The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-11-23
$4,000 81 OFFER
ON WATER PLANT
IS MADE BY CITY
Resolution Adopted at Meeting
y, Of City Commission Held
Last Night
ATTITUDE is EXPLAINED
Mayor Lucas Says the City
Wants to Treat Water
Company Fairly


An offer Of $225,000 for the plan
If the Bismarck Water Supply com
'any was made by the city commits
lion in resolution adopted att
Meeting last night. The resolutio
vas introduced by COMMISSIONS
Thompson. All members voted TO
The resolution was read at the. op
ming of the meeting of the commits
ion. Following the reading of tn
esolution and an explanation of tn
'ffer by Mayor Lucas a few of tn
core of citizens present expresse
themselves on the water situation
hey were F. 0. Hellstrom, Theodor
>offel and Fred Peterson. The reso
ution containing the offer follows:
Commissioner Thompson intro
duces the following resolution and
moves it's adoption:
Whereas, 1t is to the best in
terests Of the city of Bismarck
that it own and operate it's own
water plant; and r,~@
Whereas, The Bismarck Water
Supply company, corporation of
West Virginia, wants to sell its
water plant in the city of Bis
marck to said city,
Now, Therefore, Be it resolved
by the board of city commission
ers of the city of Bismarck, North
Dakota, that the city of Bismarck
hereby offers to buy (said water
plant in the city of Bismarck from
the said Bismarck Water Supply
company for the sum Of Two Hun
dred Twenty-Five Thousand Dol
lars (S225 100000 payable in I'm
provement Warrants drawing sew
en- (O per cent interest, drawn,
upon water main and water works
district number one of the city of
Bismarck, said warrants being
issued in denominations not to ex-
ceed One Thousand Dollars
(S1,00000), one tenth being pay
able annually in ten annual in
stallments, interest payable an
nually, such Interest being rep
resented by coupons attached. to
said warrants and bearing the
amount OF interest DUE
Be 1t Further Resolved, that the
Bismarck Water Supply company
be and is hereby given until the
18th day of December, 1920. to ac-
cept or reject such offer;
Be 1t Further Resolved, that
this offer is made by the board
of city commissioners of the city'
of Bismarck subject to vote of
the electors Of said city at a spe-
cial election called for that pur-
pose after such offer is accept
ed;
Be 1t Further Resolved, that the
city auditor be and he is hereby
instructed to mail copy of this
resolution to the Bismarck Water
Supply company by registered
NAILS
Mayors Explanation
Mayor Lucas, explaining the city
stand, said that Prof
Ass, of the University of Minnesota
alued the water company's plant a
bout $195,000; Mr.. Wolf, of st. Paul
n engineer employed by the city
alued it at about s1S9,00O; Enginee,
tratton, at about $2OO,0OO; T. R. At
inson, city engineer. $225,0O0, ant
'ngineer Morris. Of the commission
alued it at S225,000 to which he add
d $4,000 or $4,000 for working capi
II and good will. Morris valuatio,
as less sthafiuthat of the railroad
which was $446,O0O.
F. O. Hellstrom did not agree thai
le city's proposal was the right step
.e said there were three steps to be
,ken, first, referendum vote to finr
ut if the people of the city reall,
ant to own the water plant; second
ppoint a competent commission .,
0mmittee to ascertain the value, ana
lird, to discover how the city could
cquire it or dispossess the company
He said that as result of the rlll-
lg against the city in the condemna
on suit the only way the city may
ct the present plant is for the COM
any to voluntarily relinquish it. The
ther way was for the city to build 4
ew plant. He said it was foolish 10
ave two sets of mains in the city
e declared the city commission
lould make no move until it had OBJ
lined authority.
Mayor Lucas said the city was act
lg on petitions of 2,20O signers ask
lg for city-owned water plant.
Wants Offer Saved
Hellstrom said that the city SHOULD
Ike some action to bind the water
to its offer of arbitration
the railroad commission is upheld
| the courts the company may with
raw its proposal, he said. Hellstrom
allied attention to the order of the
abroad commission that the company
lstall costly filtration plant and
axe other improvements, saying the
ty would have to do the same if it
'ok over the plant.
In reply to a question Mayor Lucas
lid that if the city made assessments
pay the cost it would not be nee
'sary to call an election, bit that if
lie city issued bonds, it would be
ecessary to have an election.
Perhaps do not understand the
olive of this Offer Hellstrom said,
dressing Mayor Lucas. rs it an