The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-06-09

| ana unit prices were tHe same.
On plant equipment they differed
about $1,000, he said.t He said he
believed this was due in measure
to Mr.. Atkinson not including all the
fittings.
Gas understand it," said Mr. But
Ter, "thc difference of $1,000 is due
to the fact that you believe there is
considerable amount of property
Mr.. Atkinson did not include. Was
there any substantial difference in
depreciation ?" n
81 think his depreciation is quite
bit more than mine, although he de
preciated the Aldrich pump Is per
| My average depreciation was about
20 percent; his about 81 or SO per-
cent"
! Mr.. Flannery remarked that "Of
course. neither estimate includes any
thing for going value
"No." said Mr.. Butler, "this is just
the bare bones Of it,"
Mr.. Butler asked the commission
if the members thought Of anything
that might be asked to clear the mat
! ter.
Mr.. Kelsey then added that after
the first Is years cast-iron pipe vir-
tually ceases to depreciate. He nam
ed French. English and American au-
thorities. He said TIE pipe might be
good for 500 years instead of 100
years, the life which engineers fig
ured
"Well, as l understand it, said
Mr.. Young, "you agree on cast-iron
pipe depreciation, so it is not neces-
sary to go into this"
Mr.. Young asked Mr.. Butler if
there was anything to add, and being
informed there was not, suggested
Mr.. Atkinson might speak. Mr. At
lkinson said that Mr.. Kelsey had cx-
iplained their difference of opinion
as to quantity and prices, that the
water company had a stenographcr
taking down notes of an informal
meeting and he didn't want to go on
the witness stand in an informal
meeting
Mr. Atkinson added that he didn't
believe, and said the action of frost
on the field stone proved it, that the
reservoir floors were good for much
longer. He said there was leak in
one reservoir where n million and a
half gallons of water was going out
each year.
81 know this because I measured
it myself in the last few days." he
said
On questioning by Mr. Butler, he
said it didn't cost much to repair
field-stone work, that he had told Mr.
Tillotson it would cost probably $50
Mr. Kelsey said that the leak. in
view of recent experience in Duluth,
was not bad showing.
Mr.. Kelsey added that one of the
beauties of ficld-stone was that it
could be repaired casily-that with
concrete if there was crack it
would keep getting larger
Property Eliminated
Mr.. Flannery asked Mr.. Atkinson if
any property were eliminated in his
estimate. He answered that he had
eliminated an old pump house and an
old dwelling house, which were not
worth much to anyone.
He said he had not figured the
pump work at the capitol because he
understood it was built with convict
labor. He said he had not figured
the main to TT. Lincoln because he
believed that it was the property of
the United States government
Mr.. Flannery asked Mr.. Atkinson
if he knew the terms of the contract,
saying that the contract made it the
duty of the company to maintain a
pipe line to the border of the Fort
and maintain a meter there.
Mr.. Flannery said that under the
terms of the contract it would seem
the property of the company.
Mr.. Butler asked Mr. Atkinson con-
corning the difference of himself
and Mr. Kelsey on the reservoirs.
Mr.. Atkinson said that if they were
masonry reservoirs, properly con-
structed, they would be better than
concrete, but he said not these.
ut may be because l am SC we'll
acquainted with gate valves and hy-
drants-I have lived with them for
II years-that l gave the figures |
did on Them" he said. He gave the
life at so years. .
He said several gate valves were
half way open; that MIGRANTS we're
leaking and had other defects. He
said that the company put manure
around them each winter to keep
them from freezing only because
they were leaking.
Mr.. Butler asked if that Awere not
because of the climate and it was
done other places.
Mr.. Atkinson said Bismarck was
the only city in the state where they
did it.
Mr.. Butler said he knew they did
it in Minnesota-he didn't know why
| Life of Reservoirs
Mr.. Young asked Mr.. Kelsey what
life he gave the reservoirs.
He said he gave the concrete rcser-
voirs 100 years, and that they had not
deprecated more than 10 percent in
&c years.
Mr.. Atkinson gave their life as r.
years and added "of course, if they
were constructed of aqueduct mas
onry, properly built, would give
them much longer life, but not
these reservoirs of field stone and
| mortar.
Mr.. Flannery then said he thought
that the city and-the company rep. G.
| sentatives had before them the sub.
stantial differences on the larger
items. He said nothing was allowed
for going value, which he understood
ran 10 to 20 percent.
"But eliminating that and getting
down to money. paid out, I ask YOU