the passage of the resolution, Judg Shumway called attention to the fac that there is no certainty that tn borough will be successful in obtain E ing reduction from the propose, E rates even after hearings before tn public utilities commission and possi 5 ble contests in the courts of tn \ state.
 E In presenting the same before tn 2 tribunals that must consider it ther
 are only two questions that rightful B ly can be considered, Judge Shum E way said. "Is the service that tn 2 water company is giving reasonabl z adequate; are the rates which tn E company charges reasonable?"
 Fl Judge Shumway states that tn E public utilities commission has rulet E if his memory served him right, tha E public service corporations were en titled to earn up to 8 per cent. H E called attention to the fact that th 3 board of assessors of the town ( E Killingly has fixed s17o.000 as tn \ taxable value of the companys prop E erty in this town and that the bor
 ough of Danielson cannot with goo E grace represent before the publi z utilities commission that the com
 panys property is worth less tha . that amount. All of these thing
 should be considered before going { y. the commission, Judge Shumway tol tn the meeting, and he also reviewed y his statement the ownership of tl T stock of the company, pointing ol 1n 4 l that bare majority of the share w. are held here. Judge Shumway sal IL he believes that the water compar s is in a position to furnish addition s pressure, if that is required by manl I,e featuring or other interests, and thi = some satisfactory agreement migl re '. be arrived at with the water con
 pany's. officials, through conference, ; o,. provided for in the resolution, as s rates, and that he felt that the pla e outlined was well worth trying. ID Judge Shumway told the meetir A that he owns but two shares of stoi nd of the water company. In considefif ha another phase of the water rates coi se troversy Judge Shumway told u
 meeting that while there may
 some public aninosity toward some
 the /offieials of the water eompaI
 this should not be allowed to blir the citizens of the borough from al = preaching the settlement of the ma D. ter under consideration with opi o1 minds.
 on Following Judge Shumway's exnI Ir. nation of the resolution and his anti
 ipation of what it might achieve, A .er torney D. L. Darbie moved that | ry motion be tabled until the first Mo
 day in August, to which time the a of nual meeting was to be adjourne nd The motion was seconded and put
 who was presiding. The ayes al - nays seemed so evenly divided that A
 torney Harry D. Back doubted [
 vote, declared to be in favor of t
 ayes. A rising vote was ordered \ Warden Boulais and eight voted f
 and four against. There were only
 in the hall
 While no one questioned Jud
 Shumway's absolutee sincerity in pr
 senting the resolution that was tabl,
 there is feeling, it developed afi
 the meeting, that a conference wi
 | yxr1f Or off r