The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-05-12
Bond Issue Must Garry If City
Commission Is To Go Ahead
Mayor Says.
APPEAL FOR BIG VOTE
Citizens Committee to Urge
Votes Be Cast Regardless Of
Preference.
Bond Election

S225,0O0 water works bonds?
TimC'-Monday, May IL: polls
open a. m. to 9 p. m.
Voting places same as in recent
city election.
Who May Vote. Every quail
fed voter of the city of Bis
marck may vote on the ques-
\ ton.
Citizens of Bismarck will say Mon
day whether or not the city COM
mission shall be empowered to sell
$225,0O0 of bonds to be used in the
purchase or the present water works
or in the building of water works.
-, The election, called by the COM
mission, will give opportunity for
every qualified voter to express his
sentiments, on the question
There will be voluntary citizens
committee headed by j. p. Sell, urg-
ing voters to go 20 the polls Mon
day, regardless of whether they are
for or against the issue. So far as
is known, there is no organized
moveme~t to defeat the bond issue.
Mayor Lenhart, speaking for the
city commission, declared the cleo
tions is the most important question
dealing with the water works issue
in Bismarck in the last several
years. If the bonds are voted, he
says, the city commission can move
to settle the issue finally; if the
bonds are not voted, the commissi sions
hands are tied.
The view of the commissioners is
that the citizens will say Monday
whether they want city-owned
plant, or whether they want the
Bismarck Water Supply Company to
continue furnishing water to the
city as at present.
Question on Ballot
The. question which will appear on
the ballots reads:
Shall the City of Bismarck is
sue bonds in the sum Of $225,00O.0O
in the denomination of $1,000 each
payable one-twentieth each year
for twenty years with interest there
Non at the rate of five percent per
annum, semi-annually, such interest
payments to be evidenced by inter-
est coupons attached to such bonds,
for the purpose Of constructing or
purchasing water works for furnish
ing a supply of water to the inhabi-
tants of such city,"
= The city commissions plan, Mayor
Lenhart said, is this: If the bonds
are carried the commission will pro-
ceed to receive bids on May % on
two INSTRUMENTATION to pres
ent water works in city, or building
new water works. If the people and
the commission believe after this
that the city ought to acquire the
present plant, an offer can be made
the company. If a reasonable offer
cannot be obtained, the city can go
ahead and buildsa new water works.
But if the majority of the citizens
ote "no" on the bond issue, the
rity commission then is at stand
still in its plans.
"The bond election has got to go
over if the people want this water
question settled" Mayor Lenhart
said.
He appealed for a full expression,
and said a heavy majority for the
bond issue would materially aid the
commission.
The bids to be taken on May %
will be the most conclusive answer
as to the value of the Bismarck
Water Supply Company's plant, he
said, better than arbitration,
Many Bidders Expected
Commissioners say that many ap-
I.plications for plans and specifica-
tions indicate many biddersj and re-
ports from two other cities build
ing municipal water works this
spring indicate that bids on this
class of construction work are low
er than on many other classes.
Finance Commissioner Larson
said the commissioners are advertis-
ing for the building of water
works on a cash basis, and the city
has got to have, authority to sell
bonds. The only way to finance
the building of water works out
side a. bond issue is entirely by i'm
provement warrants, and this is not
regarded fair or desirable, he said.
Every citizen is urged to vote