OCR Text |
Show I The Ogden Waterbvorfo Game Colonel "Bill and Colonel Ma&tima. . It begins to look to the small minority that takes the trouble to watch those who wear the purple of authority, as if somebody was trying to hand the city a system of waterworks. The re- cent maneuvers ot Bill and his bunch of jacks ,i in-the-box means one of two things. There is I either a deal on in which the water company is the party of the first part, or else our prize mountebank is doing a risky bit of juggling. There is a hen on but the council doesn't know yet in whose nest the egg will 'be laid. fcyW tv Nobody knows but Bill. And there's where my kite gets its tail. If there is going to be a rake-off rake-off it is meet and proper that the mayor should O. K. the business so there would be no question as to the legality of the transaction of the equitable equita-ble disposition of the dough. Don't misunderstand me. I am only feeling my way across the chaos of public expression which finds vent whenever the water question is discussed, and if that expression ex-pression is borne on the shaft of criticism barbed with the sting of truth, it is not by business to particularize and assume to be a censor; a good historian, whether writing of that vast cemeteiy called the past, or simply putting down in black and white the brief chronicles of the time, should be content with truth. So be it. Wherefore, I say the water situation so far as it relates to the purchase of the present system under the terms of the condemnation law recently passed, has a pathetically path-etically suspicious lcok. In fact It looks like the water company and Bill were in cahoots ror the purpose of doing a little business, the result of which would be rhe city would have an old, half-worn half-worn out water system and the "water company fc would have the city's good money. t & There may not be any colored gentleman in the woodpile; there may not be anything in contemplation, contem-plation, except the best interests of the city but then, of course, we do not expect the water company com-pany to lie awake nights figuring out schemes to finance the city; there may be nothing but a straight up and down business deal to transfer the ownership of the water system to the city at a fair valuation; there may be nothing wrong, 1 say, but at the same time Bill would not be contemplating con-templating unlawful co-habitation with the water company unless there was something in it for somebody. tv 15 tv Now size up the situation: Two years ago Bill and a bunch of ofllce-itching patriots tore the peace of Ogden to tethers in their public clamor to enjoin the then enterprising city council from buying the water system for $45,000 subject to the bonded debt of $400,000. When the fall campaign 6pened the threatening water-works cloud hung over us like a pall and we had for twenty-four hours a day to disquiet our waking hours and disturb dis-turb our dreams, nothing but water-works. How well all of us remember how the candidates of the "anti-water-works, except by condemnation under eminent domain." experted the whole plaint and proved that the first cost was less than $175,-000. $175,-000. How vivid yet is our recollection of the ink that was shed trying to prove that under no circumstance, cir-cumstance, condition or emergency, could the system be worth more than $250,000. That was two years ago. tw ? c5 Now we understand the bondholders will consider con-sider a matter of $375,000 for the bonds, leaving the city to treat with Eccles, Dee and Co., on the basis of say $50,000 for the stock of the company proper. Two years have elapsed since negotiations negotia-tions were begun and of course the system Ib two years older. Had the transfer been made in 1901 the city would have been about $40,000 to the good in the shape 0j! a surplus after the running expenses, taxes and interest on bonds had been paid. No, no taxes. The city don't have to pay taxes on city property, so there is about $14,000 more the city would have had in taxes saved. It begins to look now as though the council of two years ago had the right dope for a business proposition. prop-osition. But to attend to our own knitting: Why has the water system suddenly enhanced in value about 50 per cent in the eyes of the infidels who had eyes, but would not see two years ago. Why is it right now tor Bill to pay the same amount it was wrong for the city to pay two years ago? Would there have been a rake-off then? Ask George Washington Jones. Is there a chance for a rake-off now? A question not to be asked, but who can help thinking about it! Why is Bill anxious anx-ious to make the deal? Why is the water com- pany paying the fiddler while Bill dances? Is M the system about to become a white elephant on H the hands of the stockholders, or, are they help- H ing Bill redeem his pledges so as to boost him for H re-election? H iv iv tv BH The sum total of the whole business is that H the water company would be glad to part with the H system, while yet it is 'marketable; for half its H life is already gone and In some places the re- H pairs consist of a patch upon a patch. The com- H pany knows that now is a good time to let go. Bill H is anxious to solve tho water question some way, H and as he wants to be re-elected more than any- H thing else, he would just now take a long shot at H the waterworks In order to havo the credit of set- H tling the matter. The day or reckoning for buying H a half-worn out system might easily be shifted H upon some future administration that could be H blamed for incompetency when tho fact that the H city had been hoo-dooed during the reign of Bill, H came to light. In addition to what has been said H in regard to motive, keep in mind the original H proposition: That which prompted Bill and Jones H to enjoin the city two years ago was the hope H of seeing Colonel Mazuma interest himself in H the matter. It begins to appear that the mag- H netic Colonel has arrived. At any rate, negotia- H tions are on and Bill is engineering the deal. Of H course Colonel Mazuma is here! H |